October 17 Crop Progress and Harvest Report

Corn and Soybean Harvest Ahead of Average Pace in Nebraska

Agricultural  Summary: 
For  the  week  ending  October  16,  2011,  soybean  harvest  remained  the  focus  of field activities with progress on pace with last year and two weeks  ahead  of  average,  according  to  USDA’s  National Agricultural  Statistics  Service,  Nebraska  Field  Office.  Corn  and  sorghum  harvest  continued  to  advance  with progress near average.   Some producers in central counties who were  kept  out  of  fields  last week  due  to  heavy  rains were able  to  return  to harvest  late  in  the week.   Sugarbeet harvest was  in  full  swing while dry bean and proso millet harvests were winding  down.    Seeding  of  the wheat  crop neared completion with most of  the crop having emerged.  Cattle  were  being  moved  to  stalks  as  fields  became available.

Weather  Summary:   
Temperatures  for  the  week averaged near normal in the west but 1 to 3 degrees above normal in the east.  High temperatures reached the 80’s and lows were mainly  in  the 30’s.   Most of  the rain during  the week  fell  in  the eastern half of  the state.   The Central and East  Central  Districts  received  the  most  rain  while Panhandle and South West Districts were relatively dry. 
Topsoil Moisture:  Very Short 4%, Short 27%,  Adequate 68%,  Surplus 1%.  
Subsoil Moisture:  Very Short 5%,  Short 30%,  Adequate 65%,  Surplus 0%.   
Average Rainfall since April 1:  NE +8%,  EC +12%,  SE -7%. 

Field  Crops  Report: 
Corn  condition  rated  2  percent very poor, 5 poor, 18 fair, 55 good, and 20 excellent, near 74  percent  good  to  excellent  last  week.   Irrigated  corn conditions  rated  81 percent good  to  excellent  and  dryland corn rated 70.  Corn mature was 93 percent, behind 99 last year  but  ahead  of  90  average.   Corn  harvest  was  at  30 percent, behind 47 last year but near 28 average.  

Soybean  harvest was  at  84  percent,  near  86  last  year  but well ahead of 67 average.  

Winter Wheat seeded was 95 percent, near 98 last year and 96  average.    Wheat  emerged  was  85  percent,  ahead  of  79 last year and 80 average. 

Sorghum  conditions  rated  1  percent  very  poor,  4  poor,  17 fair, 59 good, and 19 excellent, near 77 percent good to excellent last week.  Sorghum mature was 91 percent, near 93  last year but ahead of 84 average.  Sorghum harvested was  21  percent,  behind  26  last  year  but  ahead  of  19 average. 

The  fourth  cutting  of  alfalfa was  at  95  percent,  ahead  of  90 last year and 91 average.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report: 
Pasture and range conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 9 poor, 28 fair, 55 good, and 7 excellent, below last year’s 70 percent good to excellent but above 56 average.



Current Weather & Crops County Comments
Survey Date: 10/16/2011

CEDAR
Soybean harvest is nearly completed with some reports of yields being lower than expected where the frost hit early. Producers are getting ready to harvest corn.

DIXON
A shower of rain on Wednesday held producers out of the field for 24 hours. Harvest resumed in full swing on Thursday with many producers switching to corn. Soybean harvest is all but wrapped up in this area. So far we are having an excellent harvest season.

DOUGLAS
We received a little moisture this week. More moisture is greatly needed.

KNOX
Soybean harvest was delayed till late week due to rain. Most switched to corn harvest as the corn is dry. Yields are generally better than expected. Pastures have really greened up due to recent rain.

NEMAHA
Dry conditions have helped farmers proceed with harvest at a good rate. Crops are also drying down to reduce the need for drying. Area has been very dry the past 6 weeks. A rain is needed to replenish the soil profile and help fall seeded crops germinate and emerge.

OTOE
Very dry for harvest. There have been several fires in soybean stubble.

SALINE
Wet and then cloudy weather slowed harvest for a couple days and then back into full swing.


Click here to see the national numbers...  http://usda01.library.cornell.edu/usda/current/CropProg/CropProg-10-17-2011.txt. 



Rain prolongs quick harvest in Iowa
Harvest, Fall tillage, and Fertilizer App still ahead of average

Light showers slowed harvest a bit, but progress remains well ahead of the  normal  pace.    Fall  tillage  has  already  been  completed  on  some fields, but little ammonia has been applied.  Terrace and waterway work is progressing where harvest is complete.

There  were  5.8  days  suitable  for  fieldwork  statewide  during  the  past week.   Topsoil moisture  levels  rated 28 percent very  short, 39 percent short,  32 percent  adequate,  and  1 percent  surplus.    Subsoil  moisture rated 25 percent very  short, 40 percent  short, 34 percent  adequate, and 1 percent  surplus.   Grain movement  remains  brisk, with  54 percent  of the  State  seeing  moderate  to  heavy  grain  movement  from  farm  to elevator.  As the harvest season advances, 4 percent of the State reports being short off-farm storage capacity and 9 percent of the State reports a shortage of on-farm storage capacity.

Virtually all of  Iowa’s corn crop  is now mature.   Forty-five percent of the corn crop has been harvested for grain or seed, 4 days behind 2010 but  8  days  ahead  of  the  five-year  average.   Corn  condition  stands  at 4 percent  very  poor,  8 percent  poor,  27 percent  fair,  48 percent  good, and 13 percent excellent.  

Nearly all of  Iowa’s soybeans have dropped their  leaves although southern Iowa  lags slightly behind  the rest of  the State.    Soybean  harvest  advanced  to  87 percent  complete,  behind  last year’s  92 percent  but  over  2 weeks  ahead  of  the  average  pace.   Over three-quarters  of  the  soybean  crop  has  been  harvested  in  all  districts except South Central.  

Pasture and range condition rated 19 percent very poor, 23 percent poor, 33 percent fair, 21 percent good, and 4 percent excellent.  Hay supplies  are considered  short  in 21 percent of  Iowa.   Some  livestock producers are  moving  cattle  to  stalk  fields  as  well  as  feeding  hay  as  pasture conditions are poor.


 
IOWA PRELIMINARY WEATHER SUMMARY
Provided by Harry Hillaker, State Climatologist

The past reporting week began with temperatures well above normal on Monday  (10th) and Tuesday  (11th) with highs mostly  in  the 70s with a gradual cooling  trend  that brought  temperatures back down  to seasonal values  by  the weekend.   Temperature  extremes  varied  from  afternoon highs of 80 degrees at Donnellson, Keokuk and Winterset on Monday and  again  at Keosauqua  on Tuesday  down  to  a  low  of  30  degrees  at Sibley  on  Saturday  (15th) morning.    Temperatures  for  the  week  as  a whole  averaged  4.6  degrees  above  normal.    Light  rain  showers were scattered  over  the  state  on Monday  and Tuesday while  thunderstorms brought the state’s heaviest rain in over a month on Wednesday.  Light rain fell over the northeast one-third of Iowa on Thursday and Saturday while most  areas were dry on Friday and Sunday.   Rain  totals  for  the week varied from just a trace at Centerville to 2.46 inches at Winterset.  The statewide average precipitation was 0.65 inch or just slightly above the weekly normal of 0.58  inch.   This was  Iowa’s wettest week  in six weeks.  Soil temperatures as of Sunday (16th) were averaging in the mid 50s statewide.