July 9 Crop Progress and Condition Report

NE Soil Moisture Dips to a 10 Year Low
 
Agricultural  Summary: 
For  the week  ending  July  8,  2012, crop conditions continued to decline with triple digit temperatures and  limited  precipitation,  according  to  USDA’s  National Agricultural  Statistics  Service,  Nebraska  Field  Office.   Topsoil moisture  levels  declined  to  14  percent  adequate  or  surplus  and have not been  this  low  at  this  time  since 2002.   One half of  the corn  crop  reached  the  pollination  stage  or  beyond with  the  first fields reaching dough stage.   Over one  third of  the soybean crop is blooming  and  setting pods has  just begun.   The  first  fields of sorghum  have  begun  to  head  out.   Wheat  harvest  was  nearing completion,  over  3  weeks  ahead  of  average.  Oat  harvest,  at  85  percent  complete,  had  yet  to  start  by  this  time  last  year.  Producers  continue  to  actively  irrigate  crops.    Supplemental feeding of livestock was expanding as pasture conditions continue to decline.  Some herds were being culled.   
 
Weather  Summary:  
The  southern  tier  of  counties  in  the Panhandle  and  the  Southwest  District  received  measureable rainfall with some  locations accumulating over  two  inches.   The remainder of the state saw little to no precipitation.  Temperatures ranged from 6 degrees above normal in the Eastern two-thirds of the  state  to  2  degrees  above  normal  in  the  Panhandle.    Highs reached triple digits in many locations and lows were recorded in the mid 60’s.   Topsoil Moisture (%):  Very Short  37, Short   49, Adequate  14, Surplus   0.  Subsoil Moisture (%):  Very Short  32, Short  52, Adequate  16, Surplus    0.  GDD since April 15 (normal):  Concord  1467  (1362),  Elgin  1422  (1331),  West Point 1500  (1407), Mead 1597  (1448).  Rainfall inches by district since April 1 (% of normal):  NE 9.41 (81%),  EC 10.58 (89%),  SE 10.07 (83%). 
 
Field Crops Report:
Corn silked was 50 percent, compared to 6  last  year  and  14  average.   Corn  in  the  dough  stage  was  1 percent, compared to 0 last year and average.   Corn conditions declined and rated 7 percent very poor, 13 poor, 33 fair, 40 good, and  7  excellent,  well  below  last  year’s  84  percent  good  to excellent  and  81  average.   Irrigated  corn  conditions  rated  65 percent good to excellent and dryland corn rated 22.  

Soybeans  blooming were  37  percent,  ahead  of  16  last  year  and  23  average.   Soybeans  setting  pods  was  4  percent,  ahead  of  0  last  year  and  1  average.    Soybean  conditions  rated  5  percent very poor, 14 poor, 40 fair, 38 good, and 3 excellent, well below last year’s 81 percent good to excellent and 79 average.

The second cutting of alfalfa was 86 percent complete, well ahead of 32  last year and 40 average.   The  third cutting of alfalfa was  12 percent complete compared to 0 last year and average.  Alfalfa conditions  declined  and  rated  23  percent  very  poor,  29  poor,  29 fair, 18 good, and 1 excellent, well below 84 percent good  to excellent last year and 75 average.  

Wheat  ripe  was  99  percent,  compared  to  30  last  year  and  46  average.    Wheat  harvested  was  93  percent,  compared  to  8 last year and 23 days ahead of 19 average.  

Oats  harvested  was  85  percent,  compared  to  0  last  year  and  6  average.   Oats  conditions  rated  2  percent  very  poor,  18  poor,  39 fair, 41 good, and 0 excellent, well below 88 percent good  to excellent last year and 84 average.

Sorghum  headed  was  1  percent.    Sorghum  conditions  rated  4 percent very poor, 18 poor, 45  fair, 32 good,  and 1  excellent, well  below  last  year’s  82  percent  good  to  excellent  and  76 average.

Wild hay harvest was 60 percent complete, ahead of 45 last year and  17  average.    Wild  hay  conditions  declined  and  rated  10 percent very poor, 24 poor, 41 fair, 25 good, and 0 excellent, well  below  last  year’s  77  percent  good  to  excellent  and  83 average.
 
Livestock, Pasture  and Range Report: 
Pasture  and  range conditions  rated  26  percent  very  poor,  33  poor,  28  fair,  13 good, and 0 excellent, well below 83 percent good to excellent last year and 80 average.  



Current Weather & Crops County Comments
Survey Date: 07/08/2012

BOONE
Most pastures are completely burned up with no feed value left. Dry crops are burning up and the heat from the previous week took its toll on all crops. No rain.

CEDAR
Corn and beans are starting to burn up in spots. Supplemental feed is necessary for cattle out on pasture.

