June 4 Crop Progress and Condition Ratings

Nebraska Moist in the East, Dry in the West Last Week

Agricultural Summary:
For the week ending June 3, 2012, showers brought moisture and improved growing conditions to portions of the east while the dry west saw conditions continue to decline, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Nebraska Field Office.  However, below normal temperatures and less wind reduced stress on crops.  Hail damaged crops and property in areas of the state and producers will have to decide if replanting will take place.  Sidedressing fertilizer and spraying herbicides were the main field activities.   Half of the wheat crop was turning color and harvest will be early this year.  Alfalfa and pastures are showing little growth due to the dry conditions.  

Weather Summary: 
Temperatures averaged slightly below normal in the western third of the state and 4 to 7 degrees below normal in the eastern two-thirds.  High temperatures reached the mid 90’s with lows in the mid 30’s.  Little to no precipitation fell across the western half of the state.  Bands of showers moved across the eastern half with largest rainfall totals accumulating in the Northeast and East Central Districts.  Topsoil Moisture (%) Very Short 12,  Short 38, Adequate 50, Surplus 0;  Subsoil Moisture (%):  Very Short 12, Short 42, Adequate 46, Surplus  0.  GDD Since April 15 (normal):  Concord  639  (565 ),  Elgin  615  (553),  West Point  668  (586),   Mead  724  (606).  Rainfall inches since April 1 (% of normal):  NE 7.91 (116%),  EC 7.19 (99%),  SE 5.39 (72%).  

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 4 percent very poor, 12 poor, 35 fair, 47 good, and 2 excellent, below 76 percent good to excellent last year and 75 average.

Field Crops Report:
Corn conditions rated 4 percent poor, 21 fair, 64 good, and 11 excellent, above last year’s 70 percent good to excellent but below 78 average.

Soybeans emerged were 89 percent, ahead of 59 last year and 11 days ahead of 60 average.  Soybean conditions rated 5 percent poor, 24 fair, 60 good, and 11 excellent.

Sorghum planting was 82 percent complete, 1 week ahead of 65 last year and average.  Sorghum emerged was 61 percent, ahead of 30 last year and 32 average.  Sorghum conditions rated 2 percent poor, 37 fair, 58 good, and 3 excellent.

Oats headed was 60 percent, well ahead of 9 last year and 18 days ahead of 18 average.  Oats conditions rated 4 percent poor, 28 fair, 62 good, and 6 excellent, below 84 percent good to excellent last year and 83 average.

Wheat turning color was 53 percent, 20 days ahead of 1 average. Wheat conditions rated 3 percent very poor, 13 poor, 40 fair, 41 good, and 3 excellent, below 55 percent good to excellent  last year and 65 average. 

The first cutting of alfalfa was 85 percent complete, well ahead of 22 last year and 20 days ahead of 33 average. The second cutting of alfalfa was 7 percent complete.  Alfalfa rated 2 percent very poor, 10 poor, 35 fair, 47 good, and 6 excellent, below 78 percent good to excellent last year and 74 average.  Wild hay harvest was 14 percent complete.  Wild hay conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 5 poor, 24 fair, 68 good, and 2 excellent, near last year’s 71 percent good to excellent.



Current Weather & Crops County Comments
Survey Date: 06/03/2012

BOONE
Hail last Sunday evening caused damage to crops on the west and north side of the county with many producers left wondering whether to try to replant or not.

DIXON
Pastures are coming back with the good amount of rain over the past three weeks. Alfalfa is also beginning to show rapid re-growth over the past week. Overall crop conditions have improved.

DODGE
Warm weather helped crop growth earlier this week. Light rains came during the week and cooler temps helped crop make good use of the moisture. Cattle are in pastures but the grass will be running short this year due to early dry conditions.

DOUGLAS
We could use more rain.

HOLT
Northern Holt county and most of Boyd county needs a good rain. Some areas are extremely dry for this time of year. First cutting of alfalfa was short.

KNOX
Emergence of crops appears to be very good. Crops have progressed well with recent rain and warm weather. The primary activity was sidedress of corn and pasture spraying.

LANCASTER
Hail damaged perhaps 1500 acres of corn and soybeans 10 miles SW of Lincoln on May 29.

NEMAHA
Conditions are very dry. A few parts of the county received some rain last week, but not enough to replenish the soil profile. The cool temperatures and less wind last week also reduced stress on the crops. Forecasts for this week are not encouraging with just a slight chance of rain, warmer temperatures, and more wind forecast.

