USDA crop progress and condition reports

South Dakota

SIOUX FALLS – For the week ending April 13, 2014, above normal temperatures were reported across the state last week, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide, there were 3.9 days suitable for fieldwork. Most of the state reported adequate soil moisture with topsoil moisture supplies rated 1 percent very short, 15 short, 79 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, preparing equipment 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, 30 fair, 65 good and 2 excellent. Six percent of spring wheat has been seeded, unchanged from last year but behind 22 average. Only 1 percent of barley has been seeded, unchanged from last year’s but behind 13 average. Oats seeding was 23 percent complete, ahead of 16 percent last year and equal to 23 average.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report: Cattle and calf conditions rated 0 percent very poor, 1 poor, 18 fair, 72 good and 9 excellent. Calving was 55 percent complete. Cattle and calf death losses rated 9 percent below normal, 89 percent normal, and 2 percent above normal. Sheep and lamb conditions rated 0 percent very poor, 0 poor, 19 fair, 63 good and 18 excellent. Lambing was 78 percent complete. Sheep and lamb death losses rated 9 percent below normal, 89 percent normal, and 2 percent above normal. Hay and forage supplies were 0 percent very short, 6 short, 86 adequate and 8 surplus. Stock water supplies were 0 percent very short, 5 percent short, 91 percent adequate, and 4 percent surplus.

North Dakota

FARGO, N.D. – For the week ending April 13, 2014, little to no precipitation was received across most of the state, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. On the other hand, warmer than average temperatures melted most of the remaining snow cover causing wet fields and minor flooding in localized areas. Very little fieldwork had begun, but some producers were attempting to harvest last year’s corn crop. However, progress was difficult due to the wet conditions. Reports indicated that, on average, producers intended to begin fieldwork by April 28. There were 0.7 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 1 percent very short, 4 short, 81 adequate and 14 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 1 percent very short, 2 short, 86 adequate and 11 surplus. Livestock producers reported a generally good week of calving.

Field Crops Report: Winter wheat condition rated 1 percent very poor, 9 poor, 38 fair, 49 good, and 3 excellent.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report: Cattle and calf conditions rated 0 percent very poor, 2 poor, 13 fair, 74 good, and 11 excellent. Calving was 48 percent complete. Cattle and calf death losses rated 19 percent below normal, 79 percent normal, and 2 percent above normal. Sheep and lamb conditions rated 0 percent very poor, 2 poor, 18 fair, 70 good, and 10 excellent. Lambing was 55 percent complete and shearing 58 percent. Sheep and lamb death losses rated 15 percent below normal, 82 percent normal, and 3 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, 87 adequate, and 8 surplus.

Minnesota

Southern Minnesota farmers were able to plant a limited amount of small grain acres during the week ending April 13, 2014 according to USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Only 0.4 days were rated as suitable for field work across the state. Much of Minnesota saw a decrease in snow cover and experienced warmer than normal temperatures this week. Ground frost rapidly decreased in southwest Minnesota as temperatures of 80 degrees or greater were reported in Traverse, Lac qui Parle, Chippewa, and Yellow Medicine Counties.

Topsoil moisture supplies improved and are now rated 0 percent very short, 3 percent short, 72 percent adequate, and 25 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies also improved and were rated 0 percent very short, 20 percent short, 71 percent adequate, and 9 percent surplus.

Pasture conditions were rated 10 percent very poor, 7 percent poor, 39 percent fair, 43 percent good, and 1 percent excellent. Pastures began to green up as snow melted. Calving progressed with no major issues reported.

Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. — For the week ending April 13, 2014, above normal temperatures and dry conditions during the week gave way to precipitation in the form of rain and snow on Sunday, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. High winds created blizzard conditions across the west and south. Precipitation totals were heaviest in eastern counties, but lighter amounts were welcome in south central and southwestern areas where drought conditions were severe. Temperatures averaged 4 degrees above normal across the western half of the state and 6 to 8 degrees above normal much of the east. A few fields of corn were planted in southern counties, but most producers were waiting for the weekend conditions to clear and soils to warm. Days suitable for fieldwork were 5.8. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 13 percent very short, 42 short, 45 adequate, and 1 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 17 percent very short, 43 short, 39 adequate, and 0 surplus.

Field Crops Report: Winter wheat condition rated 2 percent very poor, 10 poor, 29 fair, 52 good, and 7 excellent.

Oats planting was 28 percent, behind 56 last year and 51 percent, 5 year average. Oats emerged was 5 percent, behind 9 last year and 11 average.

Sorghum planting was at 1 percent, ahead of 0 last year and 0 average.

Corn planting was at 1 percent ahead of 0 last year and even with 1 average.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report: Stock water supplies rated 5 percent very short, 7 short, 88 adequate, and 0 surplus.

Hay and forage supplies rated 2 percent very short, 7 short, 87 adequate, and 4 surplus.

Cattle and calf condition rated 0 percent very poor, 1 poor, 10 fair, 80 good, and 9 excellent. Cattle and calf losses rated 16 percent below average, 84 average, and 0 above average. Percentage of cows calved since January 1 was 79 percent.

Sheep and lamb condition rated 0 percent very poor, 1 poor, 10 fair, 83 good, and 6 excellent. Sheep and lamb losses rated 11 percent below average, 89 average, and 0 above average.

Iowa

Above average temperatures in Iowa allowed over 20 percent of the State’s expected oat acreage to be planted during the week ending April 13, 2014, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Precipitation fell towards the end of the week as rain turned to snow overnight Sunday. Statewide there were 3.9 days suitable for fieldwork. Activities for the week included applying fertilizer and anhydrous, tiling, terrace construction, and spring tillage.

Recent precipitation helped improve soil moisture levels. Topsoil moisture levels rated 6 percent very short, 25 percent short, 57 percent adequate and 12 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 17 percent very short, 38 percent short, 43 percent adequate and 2 percent surplus.

Twenty-nine percent of oats have been planted, 10 percent ahead of last year but 22 percent behind average. The East Central and South Central districts have over 50 percent of their oat acreage planted. A few farmers reported oats starting to emerge. There were also scattered reports of corn being planted, mostly in southern Iowa.

Pasture condition rated 13 percent very poor, 26 percent poor, 43 percent fair, 18 percent good and 0 percent excellent. Most pastures were still slow to emerge, but rains late in the week helped return some green to the area. Calving conditions were reported as good.