April 9 Crop Progress and Condition Report

Nebraska Farmers Poised and Ready for Corn Planting
Small Grains Well Ahead of Averages

Agricultural  Summary: 
For  the  week  ending  April  8,  2012,  even  though  conditions  were favorable  for  planting  corn,  only  a  limited  number of  fields were planted with most producers waiting for  the  crop  insurance  initial  planting  date, according  to  USDA’s  National  Agricultural Statistics  Service,  Nebraska  Field  Office.   Soil moisture  levels  continued below previous year  and 5  year  averages  with  precipitation  limited  to  the southern  tier of  counties.   Planting of oats  reached the  half  way  point  with  15  percent  of  the  crop emerged.   Wheat was beginning  to joint well ahead of  average.   With  5.8  days  suitable  for  fieldwork, producers  were  applying  fertilizer,  performing spring  tillage,  and  getting  machinery  ready  for spring planting.   Soil  temperatures  ranged from  the mid 50’s in the west to low 60’s in the east.  Cattle and  calves  were  in  mostly  good  to  excellent condition.   Spring calving was 83 percent complete with calf losses well below average.  

Weather  Summary:    
Temperatures  averaged  3  degrees  above  normal  across  the western  half  of the state, while the eastern half was up to 10 degrees above  normal.  Highs  reached  the  low  90’s  in  the east  and  lows  fell  to  the  lower  20’s  in  the Panhandle.    Precipitation  was  limited  to  extreme southern  counties  with  some  locations  receiving over one inch.  Topsoil Moisture %:  Very Short 18, Short 43, Adequate  39, Surplus 0;  Subsoil Moisture %:  Very Short 15, Short 41, Adequate 44, Surplus 0. 

Field  Crops  Report: 
Corn  planted  showed  little progress  and  remained  at  1  percent,  equal  to  last year but ahead of average.

Wheat  jointed  was  10  percent,  well  ahead  of  1 percent average.  Wheat conditions rated 0 percent very poor, 5 poor, 35 fair, 52 good, and 8 excellent, well above last year’s 35 percent good to excellent.  

Oats  planted  were  at  50  percent,  well  ahead  of  29  last  year  and  average.   Oats  emerged  was  15 percent, well ahead of 1 last year and 3 average.

Alfalfa conditions rated 0 percent very poor, 6 poor, 25  fair, 56 good, and 13 excellent.  Concerns were expressed about insect levels.

Livestock,  Pasture  and  Range  Report: 
Cattle  and calf  condition  rated  0  percent  very  poor,  0  poor,  6  fair,  72  good,  and  22  excellent.    Spring  calving was  83  percent  complete.    Calf  losses  rated  30 percent below average, 69 average, and 1 above average.


Current Weather & Crops County Comments
Survey Date: 04/08/2012

BOONE
Still very dry. Producers are applying fertilizer. Not much planting started yet.

DIXON
Beginning to get critically dry in the two county area. Corn planting expected to begin this week.

DODGE
There are some concerns of bugs in alfalfa that may need to be sprayed. Corn planting is slowly starting with the good conditions; otherwise, ground prep for planting is the main activity.

GAGE
Who knows this year if things are good or bad. Alfalfa first cutting may have to come before buds form for second cutting or in the case of frost way before. Wheat is strongly jointing and some will begin to head this coming week. Most fields will be fully headed by April 23.

KNOX
Conditions continue to be dry. Grass is greening up nicely. The alfalfa is way ahead of normal.

MADISON
Rain chances did not result in any wide areas of precipitation. Planting is on hold until the crop insurance date arrives this week. Then, expect planting to take off at a fast pace.

MERRICK
Wheat is about two weeks ahead of normal crop development this year due to the unseasonably warm temperatures this winter and spring.

WASHINGTON
Applying fertilizer to row crop fields.

YORK
Getting prepared for the planting season that will now be starting.



Click here for the latest National progress...  http://usda01.library.cornell.edu/usda/current/CropProg/CropProg-04-09-2012.txt. 



Iowa's Farmers Ready for Mass Corn Planting This Week

As Iowa’s crop insurance plant date for corn slowly approaches (April 11), farmers are excited about getting planting underway. Most of the week’s rain occurred in the southeast corner of the state. The week’s most common field activities were application  of anhydrous, tiling, and leveling of last year’s cornstalks.  

There were 6.0 days suitable for fieldwork during the past week. Statewide soil moisture levels are still a big concern with most farmers hoping for rain before corn planting gets underway.  Topsoil moisture levels rated 12 percent very short, 31 percent short, 55 percent adequate, and 2 percent surplus.  Northwest Iowa continues to be the driest area in the State with 78 percent short to very short for topsoil moisture.  Iowa’s subsoil moisture rated 18 percent very short, 33 percent short, 47 percent adequate, and 2 percent surplus. 

With only 1 percent of the corn planted across the state, farmers look forward to widespread  planting.  Oat acreage planted was 75 percent complete, well beyond both last year’s 29 percent and the five-year average of 21 percent.  Twenty-three percent of the oat acreage has emerged which is 16 days ahead of normal.

Pasture and range condition rated 2 percent very poor, 5 percent poor, 25 percent fair, 47 percent good, and 21 percent  excellent.  Warm temperatures meant less stress on livestock this spring and gave livestock the chance to graze pastures early.  


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

The past reporting week began with unseasonably warm weather on Monday (2nd) and gradually cooled to near normal readings by the weekend.  The state’s most widespread freeze since March 13 affected most of the  northeast one-half to two-thirds of Iowa on Friday (6th) morning with a hard freeze in a few areas.  Freezing conditions were also scattered across all but the far southeast corner of the state on Sunday (8th) morning with a hard freeze in a few western locations.  Temperature extremes for the week ranged from highs of 92 degrees at Sioux City and Little Sioux on Monday to a morning low of 23 degrees at Cresco on Friday and 25 degrees at Sibley on Sunday.  Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged from 6 degrees above normal over the far east to 11 degrees above normal over the far west with a statewide average of 8.8 degrees above normal.  An exceptional streak of 24 consecutive days with at least one location in Iowa reaching at least 70 degrees finally ended on Thursday.  No rain fell over about the northwest one-quarter of Iowa over the past week while Keokuk Airport reported the most rain with 1.49 inches.  The statewide average precipitation was only 0.09 inch while normal for the week is 0.66 inch.  There were a few thunderstorms over extreme southern and southeast Iowa on Tuesday and again over the far south on Wednesday into Thursday morning.  Finally, showers and a few thunderstorms brought light rain to the southeast three-fourths of Iowa on Saturday.  This was Iowa’s driest week in eight weeks.  Very low soil moisture levels prevail over northwest and north central Iowa and is a remnant of very dry late summer and fall weather in those areas exacerbated by relatively little rain over the past month.  Finally, soil temperatures as of Sunday are averaging in the low 50s in most areas.