Crop Progress and Pasture Conditions

South Dakota

SIOUX FALLS – For the week ending October 19, 2014, above normal temperatures and dry conditions dominated the weather pattern across most areas of the state, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide, there were 6.4 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 1 percent very short, 21 short, 77 adequate, and 1 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 1 percent very short, 22 short, 76 adequate, and 1 surplus.

Field Crops Report: Winter wheat planted was 94 percent, near 92 percent last year and the five-year average of 91. Emerged was 63 percent, near 60 last year and 61 average.

Corn conditions rated 2 percent very poor, 4 poor, 20 fair, 58 good, and 16 excellent. Corn mature was 91 percent, behind 95 last year and 97 average. Harvested was 19 percent, behind 30 last year and well behind 45 average.

Soybeans harvested was 88 percent, ahead of 72 last year and 77 average.

Sorghum conditions rated 0 percent very poor, 2 poor, 13 fair, 78 good, and 7 excellent. Mature was 88 percent,behind 92 last year and 96 average. Harvested was 48 percent, well ahead of 24 last year but behind behind 59 average.

Sunflower conditions rated 0 percent very poor, 2 poor, 37 fair, 55 good, and 6 excellent. Bracts turning yellow was 94 percent, behind 99 last year and 100 average. Turning brown was 79 percent complete. Harvested was 11 percent, behind 15 average and well behind 33 average.

Alfalfa hay fourth cutting was 70 percent complete.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report: Pasture and range conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 6 poor, 29 fair, 52 good, and 12 excellent.

Stock water supplies rated 3 percent very short, 14 percent short, 80 percent adequate, and 3 percent surplus.

North Dakota

FARGO, N.D. – For the week ending October 19, 2014, dry and unseasonably warm weather allowed producers to make good harvest progress, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Temperatures averaged 2 to 8 degrees above normal with insignificant amounts of moisture reported in the northern part of the state. Some producers were waiting to begin corn harvest until their crop naturally dried down to lower moisture levels. In addition to weaning calves, livestock producers were also hauling hay. Statewide, there were 6.1 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 0 percent very short, 10 short, 82 adequate, and 8 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 0 percent very short, 7 short, 85 adequate, and 8 surplus.

Field Crops Report: Winter wheat planting was 97 percent complete, ahead of 83 last year. Emerged was 77 percent, ahead of 66 last year.

Durum wheat harvest was 97 percent complete, near 95 last year and 99 for the five-year average.

Flaxseed harvested was 91 percent, ahead of 83 last year, but near 93 average.

Lentil harvest advanced to 98 percent complete, near 96 last year and 99 average.

Dry beans harvested was 92 percent, ahead of 86 last year and 87 average.

Potato harvest was 93 percent complete, ahead of last year at 87, but near 94 average.

Corn mature was 84 percent, behind 94 last year, but near 85 average. Harvested was 7 percent complete, behind 13 last year and well behind 37 average. Conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 6 poor, 18 fair, 58 good, and 17 excellent.

Soybean harvest advanced to 83 percent complete, well ahead of 52 last year, and ahead of 71 average.

Sunflowers at the bracts brown stage were 95 percent, near 92 last year and 97 average. Harvest was 11 percent complete, ahead of 5 last year, but behind 27 average. Conditions rated 2 percent very poor, 4 poor, 20 fair, 61 good, and 13 excellent.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report: Pasture and range conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 5 poor, 21 fair, 61 good, and 12 excellent.

Stock water supplies rated 0 percent very short, 3 short, 85 adequate, and 12 surplus.

Minnesota

Dry weather and wind across much of the state allowed 6.1 days suitable for fieldwork, helping Minnesota farmers make strong soybean harvest progress for the week ending October 19, 2014, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Southeastern Minnesota received precipitation that slowed harvesting progress in their area. Corn moisture levels continued to be an issue during harvest, but have improved over the last week.

Topsoil moisture supplies were rated 1 percent very short, 13 percent short, 84 percent adequate, and 2 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies were rated 1 percent very short, 11 percent short, 86 percent adequate, and 2 percent surplus.

