July 30 Crop Progress & Condition Report - NE - IA - US

NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending July 29, 2018, there were 5.2 days suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 2 percent very short, 15 short, 79 adequate, and 4 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 3 percent very short, 18 short, 78 adequate, and 1 surplus.

Field Crops Report:
Corn condition rated 1 percent very poor, 2 poor, 11 fair, 56 good, and 30 excellent. Corn silking was 91 percent, near 89 last year and 88 for the five-year average. Dough was 38 percent, well ahead of 16 last year and 17 average. Dented was 2 percent.

Soybean condition rated 1 percent very poor, 3 poor, 11 fair, 58 good, and 27 excellent. Soybeans blooming was 87 percent, near 86 last year and 84 average. Setting pods was 50 percent, ahead of 44 last year and 41 average.

Winter wheat harvested was 89 percent, behind 98 last year, but near 88 average.

Sorghum condition rated 0 percent very poor, 1 poor, 15 fair, 61 good, and 23 excellent. Sorghum headed was 53 percent, well ahead of 24 last year, and ahead of 36 average. Coloring was 4 percent, near 2 last year and 3 average.

Oats harvested was 93 percent, ahead of 87 last year and 75 average.

Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 3 percent very poor, 5 poor, 21 fair, 58 good, and 13 excellent.



IOWA CROP PROGRESS & CONDITION REPORT

Iowa farmers had 6.3 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending July 29, 2018, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Activities for the week included harvesting hay and oats for grain, applying chemicals and moving grain.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 5 percent very short, 20 percent short, 71 percent adequate and 4 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 6 percent very short, 17 percent short, 72 percent adequate and 5 percent surplus. Floodwaters continued to recede in northwest and north central Iowa while subsoil moisture levels rated short to very short remain above 70 percent in south central and southeastern Iowa.

Ninety-six percent of the corn crop has silked, 10 days ahead of last year and 2 weeks ahead of the 5-year average. Thirty-one percent of the corn crop has reached the dough stage or beyond, 5 days ahead of last year and 6 days ahead of average. Corn condition rated 78 percent good to excellent.

Ninety percent of the soybean crop was blooming with 63 percent setting pods, 6 days ahead of last year and 8 days ahead of the average. Soybean condition rated 77 percent good to excellent.

Ninety-seven percent of the oat crop was turning color or beyond, with 61 percent of the crop harvested for grain. Oat condition was rated 75 percent good to excellent.

The second cutting of alfalfa hay reached 93 percent complete, 11 days ahead of average. The third cutting of alfalfa hay was 13 percent complete, 1 day ahead of the average. Hay condition rated 68 percent good to excellent.

Pasture conditions declined to 54 percent rated good to excellent. Cooler temperatures improved livestock conditions; however, drought conditions in the southern one-third of the State caused some cattle producers to rotate pasture and haul water.



USDA:  Corn, Soybean Conditions Steady

Good-to-excellent condition ratings for the nation's corn and soybeans were both unchanged last week, according to the USDA National Ag Statistics Service's weekly Crop Progress report released Monday.

NASS estimated that 72% of the nation's corn was in good-to-excellent condition as of Sunday, July 29, the same as the previous week. Soybean condition was rated 70% good to excellent, also the same as the previous week.

Nationwide, both corn and soybeans continued to progress at a faster-than-normal pace. Corn silking was estimated at 91%, 9 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 82%. Thirty-eight percent of corn was in the dough stage, 18 percentage points ahead of the average of 20%.

Meanwhile, soybeans were 86% blooming as of Sunday, 9 percentage points ahead of the average of 77%, and 60% of soybeans were setting pods, 19 percentage points ahead of the average of 41%.

NASS estimated that 85% of winter wheat was harvested as of Sunday, behind last year's pace of 87%, but near the five-year average of 86%.

Spring wheat harvest also began last week, mostly in South Dakota, with USDA estimating that 4% of the crop was harvested nationwide as of Sunday, behind last year's 8% but equal to the five-year average.

Sorghum was 54% headed as of Sunday, ahead of 47% last year and also ahead of the five-year average of 50%. Sorghum coloring was 26%, ahead of 23% last year but near the five-year average of 27%. Sorghum condition was rated 52% good to excellent, up 3 percentage points from 49% the previous week.

Barley was 97% headed as of Sunday, slightly behind 99% last year and near the average pace of 98%. Two percent of barley was harvested as of Sunday, behind 5% last year and also behind the average of 6%. Barley condition was down 1 percentage point to 80% good to excellent last week. Oats were 38% harvested as of Sunday, ahead of 33% for last year and also ahead of the five-year average of 35%. Oat's good-to-excellent condition rating declined by 1 percentage point.

Rice was 64% headed as of Sunday, ahead of 62% last year and well ahead of the average of 54%. Cotton was 88% squaring, near the average of 89%. Forty-nine percent of cotton was setting bolls, near the average pace of 48%. Cotton's good-to-excellent condition rating was up 4 percentage points while rice's good-to-excellent rating was down 2 percentage points.