Nebraska Soybeans on pace, Corn behind six days

Agricultural Summary:  For the week ending  August 23, 2009,  continued below normal temperatures combined with the heavy rains of two weeks ago improved crop conditions, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Nebraska Field Office.  Rain was again recorded statewide, although amounts were limited to less than a half inch in most locations.  While soil moisture supplies continue to be rated adequate or above across most of the state, moderate drought conditions continue to exist in portions of southern Nebraska.
 
Livestock, Pasture and Range Report:   Pasture and range conditions rated 2 percent very poor, 5 poor, 19 fair,  59 good, and 15 excellent, above last year’s 58 percent good or excellent condition and average at 38.  
 
Weather Summary:  Temperatures averaged 7 degrees below normal across the state.  Except for the Panhandle, highs were limited to the mid 80’s, with lows in the mid 40’s.  With only a few exceptions, rainfall totals were limited to a half inch or less for the week.  Soil moisture:  Topsoil:  2 percent surplus, 76 percent adequate, 19 percent short, 3 percent very short.  Subsoil:  1 percent surplus, 79 percent adequate, 18 percent short, 2 percent very short.  GDD by location:  Concord 1985, -518 from average;  West Point 2130, -440 from average; Mead 2217, -419 from average.  
 
Field Crops Report:  Corn conditions rated 3 percent very poor, 5 poor, 14 fair, 51 good, and 27 excellent, above last year’s 75 percent good or excellent rating.  Irrigated fields rated 81 percent good or excellent near the 80 of last year while dryland fields rated 74, above the 69 reading of year ago.  Corn in the dough stage reached 76 percent, behind last year’s 82 and a week behind the 88 average.  Corn having reached the dent stage was 30 percent, behind last year’s 39 and six days behind 48 average.
 
Soybean conditions rated 2 percent very poor, 5 poor, 15 fair, 58 good, and 20 excellent, above last year’s 72 percent good or excellent condition and 64 average.  Soybeans setting pods was 95 percent, ahead of last year’s 91 but near 96 average.
 
Alfalfa conditions moved higher and rated 2 percent very poor, 6 poor, 24 fair, 52 good, and 16 excellent, above last year’s  65  good  or  excellent  condition and  well  above 49 average.    Third cutting was 70 percent complete ahead of 66 last year but behind 77 average.  The fourth cutting was just getting underway.   
 
Sorghum conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 3 poor, 23 fair, 55 good, and 18 excellent, below last year’s 77 percent good or excellent condition but above 61 average.  Sorghum headed was 89 percent, near last year’s 88 but behind 93 average.  Sorghum coloring was at 6 percent, behind 15 last year and over one week behind the 24 average.     
 
Dry bean conditions rated 2 percent very poor, 12 poor,  18 fair, 61 good, and 7 excellent, above last year’s 61 percent good or excellent condition and the 65 average.  Dry beans setting pods were 93 percent, behind last year at 97 but ahead of average at  90.   Late planted fields continue to need additional heat units to mature properly.



Nebraska Weather & Crops County Comments

BOONE
Showers early in the week and cooler conditions.

CEDAR
A general rain over the entire county, from 1.5 to 4 inches, has greatly improved the corn and soybeans and the attitude of farmers in the county. With the potential of an above average harvest, now the new topic of discussion is storage and the concern of depressed crop prices this fall.

DIXON
Wet, cool weather this week has slowed crop maturity once again and kept producers out of the hay field. Warmer weather will be a welcome change as we head into the final week of August.

DODGE
Some corn is beginning to loose the dark green tint and shucks are beginning to turn brown. Getting third and 4th cutting hay put up and getting equipment ready for harvest are the main activities.

DOUGLAS
More rain has come.

KNOX
Alfalfa has begun to grow after rains last week. Soybeans are also setting additional pods. Pastures are also greening after recent rain.

NEMAHA
Crops look excellent and are maturing at a steady rate.

PIERCE
Received 4-6 inches of rain throughout the county. This will considerably help the crops.

SAUNDERS
Crop conditions are generally very positive throughout the county. Timely rain again last week really made up for the dry spell in July, as soybeans look good to excellent throughout the county. Some producers have sprayed beans for aphids. Corn is reaching the dent stage. Will need some warmer days to finish out the crops.

THURSTON
Intermittent showers and cool temperatures this week have slowed maturity some but crops are still developing quite nicely and farmers are optimistic about yields. Most spraying operations were completed for aphids in soybeans. Some corn is starting to dent. Soybeans are just starting to fill.



NATIONAL CROP CONDITIONS IMPROVE FOR BOTH CORN AND SOYBEANS

USDA's National Ag Statistics Service reports 69 percent of the nation's soybean crop is rated good to excellent, an increase of three points from last week.  Progress on the crop is still about 7 points behind the five year average with 85 percent of the crop setting pods.  The soybeans are furthest behind their averages in Illinois with 72 percent setting pods (94 ave), Indiana 76 percent (90 ave), and Missouri 65 percent (79 ave).  

