April 11 Crop Progress & Condition Report - NE - IA - US

NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending April 10, 2016, temperatures throughout most of Nebraska averaged two to eight degrees above normal, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. The State received minimal amounts of precipitation. However, high winds limited fieldwork activities such as spraying and spreading fertilizer. There were 6.0 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 7 percent very short, 26 short, 66 adequate, and 1 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 3 percent very short, 20 short, 75 adequate, and 2 surplus.

Field Crops Report:
Winter wheat condition rated 0 percent very poor, 3 poor, 40 fair, 50 good, and 7 excellent. Winter wheat jointed was at 10 percent.

Oats planted was at 50 percent, behind 63 last year, but ahead of 44 for the five-year average. Oats emerged was at 2 percent, behind 9 last year and 8 average.

Livestock Report:
Cattle and calf conditions rated 0 percent very poor, 1 poor, 9 fair, 74 good, and 16 excellent. Calving was 76 percent complete, ahead of 54 last year and 68 average. Cattle and calf death loss rated 1 percent heavy, 66 average, and 33 light.

Sheep and lamb conditions rated 0 percent very poor, 0 poor, 10 fair, 83 good, and 7 excellent. Sheep and lamb death loss rated 0 percent heavy, 74 average, and 26 light.

Hay and roughage supplies rated 0 percent very short, 6 short, 89 adequate, and 5 surplus.

Stock water supplies rated 1 percent very short, 6 short, 92 adequate, and 1 surplus.



Access the National publication for Crop Progress and Condition tables at: http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/nass/CropProg/2010s/2016/CropProg-04-11-2016.pdf.

Access the High Plains Region Climate Center for Temperature and Precipitation Maps at: http://www.hprcc.unl.edu/maps.php?map=ACISClimateMaps.

Access the U.S. Drought Monitor at:
http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/Home/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?NE. 



IOWA CROP PROGRESS REPORT

 High winds and frequent showers kept many Iowa producers out of their fields during the week ending April 10, 2016, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide there were 3.1 days suitable for fieldwork. West central and southwest Iowa led the way with 4.7 days suitable for fieldwork. Field activities included anhydrous and manure applications. Farmers were also getting equipment ready for planting as they waited for warmer weather.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 0 percent very short, 3 percent short, 84 percent adequate and 13 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 0 percent very short, 1 percent short, 87 percent adequate and 12 percent surplus.

Thirty percent of the State’s expected oat crop has been planted, two days behind the 5-year average. Oats emerged reached 3 percent, equal to last year but almost a week behind normal.
Pasture condition rated 1 percent very poor, 6 percent poor, 38 percent fair, 50 percent good and 5 percent excellent. Pastures have been slow to grow due to the cold conditions. Livestock conditions were described as good. Calving season has been going well for most producers, but constant moisture has been a challenge for some.



IOWA PRELIMINARY WEATHER SUMMARY
Provided by Harry J. Hillaker, State Climatologist
Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship

Iowa endured an unseasonably cool and windy week. Temperatures were below normal throughout the week across eastern Iowa while portions of western Iowa managed above normal temperatures on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday (10th). A hard freeze occurred over about the northeast one-half of the state on Tuesday (5th) morning with temperatures falling as low as 20 degrees at Elkader. The coldest weather of the week came on Saturday morning when the low temperatures varied from 13 degrees at Audubon to 26 degrees at Guttenberg. On the other end of the spectrum Glenwood, Little Sioux and Sidney reached 70 degrees on Tuesday afternoon while Red Oak reached 68 degrees on Sunday (10th). Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged from seven to nine degrees below normal across far eastern Iowa to near normal over the extreme southwest. The statewide average temperature was 5.2 degrees below normal. Most of the week’s precipitation fell between Tuesday (5th) morning and Wednesday (6th) afternoon when showers and thunderstorms were widespread across Iowa. Light rain also fell across much of the eastern two-thirds of the state on Thursday (7th) with light showers also occurring nearly statewide on Sunday (10th). There were also snow showers on Friday (8th) across the northeast one-third of Iowa with some brief accumulations in some areas. Heaviest precipitation during the week fell across east central Iowa where 1.67 inches was reported in northern Cedar Rapids. Meanwhile only sprinkles fell across parts of west central Iowa from Glenwood to as far north as Ida and Sac counties. The statewide average precipitation was 0.34 inches or about one-half of the weekly normal of 0.70 inches. Wind gusts of 35 mph or more occurred somewhere in the state every day of the week with gusts over 50 mph in some areas on Thursday and Friday. Finally, soil temperatures at the four inch depth as of Sunday were averaging in the low forties over the northeast one-half of Iowa to the upper forties in the far southwest and southeast corners of the state.



USDA Weekly Crop Progress - Wheat Conditions Worsen

Winter wheat conditions across the country worsened in the week ending April 10, according to USDA's latest Crop Progress report.  Nine percent of the crop is now rated poor to very poor, compared to 7% last week. USDA also said 56% of winter wheat was rated good to excellent. 
In addition, the first heading progress number of 2016 was released at 4%, compared to 5% last year and a 7% average. 

Corn planting also made its 2016 debut on this week's report at 4%, compared to only 1% last year and equal to the five-year average. 

Sorghum is 15% planted, compared to 13% last week, 14% last year and a 17% average.

Oats are 38% planted and 26% emerged, compared to 29% and 24% last week, respectively, 40% and 27% last year, and 42% and 32% averages.

Barley is 19% planted, compared to 6% last week, 22% last year and 15% on average.