September 28 Crop Progress & Condition Report - NE - IA - US

NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending September 27, 2015, temperatures averaged six to eight degrees above normal with an  inch or more of rain common across a wide swath of central and eastern Nebraska, according  to  the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Silage cutting was coming  to  a close.  Soybean harvest gained momentum but was slowed due to wet soil conditions.  Seed and high moisture corn harvests continued as soils dried.  Dry conditions in many western counties allowed winter wheat seeding to progress, as did dry bean and millet harvests.  There were 4.5 days suitable for fieldwork.  Topsoil moisture supplies  rated  7  percent  very  short,  24  short,  63  adequate,  and  6  surplus.  Subsoil moisture  supplies  rated  6 percent very short, 25 short, 66 adequate, and 3 surplus.
 
Field Crops Report:
Corn  condition  rated  2 percent very poor, 5 poor, 19  fair, 54  good,  and  20  excellent. Corn  dented  was  at  96  percent,  near  97  last  year  and  99  for  the  five-year  average.  Mature  was  at  65  percent,  near  61  last  year  and  69  average.  Harvested  was  at  10  percent,  near  6  last  year,  but  behind  16 average. 

Soybean condition  rated 1 percent very poor, 5 poor, 20  fair, 56 good, and 18 excellent. Soybeans dropping leaves was at 78 percent, ahead of 73  last year, but near 74 average. Harvested was at 13 percent,  ahead of  5 last year, but near 14 average.

Sorghum condition rated 0 percent very poor, 1 poor, 25 fair, 57 good, and 17 excellent. Sorghum coloring was at  96  percent,  near  97  last  year  and  94  average. Mature was  at  59  percent,  near  55  last  year,  but  ahead  of  47 average. Harvested was at 2 percent, equal to last year and near 3 average.

Winter wheat planted was at 69 percent, behind 75 last year, but near 67 average. Winter wheat emerged was at 25 percent, behind 38 last near, but near 27 average. 

Alfalfa condition rated 1 percent very poor, 4 poor, 28 fair, 55 good, and 12 excellent. Alfalfa fourth cutting was at 90 percent, ahead of 75 last year and 79 average.
 
Livestock, Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 3 percent very poor, 8 poor,  27 fair, 55 good, and 7 excellent.  Stock water supplies rated 2 percent very short, 8 short, 88 adequate, and 2 surplus.  



Access the National publication for Crop Progress and Condition tables at: http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/nass/CropProg/2010s/2015/CropProg-09-28-2015.pdf. 

Access the High Plains Region Climate Center for Temperature and Precipitation Maps at: http://www.hprcc.unl.edu/maps.php?map=ACISClimateMaps. 

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



IOWA CROP PROGRESS & CONDITION REPORT

Wet  conditions  in western  Iowa  kept  farmers out of  the  fields, while warm  and dry  conditions  in  the  rest of  the State marked  the beginning of harvest activities for many during  the week ending September 27, 2015, according  the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service.  Statewide there were 4.8 days suitable for fieldwork, though conditions varied from only 2.5 days  suitable  in Southwest  Iowa  to 6.7 days  in Southeast  Iowa. Fieldwork  for  the week  included cutting hay, chopping silage, harvesting seed corn, corn for grain and soybeans. There was also some tillage of harvested fields.  Scattered reports indicate that cover crops are off to a good start, with some emerging.  

Topsoil moisture levels rated 0 percent very short, 4 percent short, 84 percent adequate and 12 percent surplus.   Subsoil moisture levels rated 1 percent very short, 5 percent short, 83 percent adequate and 11 percent surplus. 

Seventy-one percent of the corn crop was percent mature, 6 days ahead of last year, but 3 days behind the 5-year average. Five  percent  of  the  corn  crop  for  grain  has  been  harvested,  a week  ahead  of  last  year,  but  13  days  behind  average. Moisture content of all corn being harvested was at 24 percent. Corn condition rated 80 percent good to excellent.

Ninety-two percent of soybeans were turning color or beyond, while 72 3percent of soybeans were dropping leaves, 4 days ahead of 2014, and 2 days ahead of normal.   Seven percent of  the soybean crop has been harvested.   Soybean condition rated 77 percent good to excellent. 