While the nation's corn crop remains well behind all across the northern half of the country, NASS also increased condition ratings, with 70 percent of the corn rated good or excellent, up 2 points from last week.  But again, the story to tell is how far behind the crop is compared to the 5 year average.  NASS reports 57 percent of the corn is in the dough stage, well behind the 5YA of 79 percent.  18 percent of the corn has reached dent, compared to the 5YA of 43 percent.  Many states are 20+ points behind in the dent category, including Illinois at 12 percent (58% 5YA),  Indiana 9 percent (44% 5YA), Iowa 10 percent (34 5YA), Kansas 45 percent (65 5YA), Michigan 3 percent (23% 5YA), Minnesota 1 percent (28% 5YA), South Dakota 3 percent ( 26% 5YA), and Tennessee 74 percent (94% 5YA).  

Click here for the latest state by state numbers.... http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/CropProg/CropProg-08-24-2009.txt .  



INSECT AND FUNGICIDE TREATMENTS CONTINUE IN IOWA
 
Another week of thunderstorms and cool temperatures last week kept farmers busy  treating  fields  for  soybean  aphids  and  other  diseases.    Cool,  damp conditions  continue  to  keep  crop  development  behind  schedule.   Corn  and soybeans  conditions  are  still  rated  mostly  good  to  excellent;  however, concerns  are growing over  the possibility of  an  early  frost.   Hay producers are making their final efforts in putting up quality hay before fall arrives.         
 
There were 3.7 days suitable for fieldwork during the week, compared to the five-year  average of 4.8 days.   Topsoil moisture  rated 0 percent very  short, 5 percent short, 83 percent adequate, and 12 percent surplus across the state.  Subsoil  moisture  rated  1 percent  very  short,  6 percent  short,  82 percent adequate, and 11 percent surplus.
 
Field Crops Report: Nearly all of the corn crop has silked.  Corn at or beyond the milk stage reached 90 percent, 5 percentage points ahead of last year, but 4 days behind  the  five-year  average. Corn  reported  at or beyond  the dough stage  reached  49 percent,  1 percentage  point  behind  last  year,  and  9  days behind  the  five-year  average.    Corn  reported  at  or  beyond  the  dent  stage reached 10 percent, 2 percentage points behind last year, and 10 days behind the  five-year  average.    Corn  condition  was  rated  2 percent  very  poor, 5 percent poor, 14 percent fair, 51 percent good, and 28 percent excellent.     
 
Soybeans  reached  99 percent  blooming  with  94 percent  setting  pods.  Soybeans  blooming  are  1 percentage  point  ahead  of  last  year,  but 1 percentage point behind  the  five-year average.   Soybeans  setting pods are ahead of last year by 6 percentage points, but 2 percentage points behind the five-year  average.    Soybean  condition  was  rated  2 percent  very  poor, 4 percent poor, 15 percent fair, 56 percent good, and 23 percent excellent.
 
Alfalfa second cutting has  reached 97 percent complete, 2 percentage points behind  the  five-year  average,  but  2 percentage  points  ahead  of  last  year. Alfalfa  third  cutting  has  reached  42 percent  complete,  16 percentage  points  behind the five-year average, but 11 percentage points ahead of last year.  All hay condition was rated 2 percent very poor, 10 percent poor, 27 percent fair, 48 percent good, and 13 percent excellent.    
 
Livestock,  Pasture  and  Range  Report:    Pasture  and  range  condition  rated 1 percent  very  poor,  6 percent  poor,  23 percent  fair,  53 percent  good,  and 17 percent  excellent.  Gains  for  cattle  on  feed  were  modest  as  cool temperatures returned to the State.    
 

IOWA PRELIMINARY WEATHER SUMMARY
Provided by Harry Hillaker, State Climatologist
 
It was a cool week across  Iowa with near normal  rainfall.   The work week began with scattered showers and  thunderstorms over  the southeast one-half of  the  state  on Monday  (17th).    Tuesday  (18th) was  dry while most  of  the week’s  rain  came  on  Wednesday  (19th)  when  thunderstorms  rumbled statewide.    Isolated  severe  weather,  in  the  form  of  high  winds,  hail  and tornadoes, were reported from parts of 11 counties on Wednesday afternoon and evening.   Showers and  thunderstorms were  scattered across  Iowa again on Thursday (20th) and over the northeast three-fourths of the state on Friday (21st).   Dry weather prevailed over  the weekend.   Weekly  rain  totals varied from 0.21 inches at Sidney in the far southwest to 4.14 inches at Waukon in the  far northeast.    The  statewide  average  precipitation  was  0.98 inches  or about  the  same  as  the  normal  of  0.95 inches.   Daytime  high  temperatures ranged  from  the  mid  70’s  northeast  to  low  80’s  west  on  Monday  (17th), Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday (23rd).  Highs were in the 70’s statewide on Thursday  and  Saturday  but managed  only  the  upper  60’s  northeast  to  low 70’s  southwest  on  Friday.    Temperature  extremes  ranged  from  afternoon highs of 83 degrees at Ankeny, Bedford and Sioux City on Tuesday and also at Shenandoah and Sidney on Wednesday  to Sunday (23rd) morning  lows of 45 degrees at Belle Plaine, Cresco and Mason City.   The  statewide average temperature was 4.8 degrees below normal for the week.