November 7 Crop Progress and Harvest Report

Harvest Mainly Complete in Eastern Nebraska
Fieldwork continues amid favorable weather

Agricultural  Summary: 
For  the  week  ending  November 6, 2011, precipitation  in  the  forms of both  rain and snow fell during the middle of the week slowing most field  operations,  according  to  USDA’s  National Agricultural  Statistics  Service,  Nebraska  Field  Office.  Strong winds  on  Saturday  aided  in  drying  fields  to  allow producers  to  proceed with  field  operations.   Corn  harvest was mostly completed in the eastern half of the state while the  Panhandle  District  is  only  half  harvested.    Harvest progress  was  a  week  behind  last  year,  but  fifteen  days ahead of average.  Sorghum harvest at 85 percent, was two weeks ahead of average.   Fall  tillage has been ongoing on harvested  fields.    Producers  had  favorable  conditions  to apply  anhydrous  ammonia  with  soil  temperatures  that ranged from the low 40s in the Panhandle to upper 40’s in the east.  Wheat conditions continue well above last year.  

Weather  Summary:   
Temperatures  for  the  week averaged 2 degrees below normal for most of the state with the Panhandle District  falling  to  5  degrees  below  normal.  High  temperatures  reached  the mid  70’s  and  lows  dipped into  the  low  teen’s  in  the  western  half  of  the  state.  Precipitation  in  the  form  of  snow  fell  in  portions  of  the west on Wednesday.  Rain  fell  in  the  south  and  southeast on  Thursday  with  totals  less  than  one  inch  in  most locations.   
Topsoil Moisture:  Very Short - 4%,  Short - 37%,  Adequate - 59%,  Surplus - 0
Subsoil Moisture:  Very Short - 4%,  Short - 35%,  Adequate - 60%,  Surplus -1%  

Field  Crops  Report: 
Corn  harvest  was  at  87 percent, one week behind 93  last year but  fifteen days ahead of 66 average.  

Sorghum  harvested  was  85  percent,  three  days  behind  90 last year but two weeks ahead of 63 average. 

Winter Wheat conditions rated 0 percent very poor, 1 poor, 21  fair, 67  good,  and  11  excellent, well  above 43  percent good to excellent last year and 68 average.  



Current Weather & Crops County Comments
Survey Date: 11/06/2011

ANTELOPE
Harvest is progressing well. Cattle are being moved home and to stalks.

CEDAR
Another good week for combining corn. Some producers are done with reports of good yields.

DIXON
Harvest is coming to a close. Dry conditions continue to raise concern for perennial crops, grass, trees, etc. going into winter.

DODGE
A lot of fall tillage is being done and some fertilizer is being applied.

DOUGLAS
Nice rain on Tuesday. Harvest is over for most.

GAGE
Fall weed control, terrace repair, fall fertilization, moving cattle to stalks.

KNOX
Harvest is winding down. In general, yields were better than expected. Calves are being weaned and cows are being moved to stalks.

NEMAHA
Harvest is almost complete. Some places received some rain last week, but more rain is needed for fall seeded crops and to help replenish the soil profile,



Click here to see how the harvest is progressing nationwide...  http://usda01.library.cornell.edu/usda/current/CropProg/CropProg-11-07-2011.txt.



Iowa Harvest Wrapping Up
Producers focus on fall fertilizer and fieldwork

Fall  tillage  and  fertilizer  applications  continue  as harvest  is  nearly complete.  Some farmers are delaying anhydrous applications due to concerns  of  the  dry  conditions  preventing  sealing  and  causing nitrogen  losses.   More  corn  stalks have been baled  this  fall due  to concerns about hay supplies.
  
There were 5.7 days suitable for fieldwork statewide during the past week.   Northwest  Iowa  had  the most  days  suitable with  6.8  days suitable for fieldwork while all other districts had less than 6.0 days suitable.  Rains eased moisture concerns slightly.  Topsoil moisture rated  29 percent  very  short,  38 percent  short,  32  adequate,  and 1 percent  surplus.    Subsoil  moisture  rated  32 percent  very  short, 40 percent short, 27 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus.   Grain movement continues  to slow, with one-third of  the State seeing no grain  movement  from  farm  to  elevator.    With  little  harvest remaining,  89 percent  of  the State  reports  adequate  or  surplus  off-farm storage capacity and 83 percent of the State reports adequate or surplus on-farm storage capacity.

Ninety-five percent of the corn crop has been harvested for grain or seed, just  behind 2010’s 97 percent but 25 percentage points ahead of the normal pace.  Soybean harvest is virtually complete.  

Pasture and  range condition  rated 25 percent very poor, 24 percent poor,  32 percent  fair,  17 percent  good,  and  2 percent  excellent.   Hay  supplies  are  considered  adequate  across  two-thirds  of  Iowa  with  only  11 percent  considered  in  poor  condition.    Livestock  are enjoying sun and mild temperatures.



IOWA PRELIMINARY WEATHER SUMMARY
Provided by Harry Hillaker, State Climatologist
The primary weather story  this week was  the mid-week rain event.  Rain fell statewide on Wednesday and across the southeast one-half of  Iowa  on  Thursday  morning.   Rain  was  light  over  the  far northwest and moderate to heavy over the far southeast.  Rain totals varied  from  just a  trace at Sheldon  to 2.30 inches at Keokuk.  The statewide  average  rainfall  of  0.76 inch  has  been  exceeded  by  only one  other  event  since  June  27  (0.82 inch  on  September  2-3).   However,  this was  the only  rain  for  the past week, but did exceed the  weekly  normal  of  0.54 inch.   Meanwhile  temperatures  were quite  variable.  Tuesday  (1st) was  the warmest  day with  afternoon temperatures  ranging  from  the mid  60s  northwest  to  the mid  70s southeast while Friday (4th) was the coldest day with morning lows only in the teens northwest while only Lee County failed to record a freeze.    Temperature  extremes  for  the week  varied  from  a  Friday morning  low  of  14 degrees  at  Battle  Creek  to  Tuesday  afternoon highs  of  77 degrees  at  Keosauqua,  Leon  and  Rathbun  Dam.  Temperatures  for  the week as  a whole averaged 2.9 degrees above normal.  Finally, soil  temperatures by  the weekend were averaging in the mid 40s statewide.