May 14 Crop Progress and Condition Report

Some Irrigation Underway in Nebraska
Crop Progress Continues Ahead of Average Pace

Agricultural  Summary: 
For  the  week  ending  May  13,  2012,  both  planting  and  crop  development continued ahead of average, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Nebraska Field Office.  Due to  limited  rainfall,  topsoil  moisture  levels  dropped  again below  average  causing  some  producers  to  start  pivots.  Corn planted advanced  to 91 percent with over half of  the crop emerged. Soybean planting was near two weeks ahead of  average with  60  percent  complete.   One  quarter  of  the sorghum crop was planted.   Wheat  jointed was 95 percent with  half  of  the  crop  headed,  18  days  ahead  of  average.  The  first  cutting  of  alfalfa  neared  the  half way  point  and was 3 weeks ahead of average. Planting of proso millet was underway.      

Weather  Summary:  
Temperatures  averaged  3  degrees below normal  across  the  state.   High  temperatures  ranged from the upper 80’s to lows of upper 20’s in the Panhandle.  Little  or  no  precipitation  fell  across  the  state  with  the Southeast  District  receiving  the  largest  amounts  but  only averaging .2 inch of rain.   Topsoil Moisture (%):  Very Short  4, Short 28, Adequate  67, Surplus 1;  Subsoil Moisture (%):  Very Short  5, Short  31, Adequate  63, Surplus 1.   GDD since April 15 (normal):  Concord 328 (261),  Elgin 319 (261),  West Point 341 (268),  Mead 364 (275).   Precipitation, inches, since April 1 (% of normal): NE - 4.17, (101%);  EC - 4.76, (108%);  SE - 4.52, (100%)
 
Field  Crops  Report: 
Corn  planting  advanced  to  91  percent  complete,  1  week  ahead  of  76  last  year  and average.  Corn emerged stood at 57 percent, well ahead of 16 last year and 23 average. 

Soybean planting was 60 percent complete, ahead of 33 last year and 12 days ahead of 28 average.   Soybeans emerged were 18 percent, ahead of 1 last year and 2 average.

Sorghum  planting  was  25  percent  complete,  ahead  of  14  last  year  and  6  days  ahead  of  11  average.   Sorghum emerged was 4 percent, ahead of 1 last year.

Oats emerged were at 93 percent, well ahead of 73 last year and  83  average.    Oats  conditions  rated  2  percent  poor,  21 fair, 73 good, and 4 excellent. 

Wheat  jointed  was  95  percent,  well  ahead  of  last  year’s  64 and 67 average.  Wheat headed was 52 percent, ahead of 1 last year and 18 days ahead of 4 average.  The impact of freezing  temperatures on wheat  in  the northern Panhandle is  not  yet  known.    The  cool  and  dry weather  slowed  the advancement  of  disease  in  parts  of  the  South Central  and Southeast Districts.  Wheat conditions rated 3 percent poor, 29  fair,  57  good,  and  11  excellent,  above  last  year’s  47 percent good to excellent and 64 average.  

The first fields of proso millet were planted.

The  first  cutting  of  alfalfa was  44  percent  complete, well ahead  of  1  last  year  and  19  days  ahead  of  2  average.  Concerns were expressed over insect activity.  Alfalfa rated 4 percent poor, 24 fair, 56 good, and 16 excellent, near last year’s 71 percent good to excellent and 74 average.    Wild  hay  conditions  rated  1  percent  poor,  23  fair,  73 good, and 3 excellent, above last year’s 45 percent good to excellent.
 
Livestock, Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range  conditions  rated  2  percent  poor,  32  fair, 60  good,  and  6  excellent,  compared  to  last  year’s  63 percent good to excellent and 70 average.



Current Weather & Crops County Comments
Survey Date: 05/13/2012

BOONE
Farmers are progressing nicely on planting. Several rains have been received but more is needed. Producers are starting to run pivots to get their crops up. Still pretty dry in some areas.

CEDAR
Bean planting is wrapping up and activity on putting up the first cutting of alfalfa is heavy.

