Area USDA Crop Progress and Conditions Reports

South Dakota

SIOUX FALLS – For the week ending on April 6, 2014, producers in most areas of the state had not started fieldwork, however in some localities spring wheat seeding had begun, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide, there were 5.8 days suitable for fieldwork. Most of the state reported adequate soil moisture with topsoil moisture supplies rated 0 percent very short, 15 short, 80 adequate and 5 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 1 percent very short, 14 short, 83 adequate and 2 surplus. Agricultural activities included hauling grain and hay, getting equipment ready for spring planting, spreading fertilizer, and calving. Most producers reported good calving conditions.

Field Crops Report: Winter wheat condition rated 0 percent very poor, 3 poor, 32 fair, 63 good and 2 excellent.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report: Cattle and calf conditions rated 0 percent very poor, 1 poor, 20 fair, 71 good and 8 excellent. Calving was 52 percent complete. Cattle and calf death losses rated 2 percent below normal, 92 percent normal, and 6 percent above normal. Sheep and lamb conditions rated 0 percent very poor, 0 poor, 23 fair, 71 good and 6 excellent. Lambing was 75 percent complete. Sheep and lamb death losses rated 1 percent below normal, 95 percent normal, and 4 percent above normal. Hay and forage supplies were 0 percent very short, 7 short, 84 adequate and 9 surplus.

North Dakota

FARGO, N.D. — For the week ending April 6, 2014, blizzard conditions early in the week were accompanied by heavy snowfall which will delay spring planting, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Reports indicated that, on average, producers intended to begin fieldwork by April 26. There were no days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 0 percent very short, 3 short, 82 adequate and 15 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 0 percent very short, 3 short, 86 adequate and 11 surplus.

Field Crops Report: Winter wheat condition rated 0 percent very poor, 9 poor, 41 fair, 48 good, and 2 excellent.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report: Cattle and calf conditions rated 0 percent very poor, 2 poor, 14 fair, 71 good, and 13 excellent. Calving was 30 percent complete. Cattle and calf death losses rated 3 percent below normal, 86 percent normal, and 11 percent above normal. Sheep and lamb conditions rated 0 percent very poor, 2 poor, 18 fair, 66 good, and 14 excellent. Lambing was 40 percent complete and shearing 30 percent complete. Sheep and lamb death losses rated 3 percent below normal, 88 percent normal, and 9 percent above normal. Stock water supplies rated 0 percent very short, 1 short, 86 adequate, and 13 surplus. Hay and forage supplies rated 0 percent very short, 5 short, 86 adequate, and 9 surplus.

Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. — For the week ending April 6, 2014, precipitation in the form of snow and rain was light and averaged less than half an inch of moisture across most of Nebraska, providing little or no relief from dry conditions, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Southwestern counties continued to experience severe or extreme drought. Temperatures averaged 2 to 4 degrees below normal across the northern two-thirds of the state and near normal across the south. Cool season grasses had yet to show much growth due to below normal temperatures and limited soil moisture. Fieldwork consisted of spring tillage and fertilizer applications. Oat planting was underway. There were 5.0 days suitable for field work. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 16 percent very short, 44 short, 40 adequate, and 0 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 18 percent very short, 40 short, 42 adequate, and 0 surplus.

Field Crops Report: Winter wheat condition rated 3 percent very poor, 10 poor, 31 fair, 50 good, and 6 excellent.

Oats planting was at 7 percent, well behind 40 percent last year and 17 percent, 5 year average.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report: Stock water supplies rated 4 percent very short, 14 short, 82 adequate, and 0 surplus.

Hay and forage supplies rated 1 percent very short, 6 short, 90 adequate, and 3 surplus.

Cattle and calf condition rated 0 percent very poor, 1 poor, 10 fair, 80 good, and 9 excellent. Cattle and calf losses rated 5 percent below average, 91 average, and 4 above average. Percentage of cows calved since January 1 was 68 percent.

Sheep and lamb condition rated 0 percent very poor, 0 poor, 14 fair, 82 good, and 4 excellent. Sheep and lamb losses rated 0 percent below average, 99 average, and 1 above average.

Minnesota

Snow cover across Minnesota has delayed the beginning of field work, according the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The snow storm system from March 31 to April 1 brought heavy snow to much of the state as it passed from the southwestern corner to the northeast. For the week ending April 6, 2014, 0 days were rated suitable for fieldwork statewide. The statewide average temperature was 32.3 degrees, 5.4 degrees below normal.

Topsoil moisture supplies were rated 0 percent very short, 3 percent short, 75 percent adequate, and 22 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies were rated 0 percent very short, 20 percent short, 73 percent adequate, and 7 percent surplus. Frost remaining in the ground has prevented moisture from reaching subsoil levels.

Oats progress was 0 percent planted, equal to last year but behind the 5 year average of 11 percent. Pasture conditions were rated 10 percent very poor, 6 percent poor, 46 percent fair, 38 percent good, and 0 percent excellent. Livestock producers in northwest Minnesota reported calving is progressing at a steady pace, even with challenging weather conditions.

Iowa

Warmer temperatures allowed some farmers to do fieldwork during the week ending April 6, 2014, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide there were 1.7 days suitable for fieldwork. Farmers in northern Iowa were able to get some fieldwork done early in the week before being halted by precipitation. Southern Iowa farmers were able to spend more time in the field with the South Central District averaging 4 days suitable, the highest in the State. Activities for the week included applying fertilizer and seeding oats. Farmers across the state were also busy preparing machinery for the upcoming planting season.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 8 percent very short, 30 percent short, 57 percent adequate and 5 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 16 percent very short, 44 percent short, 39 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus. Frost was still in the ground in most parts of the State causing little moisture to absorb to subsoil levels.

Seven percent of oats have been planted, 2 percent behind last year and 22 percent behind average. Pasture condition rated 19 percent very poor, 27 percent poor, 35 percent fair, 19 percent good and 0 percent excellent. Most pastures were dormant or just starting to turn color. Livestock conditions were reported as good, except for areas where hogs have been affected by Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDv).