Crop Progress and Pasture Conditions

South Dakota

SIOUX FALLS – For the week ending October 12, 2014, below normal temperatures were recorded across the eastern part of the state and above normal in the west, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Dry conditions were reported in most areas which helped row crop harvest to advance. Statewide, there were 6.1 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 1 percent very short, 19 short, 78 adequate, and 2 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 1 percent very short, 18 short, 80 adequate, and 1 surplus.

Field Crops Report: Winter wheat planted was 90 percent, ahead of the five-year average of 84. Emerged was 54 percent, ahead of 47 average.

Corn conditions rated 2 percent very poor, 5 poor, 19 fair, 59 good, and 15 excellent. Corn mature was 87 percent, behind 93 average. Harvested was 12 percent, well behind 32 average.

Soybean conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 4 poor, 17 fair, 60 good, and 18 excellent. Soybeans dropping leaves was 99 percent, equal to average. Soybeans harvested was 66 percent, near 65 average.

Sorghum conditions rated 0 percent very poor, 2 poor, 13 fair, 78 good, and 7 excellent. Mature was 71 percent, well behind 90 average. Harvested was 19 percent, well behind 45 average.

Sunflower conditions rated 0 percent very poor, 2 poor, 39 fair, 53 good, and 6 excellent. Bracts turning yellow was 92 percent, behind 99 average. Turning brown was 74 percent complete. Harvested was 8 percent, behind 18 average.

Alfalfa hay conditions rated 0 percent very poor, 3 poor, 20 fair, 59 good, and 18 excellent. Third cutting was 98 percent complete, ahead of average at 91. Fourth cutting was 61 percent complete.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report: Pasture and range conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 6 poor, 26 fair, 55 good, and 12 excellent.

Stock water supplies rated 1 percent very short, 13 percent short, 83 percent adequate, and 3 percent surplus.

Note: Due to a lapse in federal funding in October 2013, the Crop Progress reports for the weeks ending October 6, 2013 and October 13, 2013 were canceled. Therefore, previous year estimates for the corresponding weeks will not be available. Five-year average estimates will reflect the years 2009-2013 using published estimates for 2009-2012 and imputed estimates for 2013.

North Dakota

FARGO, N.D. – For the week ending October 12, 2014, good harvest progress was made as conditions were mostly dry, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Scattered moisture was received last week with amounts less than half an inch. Producers that have finished harvesting are now applying fertilizer and doing fall tillage. Livestock producers continued weaning calves. Statewide, there were 5.8 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 0 percent very short, 7 short, 84 adequate, and 9 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 0 percent very short, 6 short, 84 adequate, and 10 surplus.

Field Crops Report: Winter wheat planting was 94 percent complete. Emerged was 59 percent.

Durum wheat harvest was 92 percent complete, behind 97 for the five-year average.

Flaxseed harvested was 80 percent, behind 90 average.

Lentils harvest advanced to 88 percent complete, behind 99 average.

Dry beans harvested was 81 percent, equal to average.

Potato harvest was 88 percent complete, ahead of 83 average.

Corn mature was 76 percent, near 79 average. Harvested was 2 percent complete, well behind 23 average. Conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 6 poor, 18 fair, 58 good, and 17 excellent.

Soybean harvest advanced to 64 percent complete, near 62 average. Conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 4 poor, 20 fair, 60 good, and 15 excellent.

Sunflowers at the bracts yellow stage were 98 percent, equal to average. Bracts brown were 82 percent, behind 88 average. Harvest was 2 percent complete, well behind 17 average. Conditions rated 2 percent very poor, 4 poor, 20 fair, 61 good, and 13 excellent.

Sugarbeet harvest advanced rapidly with 96 percent complete, well ahead of 55 average.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report: Pasture and range conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 4 poor, 17 fair, 59 good, and 19 excellent.

Stock water supplies rated 0 percent very short, 2 short, 84 adequate, and 14 surplus.

Minnesota

Favorable weather conditions throughout the week allowed 6.1 days suitable for fieldwork across Minnesota, helping farmers make strong soybean and sugarbeet harvesting progress for the week ending October 12, 2014 according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. This is only the fifth week this season where Minnesota farmers saw more than 6 days suitable for fieldwork.

Topsoil moisture supplies were rated 0 percent very short, 9 percent short, 87 percent adequate, and 4 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies were rated 1 percent very short, 9 percent short, 87 percent adequate, and 3 percent surplus.