OTOE
The area is in need of rain. Soybeans were slow to come up and many did not come up due to lack of moisture. Alfalfa is very short with little or no second cutting.



Check out the latest national numbers here... http://usda01.library.cornell.edu/usda/current/CropProg/CropProg-06-04-2012.txt.



Iowa Alfalfa Progress Over Three Times Average Pace

Rainfall  varied  across  the  state  during  the week with Northwest  Iowa receiving the heaviest precipitation. Despite the rain, there are areas still in  need  of moisture. Crop  conditions  declined  slightly  for  the  second straight week  although  they  remained  rated mostly  good  to  excellent. Ideal  weather  conditions  have  allowed  some  Iowa  farmers  to  finish spraying their crops and complete their first hay cutting.

There were 5.1 days suitable for fieldwork during the week. Northwest Iowa  was  the  only  area  with  less  than  4.5  days  suitable  as  soils continued  to dry out from previous rain.   Topsoil moisture  levels rated 15  percent  very  short,  31  percent  short,  53  percent  adequate,  and 1 percent  surplus. Southwest  Iowa  is  the driest with 77 percent of  the topsoil  moisture  rated  short  to  very  short.  Subsoil  moisture  rated 11 percent  very  short,  34  percent  short,  54  percent  adequate,  and 1 percent surplus.

Ninety-eight  percent  of  the  corn  crop  has  emerged,  6  days  ahead  of normal.  Corn  condition  is  rated  1  percent  very  poor,  4  percent  poor, 20 percent fair, 55 percent good, and 20 percent excellent. Nearly all of Iowa’s  soybean  acreage  has  been  planted. 

Eighty-four  percent  of  the expected soybean acreage has emerged, ahead of  last year’s 71 percent and  the  five-year  average  of  66  percent.  The  season’s  first  soybean condition rating  is 1 percent very poor, 5 percent poor, 23 percent fair, 59 percent good, and 12 percent excellent.

Fifty-six percent of  the oat crop has headed, over 2 weeks ahead of normal. Oat condition  is rated 1 percent very poor, 4 percent poor, 23 percent  fair, 59 percent good, and 13 percent excellent.

The  first cutting alfalfa of hay, at 88 percent complete,  is well ahead of  last year’s 25 percent and five-year average of 26 percent.     Hay condition  is  rated 2 percent very poor, 6 percent poor, 26 percent fair, 54 percent good, and 12 percent excellent.

Fifty-six percent of Iowa’s pasture and range land is now rated good to excellent,  a  1  percentage  point  decrease  from  the  previous  week. Pasture and  range condition  rated 2 percent very poor, 9 percent poor, 33  percent  fair,  48  percent  good,  and  8  percent  excellent.  Livestock experienced little to no stress due to pleasant weather during the week.

 

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

The past reporting week began with temperatures well above normal on Monday  (28th) with  highs  in  the mid  to  upper  80s  over  the  southeast two-thirds of  the state.   However, much cooler weather prevailed from Tuesday  through  Saturday  with  temperatures  well  below  normal  on Wednesday,  Thursday  and  Friday.    Temperatures  edged  back  above normal over  the northwest on Sunday (3rd).   Temperature extremes for the  week  varied  from  a  Friday  (1st)  morning  low  of  37  degrees  at Atlantic  to  afternoon  highs  of  92  degrees  at  Keosauqua  on Monday (28th) and Sioux City on Sunday (3rd).  Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged 3.8 degrees below normal.   This was only  the  second week of the past sixteen to average cooler than normal, thus providing a welcome  break  from  greater  than  usual  rates  of  evaporation.  Thunderstorms  brought  rain  to  all  but  far  eastern  Iowa  from  Sunday (27th)  evening  into Monday  (28th)  morning  with  one  to  three  inches falling over  the  far northwestern counties.   Light  to moderate  rain  fell statewide  from  Wednesday  afternoon  into  Thursday  afternoon  with amounts averaging around one-half  inch.   Finally,  there were scattered light showers over the southwest one-half of Iowa on Friday night; over the far east on Saturday and over  the northeast one-half of  the state on Sunday.  However, only a very few locations picked up more than one-tenth of an  inch of rain with  the weekend showers.   Rain  totals for  the week varied from 0.35 inch at Bloomfield to 3.75 inches at Akron.  The statewide  average  precipitation  was  0.84  inch  while  normal  for  the week  is 1.09  inches.   Overall,  the past week brought a welcome break from  the  persistent  windy,  dry  and  unseasonably  warm  weather  that prevailed over central and southern  Iowa  the previous  three weeks but more rain is needed.