Crop Progress and Pasture Conditions

South Dakota

SIOUX FALLS – For the week ending November 2, 2014, dry conditions and limited precipitation dominated the weather pattern across most of the state, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide, there were 6.3 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 1 percent very short, 27 short, 71 adequate, and 1 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 1 percent very short, 25 short, 73 adequate, and 1 surplus.

Field Crops Report: Winter wheat conditions rated 0 percent very poor, 2 poor, 27 fair, 58 good, and 13 excellent. Emerged was 85 percent, near 82 last year, but ahead of the five-year average of 77.

Corn harvested was 61 percent, equal to last year, but behind 70 average.

Sorghum mature was 95 percent, behind 99 last year and 100 average. Harvested was 80 percent, ahead of 68 last year, but equal to the average.

Sunflower conditions rated 0 percent very poor, 2 poor, 36 fair, 55 good, and 7 excellent. Bracts turning brown was 94 percent. Harvested was 48 percent, ahead of 30 last year, but behind 60 average.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report: Pasture and range conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 7 poor, 32 fair, 49 good, and 11 excellent.

Stock water supplies rated 3 percent very short, 19 percent short, 75 percent adequate, and 3 percent surplus.

North Dakota

FARGO, N.D. – For the week ending November 2, 2014, significant progress was made on corn and sunflower harvest, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Temperatures varied across the state, with most areas near or above normal. Continued dry conditions allowed fall tillage and fertilizer applications to proceed. Livestock producers were busy hauling hay and weaning calves. Statewide, there were 6.2 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 1 percent very short, 14 short, 80 adequate, and 5 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 1 percent very short, 9 short, 83 adequate, and 7 surplus.

Field Crops Report: Winter wheat emerged was 92 percent, near 91 last year. Conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 1 poor, 32 fair, 57 good, and 9 excellent.

Corn mature was 98 percent, near 100 last year, but ahead of 93 for the five-year average. Harvested was 48 percent complete, near 45 last year, but behind 61 average. Conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 6 poor, 19 fair, 55 good, and 19 excellent.

Soybean harvest advanced to 97 percent complete, ahead of 88 last year and 85 average.

Sunflower harvest was 54 percent complete, well ahead of 24 last year, but near 51 average. Conditions rated 2 percent very poor, 6 poor, 19 fair, 61 good, and 12 excellent.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report: Pasture and range conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 6 poor, 22 fair, 60 good, and 11 excellent.

Stock water supplies rated 1 percent very short, 4 short, 85 adequate, and 10 surplus.

Minnesota

Favorable weather conditions across much of Minnesota resulted in 6.1 days suitable for fieldwork, allowing 30 percent of the state’s corn crop to be harvested during the week ending November 2, 2014, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Moisture levels in late planted fields remained an issue for some producers during harvest last week. Other field activities for the week included fall tillage, fertilizer application, and installation of tile and drainage projects.

Topsoil moisture supplies were rated 3 percent very short, 20 percent short, 76 percent adequate, and 1 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies were rated 3 percent very short, 16 percent short, 80 percent adequate, and 1 percent surplus. Some producers had concerns about soil moisture levels after completing fall tillage.

Corn harvest, at 71 percent complete, improved from 10 days behind the 5-year average last week to only 2 days behind average. This is the most corn harvested during the last week of October in Minnesota in more than 10 years. Moisture content of harvested corn was estimated at 18 percent, down two points from last week. Corn conditions decreased slightly to 66 percent good to excellent. Corn for silage harvest was wrapping up across the state.

Soybean harvest remained ahead of normal for the third straight week. Harvest is 12 days ahead of the 5-year average with 98 percent harvested. Dry edible bean harvest was virtually complete. Sunflower producers remained 5 days behind average with 68 percent of the crop now harvested.

Iowa

Iowa farmers were able to harvest one-quarter of the State’s corn crop during the week ending November 2, 2014, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. There were 6.4 days suitable for fieldwork, the second most days suitable statewide this crop season. Other 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, 84 percent adequate, and 12 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 1 percent very short, 5 percent short, 83 percent adequate, and 11 percent surplus. Southwest Iowa was the wettest with almost one-third of its topsoil and subsoil in surplus condition.

Sixty-one percent of Iowa’s corn acreage was harvested, 4 days behind 2013 and 10 days behind the five-year average. Moisture content of corn at harvest was estimated at 18 percent. Seventy-six percent of the corn crop was reported in good to excellent condition. Soybean harvest reached 91 percent complete, 3 days behind last year but a day ahead of normal. This was the first time this season soybean harvest was ahead of average.

Grain movement from farm to elevator was rated 60 percent moderate to heavy, increasing 2 percentage points from the previous week. Although off-farm grain storage availability was rate 89 percent adequate to surplus, a few elevators were running short on storage space or limiting incoming grain. On-farm grain storage availability was 83 percent adequate to surplus.

Hay and roughage supplies were estimated at 97 percent adequate to surplus. Livestock conditions were normal, with more cattle turned out on corn stalk fields.

Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. – For the week ending November 2, 2014, clear skies and near normal temperatures allowed good progress to be made on corn harvest, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Rain was limited to the extreme northwest. Hard freezing temperatures were noted during the week. Grain moisture levels in standing corn remained above safe storage levels in a number of areas. Livestock producers continued weaning and marketing calves. There were 6.8 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 6 percent very short, 30 short, 63 adequate and 1 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 7 percent very short, 27 short, 65 adequate and 1 surplus.

Field Crops Report: Winter wheat conditions rated 0 very poor, 2 poor, 19 fair, 71 good, and 8 excellent. Winter wheat emerged was 96 percent, near 97 last year and 93 for the five-year average.

Corn conditions rated 2 percent very poor, 5 poor, 17 fair, 52 good, and 24 excellent. Corn harvested was 60 percent, behind 69 last year and 71 average.

Soybeans harvested was 95 percent, near 97 last year and 93 average.

Sorghum harvested was 71 percent, near 75 last year and 67 average.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report: Pasture and range conditions rated 5 percent very poor, 7 poor, 34 fair, 47 good, and 7 excellent.

Stock water supplies rated 1 percent very short, 6 short, 92 adequate, and 1 surplus.