Corn harvest continued to be delayed due to high moisture levels, with only 7 percent of the crop now harvested, two and a half weeks behind average and the slowest progress since 2009. Moisture content of harvested corn was estimated at 26 percent, down two points from last week. Sixty-eight percent of the corn crop is in good to excellent condition. Eighty-seven percent of the corn for silage has been harvested, two weeks behind average.

Nearly 40 percent of Minnesota’s soybean acres were harvested during the past week. With sixty-two percent of the soybean crop harvested, progress is now only 4 days behind average. Sixty-six percent of the soybean crop is in good to excellent condition. Potato harvest continued to be ahead of average with 95 percent harvested. Dry Edible bean harvest, at 89 percent is slightly behind average. Ninety-seven percent of the sugarbeet crop has been harvested, the most during an October week in over decade. Fifteen percent of the sunflower crop is now harvested, 11 days behind normal. Sunflower conditions improved to 38 percent good to excellent.

The third cutting of alfalfa hay harvest is nearing completion and was 97 percent complete. Livestock in some areas of Minnesota continued to graze on pasture in spite of conditions decreasing slightly to 66 percent good to excellent.

Iowa

Mostly dry weather allowed farmers to harvest 30 percent of Iowa’s soybean acreage during the 5.1 days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending October 12, 2014, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Muddy fields, especially in low spots, have slowed harvest across Iowa. Activities for the week included fall tillage and the spread of manure on harvested fields. Cover crops have started to emerge across the State.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 0 percent very short, 4 percent short, 78 percent adequate, and 18 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 1 percent very short, 7 percent short, 80 percent adequate, and 12 percent surplus. Southwest Iowa was the wettest with just under half of its topsoil in surplus condition.

Ninety percent of Iowa’s corn acreage was mature, 4 days behind the five-year average. Corn harvest reached 10 percent, almost 3 weeks behind the normal pace. Moisture content of corn at harvest remained high at 23 percent contributing to the slower than normal progress. Seventy-six percent of the corn crop was reported in good to excellent condition. Ninety-five percent of the soybean crop was dropping leaves or beyond. Soybean harvest advanced rapidly to 39 percent complete, just over one week behind normal. Seventy-four percent of the soybean acreage was in good to excellent condition.

Grain movement from farm to elevator was rated 15 percent none, 38 percent light, 32 percent moderate, and 15 percent heavy. Off-farm grain storage availability was 8 percent short, 80 percent adequate, and 12 percent surplus. On-farm grain storage availability was 13 percent short, 79 percent adequate, and 8 percent surplus.

The third cutting of alfalfa hay was nearing completion, while hay and roughage supplies were estimated at 0 percent very short, 2 percent short, 82 percent adequate, and 16 percent surplus. Pasture condition rated 66 percent good to excellent. Livestock conditions have been optimal. Calves were being weaned.

Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. — For the week ending October 12, 2014 limited rainfall allowed harvest to progress with soybeans nearing the half-way mark, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Temperatures were above normal in the west but below normal in the east. The growing season has ended with a killing frost in all but a few southern counties. The number of days suitable for fieldwork were 5.8. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 3 percent very short, 19 short, 74 adequate, and 4 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 7 percent very short, 22 short, 69 adequate, and 2 surplus.

Field Crops Report: Winter wheat planted was 95 percent, ahead of 91 for the five-year average. Winter wheat emerged was 80 percent, ahead of 63 average.

Corn conditions rated 2 percent very poor, 5 poor, 18 fair, 52 good, and 23 excellent. Corn mature was 89 percent, equal to the average. Corn harvested was 19 percent, behind 34 average.

Soybean conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 5 poor, 20 fair, 54 good, and 20 excellent. Soybeans dropping leaves was 97 percent, equal to the average. Soybeans harvested was 45 percent, behind 66 average.

Sorghum conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 5 poor, 32 fair, 40 good, and 22 excellent. Sorghum mature was 87 percent, ahead of 82 average. Sorghum harvested was 12 percent, behind 21 average.

Dry beans harvested was 85 percent, behind 90 average.

Alfalfa hay fourth cutting was 89 percent complete, equal to the average.

Proso millet harvested was 86 percent, ahead of 82 average.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report: Pasture and range conditions rated 5 percent very poor, 7 poor, 32 fair, 47 good, and 9 excellent.

Stock water supplies rated 1 percent very short, 5 short, 92 adequate, and 2 surplus.