DIXON
Lack of moisture over the last 25 days is beginning to take it's toll on all of the crops and pasture.

DODGE
Last week most days were in the upper 90's and 100's.

KNOX
Conditions continue to be very dry. Some dryland corn is beyond being able to produce grain. Irrigation continues in full swing. Many pastures are entirely depleted.

MERRICK
Rain desperately needed. Dryland crops are drying up. Little grass left in pastures. Producers are haying cattle in pastures.

NANCE
Producers are now haying their cattle. Pasture conditions have deteriorated significantly. Dryland corn acres are burning up.

SAUNDERS
This will be a critical week for corn as we are in the important pollination phase.



Please click the link for the latest national progress numbers...   http://usda01.library.cornell.edu/usda/current/CropProg/CropProg-07-09-2012.txt.  



Iowa Crop Condition Drops, Insect Pressure Increases

Triple digit  temperatures  and  little  if  any  rainfall  in most  areas of  the State  caused  crop  conditions  to decline  significantly  during  the week. Iowa  farmers not only  faced hot, dry conditions but  insect populations are on the rise with many fields being treated. 

There  were  6.9  days  suitable  for  fieldwork  statewide  during  the  past week.  Topsoil  moisture  levels  declined  to  48 percent  very  short, 40 percent  short,  12 percent  adequate,  and  0 percent  surplus.  Central and  South Central  Iowa  are  the  driest with  at  least  96 percent  of  the topsoil moisture  rated short  to very short. Subsoil moisture dropped  to 38 percent  very  short,  44 percent  short,  18 percent  adequate,  and 0 percent surplus.

Sixty-two percent of  the  corn  crop  is  at or beyond  the  tasseling  stage, well  ahead  of  last  year’s  3 percent  and  the  five-year  average  of 16 percent.  Forty-eight percent  of  the  corn  crop  is  silking,  nearly  two weeks  ahead  of  normal.  Corn  condition  is  reported  at  5 percent  very poor,  13 percent  poor,  36 percent  fair,  40 percent  good,  and  6 percent excellent.  The  combined  good  to  excellent percentage  of  46  is  at  the lowest  level  for  the  first week of July since 1993.

Fifty-two percent of the  soybean  crop  is blooming,  ahead of  last  year’s 29 percent  and  the five-year  average  of  34 percent.  Soybean  condition  is  rated  4 percent very  poor,  11 percent  poor,  37 percent  fair,  42 percent  good,  and 6 percent excellent.

Ninety-two percent of the oat crop has turned color, well  ahead  of  last  year’s  38 percent  and  the  five-year  average  of 49 percent. Forty-five percent of the oat crop has been harvested, almost three weeks ahead of normal. Oat condition is rated 4 percent very poor, 16 percent  poor,  36 percent  fair,  40 percent  good,  and  4 percent excellent. 

Harvest  of  second  cutting  of  alfalfa  hay,  at  90 percent complete,  is a month ahead of  the normal pace. Hay condition  is rated 9 percent very poor, 20 percent poor, 42 percent  fair, 28 percent good, and 1 percent excellent. 

Just under one-half of Iowa’s pasture and range land is rated in poor to very poor condition. Pasture and range condition rated 16 percent very poor,  33 percent  poor,  37 percent  fair,  13 percent  good,  and  1 percent excellent. The excessive heat also caused stress for livestock with some deaths being reported.


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

It was  a  very  hot  and  dry week  across  Iowa.   Temperatures were  far above normal until the weekend when a cool front brought relief to the northwest on Saturday (7th) and statewide on Sunday (8th).  Triple digit temperatures  were  recorded  in  some  areas  from Wednesday  through Saturday.    Keosauqua  reached  99  degrees  or  higher  every  day  from Monday through Saturday while the highest temperatures in the state so far  this  year  were  recorded  on  Saturday  when  Bloomfield,  Fairfield, Fort Madison,  Iowa  City,  Lamoni,  Osceola,  Oskaloosa  and  Rathbun Dam  all  reached  105  degrees.    The week’s  lowest  temperatures were recorded on Sunday  (8th) morning at Estherville, Mason City, Sheldon and Swea City with 61 degree readings.  Temperatures for the week as a whole  averaged 9.3 degrees  above normal.   There was no widespread rain during the week with only a few isolated thunderstorms which were most numerous over  central  Iowa on Thursday morning  and over  east central  Iowa on Saturday evening.   The vast majority of  Iowa  saw no rain  during  the  week  while  the  greatest  rain  amount  reported  was 1.72 inches  near  Delmar  in  Clinton  County.    The  statewide  average precipitation was 0.02  inch while normal  for  the week  is 1.07  inches.  This was Iowa’s driest week in 21 weeks (early February).