Crop Progress and Pasture Conditions

South Dakota

SIOUX FALLS – For the week ending November 9, 2014, above normal temperatures with little precipitation aided harvest progress, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide, there were 6.3 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 4 percent very short, 25 short, 70 adequate, and 1 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 2 percent very short, 24 short, 73 adequate, and 1 surplus.

Field Crops Report: Winter wheat conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 4 poor, 25 fair, 57 good, and 13 excellent. Emerged was 91 percent, equal to last year, but ahead of the five-year average of 84.

Corn harvested was 84 percent, ahead of last year and average of 77.

Sorghum harvested was 92 percent, ahead of 80 last year and 88 average

Sunflower conditions rated 0 percent very poor, 2 poor, 36 fair, 55 good, and 7 excellent. Bracts turning brown was 98 percent. Harvested was 70 percent, well ahead of 49 last year, but near 71 average.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report: Pasture and range conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 9 poor, 31 fair, 48 good, and 11 excellent.

Stock water supplies rated 6 percent very short, 17 percent short, 74 percent adequate, and 3 percent surplus.

North Dakota

FARGO, N.D. – For the week ending November 9, 2014, significant harvest progress of row crops was made despite some moisture being received over the weekend, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Snow over the weekend, in the southern part of the State, either halted or slowed harvest activities. Temperatures last week were 2 to 8 degrees above normal. Livestock producers took advantage of the warm weather last week and were busy moving cattle from summer pastures, hauling hay, and weaning or marketing calves. Statewide, there were 5.2 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 1 percent very short, 14 short, 79 adequate, and 6 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 1 percent very short, 9 short, 83 adequate, and 7 surplus.

Field Crops Report: Winter wheat emerged was 99 percent, near 96 last year. Conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 1 poor, 32 fair, 58 good, and 8 excellent.

Corn harvest was 73 percent complete, ahead of 62 last year, but near 70 for the five-year average. Conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 8 poor, 18 fair, 53 good, and 20 excellent.

Sunflower harvest was 72 percent complete, well ahead of 42 last year, but near 68 average.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report: Pasture and range conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 7 poor, 25 fair, 55 good, and 12 excellent.

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

Minnesota

Minnesota farmers used the 5.8 days suitable for fieldwork to harvest nearly one-fifth of the State’s corn crop and 16 percent of the State’s sunflower crop during the week ending November 9, 2014, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Despite continued concerns over corn moisture levels, farmers put in long hours during the week harvesting and working on tillage to beat a forecasted winter storm.

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, 18 percent short, 78 percent adequate, and 1 percent surplus.

Ninety percent of Minnesota’s corn acreage was harvested, 10 days ahead of normal. This is the first time this season corn harvest has been ahead of normal. Corn harvest advanced 19 percentage points, the most harvested during this week in November since 2008. Moisture content of harvested corn was estimated at 17 percent, down one point from last week.

Eighty four percent of Minnesota’s sunflower acreage was harvested, 2 days ahead normal. Sunflower harvest advanced 16 percentage points, allowing harvest progress to move from being 5 days behind average last week to ahead of normal.

Iowa

Iowa farmers used the 6.6 days suitable for fieldwork to harvest just over one-fifth of the State’s corn crop during the week ending November 9, 2014, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. This was the most days suitable statewide this crop season. Other activities for the week included fall tillage, manure and fertilizer application, corn stalk baling, and tiling fields.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 0 percent very short, 5 percent short, 86 percent adequate, and 9 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 1 percent very short, 6 percent short, 83 percent adequate, and 10 percent surplus. Southwest Iowa was wettest with over one-quarter of its topsoil and subsoil in surplus condition.

Eighty-two percent of Iowa’s corn acreage was harvested, 2 days behind 2013 and 1 day behind the five-year average. Corn harvest advanced 21 percentage points from last week, the most harvested during this week in November since 1993. With every other district between 80 and 93 percent complete, corn harvest in southwest and south central Iowa lagged behind with only 69 and 67 percent complete, respectively. Soybean harvest reached 96 percent complete, 3 days behind last year but at the normal pace.

Grain movement from farm to elevator was rated 60 percent moderate to heavy. Off-farm grain storage availability was rated at 86 percent adequate to surplus. On-farm grain storage availability was 81 percent adequate to surplus.

Hay and roughage supplies were estimated at 97 percent adequate to surplus. Livestock conditions were reported as normal.

Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. – For the week ending November 9, 2014, warm conditions coupled with limited rainfall made for excellent harvest conditions, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Precipitation of a half inch or more fell early in the week across portions of the western Panhandle, but was non-existent elsewhere. Temperatures averaged 5 degrees above normal. Sugarbeet harvest was wrapping up in western counties. Fall tillage and fertilizer applications were underway. Cattle were being moved to available stalk fields. There were 6.6 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 7 percent very short, 32 short, 60 adequate, and 1 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 8 percent very short, 30 short, 61 adequate, and 1 surplus.

Field Crops Report: Winter wheat conditions rated 0 very poor, 2 poor, 19 fair, 71 good, and 8 excellent.

Corn harvested was 79 percent, near 80 last year and equal to the five-year average.

Sorghum harvested was 84 percent, behind 89 last year, but near 80 average.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report: Pasture and range conditions rated 5 percent very poor, 6 poor, 32 fair, 51 good, and 6 excellent.

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