August 14 Crop Progress & Condition Report - NE - IA - US

NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending August 13, 2017, cool, wet conditions dominated the weather pattern, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. There were 5.7 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 14 percent very short, 38 short, 47 adequate, and 1 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 14 percent very short, 39 short, 47 adequate, and 0 surplus.

Field Crops Report:
Corn condition rated 4 percent very poor, 9 poor, 24 fair, 46 good, and 17 excellent. Corn dough was 65 percent, behind 72 last year, and near the five-year average of 66. Dented was 14 percent, near 16 last year, and behind 19 average.

Soybean condition rated 4 percent very poor, 8 poor, 27 fair, 50 good, and 11 excellent. Soybeans blooming was 97 percent, equal to both last year and average. Setting pods was 78 percent, near 79 last year and 80 average.

Sorghum condition rated 3 percent very poor, 3 poor, 30 fair, 50 good, and 14 excellent. Sorghum headed was 77 percent, behind 85 last year, but equal to average. Coloring was 12 percent, behind 24 last year, and near 13 average.

Oats harvested was 95 percent, ahead of 88 last year, and near 93 average.

Alfalfa condition rated 4 percent very poor, 13 poor, 33 fair, 39 good, and 11 excellent. Alfalfa third cutting was 77 percent complete, near 74 last year, and ahead of 65 average. Fourth cutting was 16 percent complete, near 15 last year.

Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 6 percent very poor, 23 poor, 38 fair, 28 good, and 5 excellent. Stock water supplies rated 2 percent very short, 14 short, 84 adequate, and 0 surplus.



IOWA CROP PROGRESS & CONDITION REPORT

All of Iowa experienced cooler than normal temperatures with very little precipitation scattered across the state during the week ending August 13, 2017, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide there were 6.3 days suitable for fieldwork. Activities for the week included applying fungicides and insecticides, hauling grain, and haying.

Topsoil moisture levels fell to 30 percent very short, 33 percent short, 37 percent adequate and 0 percent surplus. According to the August 8, 2017 U.S. Drought Monitor, Iowa’s region of drought expanded to 40 percent of the state including portions of 23 counties in severe drought. Subsoil moisture levels rated 25 percent very short, 33 percent short, 42 percent adequate and 0 percent surplus. That is the highest percentage of very short subsoil moisture supplies since the first week of November 2013.

Sixty-two percent of the corn crop was in or beyond the dough stage, 6 days behind last year. Eight percent of the corn crop has reached the dent stage, one week behind average. Corn condition declined to 3 percent very poor, 9 percent poor, 27 percent fair, 52 percent good and 9 percent excellent.

Soybeans blooming reached 94 percent, 5 days behind last year and 4 days behind average. Eighty-two percent of soybeans were setting pods, 3 days behind last year but 2 days ahead of average. Soybean condition rated 4 percent very poor, 11 percent poor, 29 percent fair, 49 percent good and 7 percent excellent.

Ninety-five percent of the oat crop for grain or seed has been harvested, equal to average.

The third cutting of alfalfa hay was 65 percent complete, 8 days ahead of last year and 11 days ahead of average.

Pasture condition was reported as 45 percent poor to very poor, the highest percentage reported in those categories since the beginning of April 2014. Cooler temperatures improved livestock conditions, but supplemental feeding has been required and ponds are drying up in some areas.



USDA Weekly Crop Progress

Corn condition improved slightly from the previous week while soybean condition was down by 1 percentage point, according to USDA's weekly Crop Progress report released Monday.

USDA estimated that 62% of corn was in good-to-excellent condition at the end of last week, up slightly from 60% the previous week. Corn progress continued to lag behind the normal pace with 97% of the crop silking as of Sunday, down from 99% a year ago and below the five-year average of 98%. Sixty-one percent of corn had reached the dough stage, down from 70% a year ago, and down from the five-year average of 62%. Sixteen percent of corn was dented, down from 19% a year ago and down from the five-year average of 20% dented.

Soybean progress, on the other hand, was slightly ahead of normal with 94% of soybeans blooming as of Sunday, even with a year ago and above the five-year average of 93%. Seventy-nine percent of soybeans were setting pods, which is up from 78% a year ago and above the five-year average of 75%.  Soybean condition fell slightly from 60% good to excellent the previous week to 59% good to excellent this past week.

Meanwhile, USDA reported that 97% of winter wheat had been harvested as of Sunday, even with a year ago and above the five-year average of 96%.

Forty percent of spring wheat was harvested, down from 45% a year ago, but above the five-year average of 35% harvested. Thirty-three percent of spring wheat was rated good-to-excellent, up 1 percentage point from 32% the previous week.

Sorghum was 31% coloring, behind the average of 38%, and mature was 21%, also behind the average of 25% mature. Sorghum condition improved to 64% good to excellent from 61% good to excellent the previous week.

Barley was 52% harvested as of Sunday, ahead of the average pace of 40%. Oats were 66% harvested, behind the average of 72%.

Cotton was 98% squaring, 80% setting bolls and 10% bolls opening compared to an average pace of 99% squaring, 81% setting bolls and 10% bolls opening. Cotton condition improved to 61% good to excellent from 57% good to excellent the previous week. Rice was 91% headed, ahead of the average of 83%, and 12% of rice was harvested as of Sunday, ahead of the average of 9% harvested.