Crop Progress and Pasture Conditions

South Dakota

SIOUX FALLS – For the week ending October 26, 2014, above normal temperatures and dry conditions persisted across the state, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Farmers used the opportunity to harvest crops, especially corn. Activities included weaning calves and moving cattle from summer pastures. Statewide, there were 6.4 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 1 percent very short, 23 short, 75 adequate, and 1 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 1 percent very short, 23 short, 75 adequate, and 1 surplus.

Field Crops Report: Winter wheat conditions rated 0 percent very poor, 5 poor, 25 fair, 60 good, and 10 excellent. Winter wheat planted was 97 percent, near both last year and the five-year average of 95. Emerged was 73 percent, ahead 65 last year and 68 average.

Corn conditions rated 2 percent very poor, 4 poor, 19 fair, 58 good, and 17 excellent. Corn mature was 97 percent, near both last year and average of 99. Harvested was 34 percent, behind 46 last year and well behind 60 average.

Soybeans harvested was 96 percent, ahead of 85 last year and 84 average.

Sorghum mature was 93 percent, near 96 last year but behind 98 average. Harvested was 69 percent, well ahead of 49 last year but near 71 average.

Sunflower conditions rated 0 percent very poor, 2 poor, 37 fair, 55 good, and 6 excellent. Bracts turning yellow was 98 percent, near both last year and average at 100. Turning brown was 87 percent complete. Harvested was 29 percent, ahead of 25 last year, but well behind 49 average.

Alfalfa hay fourth cutting was 78 percent complete.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report: Pasture and range conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 6 poor, 31 fair, 51 good, and 11 excellent.

Stock water supplies rated 3 percent very short, 17 percent short, 77 percent adequate, and 3 percent surplus.

North Dakota

FARGO, N.D. – For the week ending October 26, 2014, another week of warm, dry weather allowed producers to make good harvest progress, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. With temperatures averaging 9 to 12 degrees above normal and minimal rainfall across the state, fall field work was in full swing. Sunflower harvest was just beginning in the northern counties. Livestock producers were weaning and marketing calves. Statewide, there were 6.6 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 1 percent very short, 12 short, 81 adequate, and 6 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 1 percent very short, 8 short, 83 adequate, and 8 surplus.

Field Crops Report: Winter wheat emerged was 85 percent, near 86 last year. Conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 1 poor, 29 fair, 61 good, and 8 excellent.

Flaxseed harvested was 95 percent, near 92 last year and 96 for the five-year average.

Dry beans harvested was 95 percent, ahead of 89 for both last year and average.

Potato harvest was 96 percent complete, equal to last year and near 98 average.

Corn mature was 93 percent, behind 99 last year, but near 90 average. Harvested was 22 percent complete, behind 30 last year and well behind 52 average. Conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 6 poor, 18 fair, 57 good, and 18 excellent.

Soybean harvest advanced to 93 percent complete, well ahead of 70 last year, and ahead of 78 average.

Sunflower harvest was 32 percent complete, ahead of 11 last year, but behind 38 average. Conditions rated 2 percent very poor, 5 poor, 19 fair, 61 good, and 13 excellent.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report: Pasture and range conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 6 poor, 21 fair, 60 good, and 12 excellent.

Stock water supplies rated 1 percent very short, 3 short, 85 adequate, and 11 surplus.

Minnesota

Warm and dry weather resulted in 6.4 days suitable for fieldwork, the second highest mark this season, allowing rapid corn harvest across much of Minnesota for the week ending October 26, 2014, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Corn moisture levels remained an issue for many producers. Other field activities for the week included applying manure to fields and baling corn stalks. Minnesota livestock producers continued to remove cattle from pasture once conditions no longer met forage needs. Cover crops have fared well.

Topsoil moisture supplies were rated 2 percent very short, 16 percent short, 80 percent adequate, and 2 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies were rated 1 percent very short, 13 percent short, 85 percent adequate, and 1 percent surplus.

Corn harvest has been at least two weeks behind normal since harvest began, but made up some ground during the past week. With harvest at 41 percent complete, progress is now only 10 days behind average. Moisture content of harvested corn was estimated at 20 percent, down three points from last week. Corn conditions remained at 68 percent good to excellent. Ninety-seven percent of the corn for silage has been harvested. Silage harvest was virtually complete in southwest and west central Minnesota.

Soybean harvest continued to remain ahead of normal. With 94 percent of the crop harvested, progress advanced 11 days ahead of the 5-year average, up 7 days from last week. Dry edible bean harvest was wrapping up at 98 percent complete. During the week, sunflower producers were able to move from being 13 days behind average for harvest to just 6 days behind with 54 percent of the crop now harvested.

Iowa

Above average temperatures and mostly dry weather allowed harvest to progress at a normal pace during the 5.1 days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending October 26, 2014, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. A few low-lying fields remain too muddy to harvest. Activities for the week included fall tillage, manure and fertilizer application, corn stalk baling, and hauling grain.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 0 percent very short, 4 percent short, 80 percent adequate, and 16 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 1 percent very short, 5 percent short, 81 percent adequate, and 13 percent surplus. Southwest and south central Iowa were the wettest with over one-third of their topsoil and subsoil in surplus condition.

With almost all of Iowa’s corn acreage mature, harvest was 36 percent complete, 6 days behind 2013 and 16 days behind the five-year average. Moisture content of corn at harvest was estimated at 19 percent, encouraging some farmers to harvest, but still limiting others who are waiting for corn to dry down in the field. Seventy-seven percent of the corn crop was reported in good to excellent condition. Soybean harvest reached 81 percent complete, 2 days behind last year and 4 days behind normal. Many farmers across the State were waiting for their replanted soybeans to mature.

Grain movement from farm to elevator was rated 58 percent moderate to heavy, increasing 3 percentage points from the previous week. Off-farm grain storage availability was 90 percent adequate to surplus. On-farm grain storage availability was 86 percent adequate to surplus.

Pasture condition rated 65 percent good to excellent, while hay and roughage supplies were estimated at 97 percent adequate to surplus. Livestock conditions were excellent, and a few cattle were turned out on corn stalk fields.

Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. – For the week ending October 26, 2014, rain across the Panhandle as well as eastern areas slowed harvest progress at mid-week, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Temperatures, which averaged 10 degrees above normal, aided the drydown of unharvested crops. Soybean harvest was nearing completion with much of the attention now focused on corn. There were 5.9 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 3 percent very short, 26 short, 68 adequate, and 3 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 7 percent very short, 24 short, 67 adequate, and 2 surplus.

Field Crops Report: Winter wheat conditions rated 0 very poor, 1 poor, 18 fair, 74 good, and 7 excellent. Winter wheat emerged was 94 percent, near 91 last year, but ahead of 87 for the five-year average.

Corn conditions rated 2 percent very poor, 5 poor, 18 fair, 51 good, and 24 excellent. Corn mature was 96 percent, equal to last year and average. Corn harvested was 40 percent, behind 52 last year and 59 average.

Soybeans harvested was 87 percent, behind 92 last year, but near 89 average.

Sorghum conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 5 poor, 31 fair, 41 good, and 22 excellent. Sorghum harvested was 50 percent, behind 59 last year, but near 52 average.

Dry beans harvested was 97 percent, equal to last year and near 96 average.

Alfalfa hay fourth cutting was 95 percent complete, near 91 last year and 96 average.

Proso millet harvested was 96 percent, ahead of 88 last year and 89 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.