September 15 Crop Progress & Condition Reports - NE - IA - US

NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS - Corn & Soybeans Mature Within One Percent of Normal

For  the week ending September 14, 2014, below normal  temperatures coupled  with  rain  in  the  east  and  light  snow  in  western  portions  of  the  State  slowed  fieldwork  activities, according  to  the  USDA’s  National  Agricultural  Statistics  Service.   Moisture  accumulations  across  the southeastern third of the state were an inch or more with lesser amounts elsewhere.  Frost was recorded during the week.  Winter wheat  seeding continued  in western counties.  The number of days  considered  suitable  for fieldwork were 3.8.  Topsoil moisture supplies rated 3 percent very short, 19 short, 71 adequate, and 7 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 8 percent very short, 24 short, 65 adequate, and 3 surplus.
 
Field Crops Report:
Corn  conditions  rated  2  percent  very  poor,  6  poor,  19  fair,  51  good,  and  22  excellent.    Corn  dented  was  88 percent, equal  to  last year, but behind 92 average. Corn mature was 29 percent, ahead of 14  last year, but near 28 average.

Soybean conditions rated 2 percent very poor, 5 poor, 20 fair, 54 good, and 19 excellent.   Soybeans dropping leaves was 25 percent, behind 33 last year, but near 26 average.

Sorghum conditions rated 2 percent very poor, 5 poor, 32 fair, 39 good, and 22 excellent. Sorghum coloring was 89 percent, ahead of 81 last year and 76 average. Sorghum mature was 10 percent, ahead of 3 last year, but near 8 average. 

Alfalfa hay conditions rated 2 percent very poor, 6 poor, 28 fair, 52 good, and 12 excellent.  Alfalfa hay fourth cutting was 40 percent complete, ahead of 34 last year, but behind 47 average.

Winter wheat planted was 26 percent, ahead of 20 last year, but near 27 for the five-year average.
 
Livestock,  Pasture  and  Range  Report: 
Pasture  and  range  conditions  rated  5  percent  very  poor,  8  poor,  33 fair, 46 good, and 8 excellent.  Stock water supplies rated 1 percent very short, 5 short, 91 adequate, and 3 surplus. 



Access the National publication for Crop Progress and Condition tables at: http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/nass/CropProg//2010s/2014/CropProg-09-15-2014.txt.

Access  the  High  Plains  Region  Climate  Center  for  Temperature  and  Precipitation  Maps  at: http://www.hprcc.unl.edu/maps/current/index.php?action=update_region&state=NE&region=HPRCC. 

Access the U.S. Drought Monitor at: http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/Home/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?NE. 



IOWA CROP PROGRESS - Corn 11 Days Behind Normal, Soybeans Lag by Four Days

Heavy rains restricted fieldwork  to only 2.6 days suitable across Iowa during  the week ending September 14, 2014, according  to  the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service.  Average temperatures for the week  were  below  normal,  slowing  crop  development.    Frost  was reported across much of  the state but caused  little damage. Activities for  the  week  included  chopping  silage,  harvesting  hay,  and  seeding cover crops.
 
Yet  another  week  of  above  normal  precipitation  increased  soil moisture  levels  across  the  state.   Topsoil  moisture  rated  0 percent very  short,  4 percent  short,  76 percent  adequate,  and  20 percent surplus.  Subsoil moisture levels rated 1 percent very short, 8 percent short, 79 percent adequate, and 12 percent surplus. 
 
Iowa’s  corn  crop  reached  83  percent  in  or  beyond  the  dent  stage, 5 days  ahead  of  the  previous  year  but  4  days  behind  the  five-year average.  Nineteen  percent  of  the  corn  acreage  was  mature,  3  days ahead  of  last  year  but  11  days  behind  normal.    Unchanged  from previous 2 weeks, 76 percent of the corn acreage was reported in good to  excellent  condition. 

Leaves  were  changing  color  on  fifty-one percent of soybean crop, 4 days ahead of the previous year, but 4 days behind average.   Seventy-four percent of  the  soybean acreage was  in good to excellent condition.

The  third  cutting  of  alfalfa  hay was  71 percent  complete,  just  over 2 weeks  behind  both  last  year  and  the  five-year  average.   Pasture condition  rated  66 percent  good  to  excellent.    Reports  indicated  hay conditions  were  wet  with  concerns  that  a  third  cutting  may  not  be completed.


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

Iowa endured a very cool and wet week.       Frost was scattered across much  of  the  state  on  Saturday  (13th)  morning  with  official temperatures  dipping  to  31  degrees  at  Elkader,  Estherville,  Mason City, Sheldon, Sioux Center, Stanley and Webster City.     These were the  lowest  temperatures  recorded  in  Iowa  for  so  early  in  the  season since a 29 degree reading near Elkader on September 10, 1976.   Also of note were  torrential  rains over portions of  the southern one-half of the  state  between  Tuesday  (9th)  morning  and  Wednesday  (10th) morning.   Additionally,  light  to moderate  rain  fell  across  all  but  far southwestern  Iowa  on  Monday  (8th)  with  statewide  light  rain  from Thursday (11th) night  into Friday (12th) morning.     Weekly rain  totals varied  from  0.38 inches  at  Estherville  to  5.65  inches  at  Hartford (Warren Co.).     The  statewide  average  precipitation was  2.26  inches while  normal  for  the  week  is  0.82  inches.      This  was  the  fourth consecutive wetter than normal week.   The statewide average month-to-date rainfall has already exceeded  the normal  for  the entire month.   Temperatures were below normal excepting a brief warm period from Monday  afternoon  through  Tuesday.      Sidney  recorded  the  highest temperature  with  a  high  of  85 degrees  on Monday.      Temperatures were  far  below  normal  from  Thursday  through  the  weekend  with daytime highs only  in  the  forties  in many areas on Friday.     Overall, temperatures for the week averaged 9.0 degrees below normal.



USDA Weekly Crop Progress - Corn 4% Harvested

Four percent of the nation's corn crop was harvested as of Sunday, Sept. 14, according to NASS' first reporting of corn harvest numbers in its weekly Crop Progress report Monday. That's on par with last year but behind the five-year average of 9%.

USDA said that 82% of corn was dented, up from 79% a year ago, but down from the five-year average of 85%. Twenty-seven percent of corn was considered mature, up from 20% a year ago, but down from the five-year average of 39%.

Twenty-four percent of soybeans are dropping leaves, the same as a year ago, but down from the five-year average of 32%.

Spring wheat was 74% harvested, down from 89% a year ago and down from the five-year average of 86%.

USDA also said that 12% of the winter wheat crop has been planted, up from 11% a year ago and also above the five-year average of 11%.

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