August 6 Crop Progress & Condition Report

NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending August 5, 2018, there were 5.3 days suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 3 percent very short, 18 short, 72 adequate, and 7 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 3 percent very short, 20 short, 73 adequate, and 4 surplus.

Field Crops Report:
Corn condition rated 1 percent very poor, 3 poor, 11 fair, 56 good, and 29 excellent. Corn silking was 95 percent, near 96 both last year and for the five-year average. Dough was 57 percent, well ahead of 37 last year and 35 average. Dented was 6 percent, near 3 both last year and average.

Soybean condition rated 1 percent very poor, 3 poor, 12 fair, 61 good, and 23 excellent. Soybeans blooming was 93 percent, equal to last year, and near 92 average. Setting pods was 69 percent, ahead of 62 last year and 61 average.

Winter wheat harvested was 94 percent, behind 100 last year, and near 96 average.

Sorghum condition rated 0 percent very poor, 1 poor, 15 fair, 62 good, and 22 excellent. Sorghum headed was 79 percent, well ahead of 54 last year and 57 average. Coloring was 5 percent, near 4 last year and 6 average.

Oats harvested was 96 percent, ahead of 91 last year and 85 average.

Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 2 percent very poor, 5 poor, 17 fair, 59 good, and 17 excellent.



IOWA CROP PROGRESS & CONDITION REPORT

Iowa farmers had 6.0 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending August 5, 2018, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Activities for the week included harvesting hay and oats for grain, spraying for aphids, and moving grain.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 12 percent very short, 24 percent short, 61 percent adequate and 3 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 10 percent very short, 21 percent short, 65 percent adequate and 4 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels in south central and southeast Iowa continued to fall with 48 percent considered very short.

Almost all of the corn crop has silked. Fifty-five percent of the corn crop has reached the dough stage or beyond, over a week ahead of average. Corn dented was at eight percent. Corn condition fell to 75 percent good to excellent.

Ninety-four percent of the soybean crop was blooming with 81 percent setting pods, over a week ahead of both last year and the average. Soybean condition declined slightly to 74 percent good to excellent.

Eighty-two percent of the oat crop has been harvested for grain.

The second cutting of alfalfa hay has neared completion. The third cutting of alfalfa hay was 30 percent complete, 3 days behind the previous year but 4 days ahead of the average. Hay condition fell to 61 percent good to excellent.

Pasture conditions declined to 46 percent rated good to excellent. Regrowth of pastures and hay has been a concern, especially in the southern two-thirds of the State.



USDA: Corn, Soybean Progress' Foot Still on the Gas Pedal

Corn and soybean progress continued at a faster-than-normal pace last week, while good-to-excellent condition ratings for both crops declined slightly, according to the USDA National Ag Statistics Service's weekly Crop Progress report released Monday.

Nationwide, 57% of corn was in the dough stage as of Sunday, Aug. 5, 20 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 37%. Twelve percent of corn was dented, 6 percentage points ahead of 6% for both last year and the five-year average.

NASS estimated that 71% of corn was in good-to-excellent condition as of Sunday, down 1 percentage point from 72% the previous week but still the third-highest rating of the past five years. 

Soybean condition also slipped from the previous week. Nationwide, the crop was rated 67% good to excellent, down 3 percentage points from 70% the previous week. As with corn, the soybean rating was still the third highest in the past five years.

Soybeans were 92% blooming as of Sunday, 6 percentage points ahead of the average of 86%, and 75% of soybeans were setting pods, 17 percentage points ahead of the average of 58%.

NASS estimated that 90% of winter wheat was harvested with most wheat still standing from Montana to the Pacific Coast.

Spring wheat harvest was 13% complete as of Sunday, behind last year's 22% but near the five-year average of 14%.  Seventy-four percent of spring was rated good to excellent, down from 78% a week ago as dry weather has become a recent concern.

Sorghum was 69% headed as of Sunday, ahead of 60% last year and also ahead of the five-year average of 62%. Sorghum coloring was 31%, ahead of 26% last year but equal to the five-year average. Sorghum condition was rated 49% good to excellent, down 3 percentage points from 52% the previous week.

Barley was 16% harvested as of Sunday, behind 22% last year and also behind the average of 18%. Barley condition was down 1 percentage point to 79% good to excellent last week. Oats were 51% harvested as of Sunday, ahead of 48% for last year and also ahead of the five-year average of 49%. Oat's good-to-excellent condition rating held steady at 71%.

Rice was 82% headed as of Sunday, near 81% last year but ahead of the average of 70%. Six percent of rice was harvested, slightly ahead of the average pace of 5%. Cotton was 92% squaring, behind the average of 94%. Sixty percent of cotton was setting bolls, also behind the average pace of 62%. Nine percent of cotton had bolls opening, ahead of the average of 6%. Cotton's good-to-excellent condition rating was down 3 percentage points, while rice's good-to-excellent rating held steady.