July 2 Crop Progress & Condition Report - NE - IA - US

NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending July 1, 2018, there were 4.0 days suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 1 percent very short, 10 short, 77 adequate, and 12 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 2 percent very short, 16 short, 75 adequate, and 7 surplus.

Field Crops Report:
Corn condition rated 0 percent very poor, 2 poor, 12 fair, 67 good, and 19 excellent. Corn silking was 8 percent, near 7 last year and 4 for the five-year average.

Soybean condition rated 1 percent very poor, 2 poor, 11 fair, 70 good, and 16 excellent. Soybeans blooming was 35 percent, ahead of 25 last year and 17 average.

Winter wheat condition rated 2 percent very poor, 7 poor, 26 fair, 52 good, and 13 excellent. Winter wheat harvested was 7 percent, behind 15 last year, and near 9 average.

Sorghum condition rated 0 percent very poor, 2 poor, 16 fair, 72 good, and 10 excellent. Sorghum headed was 5 percent, near 4 last year and 1 average.

Oats condition rated 1 percent very poor, 3 poor, 26 fair, 58 good, and 12 excellent. Oats headed was 97 percent, near 98 last year, but ahead of 92 average. Harvested was 4 percent, near 2 last year.

Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 2 percent very poor, 5 poor, 22 fair, 52 good, and 19 excellent.



IOWA CROP PROGRESS & CONDITION

Strong storms brought damaging winds and heavy precipitation to much of Iowa resulting in just 3.2 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending July 1, 2018, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Activities for the week included, assessing crop damage and harvesting hay when the weather permitted. Wind and intermittent showers prohibited spraying activity to a strong degree.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 1 percent very short, 5 percent short, 68 percent adequate and 26 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 3 percent very short, 9 percent short, 66 percent adequate and 22 percent surplus. Heavy rainfall left many fields and pastures ponded. In south central Iowa the subsoil moisture supplies rated adequate to surplus increased to 46 percent; the highest percentage in these categories since the week ending July 9, 2017.

Seven percent of the corn crop has silked, a week ahead of both last year and the 5-year average. Seventy-eight percent of the corn crop was rated in good to excellent condition.

Twenty-one percent of the soybean crop has bloomed, 4 days ahead of last year and 6 days ahead of the average. Seventy-six percent of the soybean crop was rated in good to excellent condition.

Ninety-three percent of the oat crop has headed, 2 days ahead of average. Twenty-five percent of the oat crop was turning color, a day ahead of the average. Eighty percent of the oat crop was rated in good to excellent condition.

The second cutting of alfalfa hay reached 24 percent complete, a day behind last year and three days ahead of the average. Frequent storms continued to make putting up hay a challenge this week. Hay condition rated 74 percent good to excellent.

Pasture conditions rated 66 percent good to excellent. Heat and high humidity continued to stress livestock. Flooding limited access to pastures and muddy conditions continued to make feedlot operations difficult.



National Good-to-Excellent Ratings for Corn, Soybeans Drop Slightly

Despite another week of scattered reports of flood and hail damage to crops, national good-to-excellent condition ratings for corn and soybeans fell only slightly last week, according to the USDA National Ag Statistics Service's weekly Crop Progress report released Monday. 

NASS estimated that 76% of corn was in good-to-excellent condition as of Sunday, July 1, down just 1 percentage point from 77% the previous week, still the highest since 1999.

NASS also lowered its good-to-excellent rating for soybeans 2 percentage points from 73% the previous week to 71% last week. That's still the highest good-to-excellent rating for soybeans since 2014.

Meanwhile, NASS estimated that 51% of winter wheat was harvested as of Sunday, slightly behind the five-year average of 49%, but even with last year's pace.

Spring wheat was 58% headed as of Sunday, slightly ahead of the last year's 56% and also ahead of the five-year average of 48%. Seventy-seven percent of the spring wheat crop was rated in good-to-excellent condition last week, the same as the previous week and the highest rating since 2010.

Sorghum was 22% headed, slightly behind 24% for both last year and the five-year average. Sorghum condition dropped 3 percentage points from 56% good to excellent the previous week to 53% last week.

Barley was 50% headed as of Sunday, slightly ahead of 48% last year but slightly behind the average pace of 51%. Oats were 82% headed, behind 83% last year but slightly ahead of the average of 80%. The good-to-excellent category for both crops rose 1 percentage point last week.

Rice was 15% headed as of Sunday, above both 13% last year and the average of 14%. Cotton was 42% squaring, ahead of the average of 40%, and was 12% setting bolls, also ahead of the average pace of 9%. The good-to-excellent category was also up 1 percentage point for both crops last week.