Corn harvest was only 16 percent complete, two and a half weeks behind average, the second lowest percent harvested in 10 years. Moisture content of harvested corn was estimated at 23 percent, down three points from last week. Sixty-eight percent of the corn crop was in good to excellent condition. Ninety-three percent of the corn for silage has been harvested, over two weeks behind the average.

After being behind all harvest season, soybeans are now ahead of normal for the first time this year. With 85 percent of the crop harvested, progress advanced 4 days ahead of the 5-year average. Sixty-six percent of the soybean crop was in good to excellent condition. Sugarbeets are nearing completion with only a few fields remaining to be lifted. This was the earliest harvest progress in more than a decade. Dry edible bean harvest, at 96 percent was slightly ahead of average. Sunflower harvest has fallen further behind with only 28 percent of the crop now harvested, nearly two weeks behind normal. Sunflower conditions improved to 40 percent good to excellent.

Iowa

Fieldwork stalled early in the week due to rain, but farmers were able to harvest during the rest of the week ending October 19, 2014, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Overall there were 4.2 days suitable for fieldwork. Most farmers reported harvesting soybeans while waiting for corn to dry down in the fields. Activities for the week included fall tillage, manure and fertilizer application, biomass baling, and hauling grain.

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, 5 percent short, 80 percent adequate, and 14 percent surplus. Southwest and south central Iowa were the wettest with over one-third of their topsoil in surplus condition.

Ninety-six percent of Iowa’s corn acreage was mature, 3 days behind the five-year average. Corn harvest advanced 9 percentage points to 19 percent complete, 18 days behind the normal pace. Moisture content of corn at harvest was estimated at 21 percent. Seventy-seven percent of the corn crop was reported in good to excellent condition. With almost the entire soybean crop dropping leaves or beyond, harvest reached 61 percent complete, 9 days behind normal. Seventy-four percent of the soybean acreage was in good to excellent condition.

Grain movement from farm to elevator was rated 55 percent moderate to heavy, increasing 8 percentage points from the previous week. Off-farm grain storage availability was 92 percent adequate to surplus. On-farm grain storage availability was 87 percent adequate to surplus.

Pasture and hay have had excellent regrowth this fall with plenty of rain and cooler than normal temperatures. Pasture condition remained steady at 66 percent good to excellent, while hay and roughage supplies were estimated at 97 percent adequate to surplus. Livestock conditions were reported as ideal.

Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. — For the week ending October 19, 2014, limited rainfall and above normal temperatures provided excellent harvest conditions, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Good progress was made on soybean harvest, while producers waited for grain moisture levels, especially in irrigated corn, to dry down further. Significant rain of an inch or more was limited to the extreme southeastern counties. Sugarbeet harvest in the west was slowed due to the warm conditions. Livestock producers began moving cattle to available stalk fields. Statewide, there were 6.6 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 3 percent very short, 23 short, 72 adequate, and 2 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 8 percent very short, 23 short, 67 adequate, and 2 surplus.

Field Crops Report: Winter wheat emerged was 89 percent, ahead of 71 last year and 75 for the five-year average.

Corn conditions rated 2 percent very poor, 5 poor, 18 fair, 51 good, and 24 excellent. Corn mature was 94 percent, near 91 last year and 93 average. Corn harvested was 28 percent, near 31 last year, but behind 45 average.

Soybean conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 5 poor, 19 fair, 54 good, and 21 excellent. Soybeans harvested was 69 percent, behind 77 last year and 81 average.

Sorghum conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 5 poor, 32 fair, 40 good, and 22 excellent. Sorghum mature was 95 percent, near 96 last year and 91 average. Sorghum harvested was 27 percent, near 31 last year and 32 average.

Dry beans harvested was 92 percent, near 93 last year and 94 average.

Alfalfa hay fourth cutting was 94 percent complete, ahead of 88 last year, but equal to the average.

Proso millet harvested was 93 percent, ahead of 86 last year and 85 average.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report: Pasture and range conditions rated 5 percent very poor, 7 poor, 32 fair, 48 good, and 8 excellent.

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