DIXON
Producers have been able to work in the fields all week. Several expect to be done planting soybeans by the end of the week. Alfalfa harvest is just getting underway. Producers are holding off on pastures as long as they can.

DODGE
Good planting progress was made this week. Cattle are being turned out to pasture.
Hot and humid the first part of the week. Very nice the rest of the week.

KNOX
Alfalfa harvest is well ahead of normal. There is a fair amount of insect damage.

LANCASTER
Stripe rust is heavy on wheat.

NEMAHA
Dry conditions have allowed farmers to complete corn planting and make significant progress with soybean planting. Alfalfa has also been harvested and wheat is all headed out.

SALINE
Dry conditions continued and a general rain would be welcome for even emergence of soybeans.



Click here for the latest national progress and condition numbers from USDA...  http://usda01.library.cornell.edu/usda/current/CropProg/CropProg-05-14-2012.txt.  



Iowa Farmers Plant a Third of the Soybean Crop Last Week
Iowa Corn About a Week Ahead of Normal 

With dry  and warmer weather  farmers worked at a  rapid pace and Iowa  saw  widespread  planting  of  both  corn  and  soybeans.  Corn planting advanced 26 percentage points statewide with each district of  the  state  increasing  at  least  19 percentage  points.  Farmers statewide  planted  nearly  one-third  of  the  expected  soybean  crop during  the week ending May 13th. Northwest  Iowa had  the  largest increase with 39 percentage points. 

There  were  5.1  days  suitable  for  fieldwork  during  the  week, compared with  just  1.5  days  the  previous week.  Topsoil moisture levels  rated  0 percent  very  short,  9 percent  short,  83 percent adequate,  and  8 percent  surplus.  Subsoil  moisture  rated  4 percent very  short,  16 percent  short,  71 percent  adequate,  and  9 percent surplus.

Corn  planting  now  stands  at  90 percent  complete,  ahead  of  last year’s  85 percent  and  the  five-year  average  of  79 percent.  West Central  Iowa  producers  lead  the  way  for  corn  planting  with 96 percent  complete.  Fifty-five percent  of  the  corn  crop  has emerged, 6 days ahead of normal.

Soybean planting was 39 percent complete,  just  ahead  of  last  year’s  36 percent  and  the  five-year average  of  30 percent.  Soybeans  have  emerged  in  each  district  of the state. Ninety-five percent of the oat acreage has emerged, ahead of  last  year’s  86 percent  and  the  five-year  average  of  76 percent.

Seven percent of the oat crop has headed, 19 days ahead of normal. Oat  condition  improved  to  0 percent  very  poor,  2 percent  poor, 18 percent fair, 64 percent good, and 16 percent excellent.

Seventy-three percent  of  Iowa’s  pasture  and  range  land  is  rated good  to  excellent,  equal  to  the  previous week.  Pasture  and  range condition rated 1 percent very poor, 4 percent poor, 22 percent fair, 48 percent good, and 25 percent excellent.



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

Iowa  recorded  a much drier week with near  seasonal  temperatures and  no  severe  storms.    The  bulk  of  the  reporting  week’s precipitation came on Sunday  (6th) evening and night with greatest amounts  coming  across  the  southeast.    Otherwise,  there  were scattered light showers across the northern one-third of the state on Tuesday  (8th)  and  isolated  showers  and  thunderstorms  over  the southeast one-third of Iowa late Friday (11th) and on Saturday (12th).  Rain  totals  for  the week  varied  from  none  at  Toledo, Clutier  and Belle  Plaine  to  2.67  inches  near Montrose  in  Lee  County.    The statewide  average  precipitation was  0.43  inches  while  normal  for the week  is  1.01  inches.   Dry  air  and mostly  clear  skies  allowed wide swings in temperature with morning lows down to 34 degrees at  Elkader  on  Thursday  morning  and  35  degrees  at  Cresco  on Sunday  morning  to  a  Thursday  afternoon  high  of  87  degrees  at Sioux  City.    Temperatures  for  the  week  as  a  whole  averaged 1.3 degrees above normal.   Soil temperatures were averaging in the 60’s statewide as of Sunday (13th).