The  third  cutting  of  alfalfa  hay  is  29  percent complete,  2  days  behind  last  year  and  8  days behind the average. Pasture condition rated 66 percent good to excellent.  Livestock conditions were reported as good.  



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

Iowa  experienced  another unseasonably warm week with  temperatures averaging 8.2 degrees  above normal.     Monday (21st)  brought  the  lowest  temperatures with  highs  in  the  seventies  statewide while Elkader  recorded  a morning  low  of 41 degrees.     Daily  highs were  in  the  seventies  and  eighties  for  the  remainder  of  the week with  highest  readings  of 86 degrees on Tuesday  (22nd) at Atlantic, Lamoni, Oakland and Osceola.     Rainfall was exceptionally variable.     There was no  rain  statewide on Monday  (21st), Saturday  (26th) and Sunday  (27th).     A very  slow moving  low pressure  center brought an extended period of showers and  thunderstorms  to western  Iowa between Tuesday morning and early Friday morning.     Torrential  rain was  centered  upon western  Pottawattamie  and Mills  counties  on Wednesday morning with another area across  southwest Monona County.     No  rain  fell over  the eastern one-half of  Iowa during  the week while Council Bluffs recorded as much as 9.28 inches of rain and Glenwood saw 6.80 inches.   Rainfall of two inches or more was common across a wide area of west central and southwest Iowa.   The statewide average precipitation was 0.79 inches or just slightly more than the weekly normal of 0.75 inches.



USDA:  Soybean Harvest 21% Complete; Corn 18%

The nation's corn harvest advanced to 18% complete as of Sept. 27, according to USDA's latest weekly Crop Progress and Conditions report. That's a bit behind the five-year average of 23%. Corn conditions held steady in the past week with 68 percent of the corn crop remained rated good to excellent. 

Soybeans are 21% harvested and 74% dropping leaves, compared to five-year averages of 16% and 70%. Soybean condition worsened slightly.  USDA reduced the good-to-excellent rating from 63% to 62%, which is still above the five-year average of 59. 

Winter wheat planting is 31% complete, compared to 19% last week and a 35% five-year average. 

Ninety-six percent of sorghum is coloring, compared to 90% last week and an 89% five-year average. Sixty-five percent of the crop is mature and 36% is harvested, compared to 52% and 31% last week and five-year averages of 55% and 32%. Sorghum condition worsened slightly.

Sixty-nine percent of the cotton crop has bolls opening, compared to 57% last week and the five-year average of 70%. Cotton is 11% harvested, compared to 7% last week and the average of 12%. Cotton condition worsened.

Rice is 69% harvested, compared to 55% last week and a five-year average of 63%. Rice condition worsened.



Brazil Soy Planting Starts.... Slowly

Soybean planting in Brazil has gotten off to a quick start in the southern state of Parana but has been sluggish in Mato Grosso -- the main soy state -- as farmers await rain.

Generally speaking, Brazil soybean planting sweeps from north to south. However, in recent years it is actually the southern state of Parana that gets off to the quickest start. So it has been at the start of the 2015-16 season as well.

Hot, dry weather in Mato Grosso and the rest of the northern Cerrado states means few farmers started fieldwork once the official planting window opened on September 15.

Amid rising costs and low soybean prices (in dollars), few growers in Mato Grosso have been willing to plant until consistent spring showers return, noted AgRural, a local farm consultancy.

In contrast, farmers in western Parana have been planting ahead of expected heavy showers in the rest of September and early October. As a result, planting is already 10% complete across the state, ahead of the 7% planted at the same stage last year, while in Mato Grosso only 0.3% of area has been planted, compared to 1.6% last year, according to an AgRural forecast.

Overall, Brazil's soybean crop was 1.7% planted as of Friday, slightly down from 1.6% at this time last year.

Sparse rainfall, high temperatures and low soil moisture mean planting in Mato Grosso has been limited to those who plan to plant cotton after the soybeans, noted AgRural.

That situation will likely continue over the next week with farmers mindful that last year those who planted early for double cropping saw crops suffer through a dry October.

In contrast, planting is going full speed ahead in Cascavel and other parts of western Parana.

AgRural forecast Brazilian soybean planted area will rise 2.7% to 81 million acres and output will increase 3.4% to 99.4 million metric tons.