Crop Progress and Pasture Condition

South Dakota

SIOUX FALLS — For the week ending July 5, 2015, showers and thunderstorms throughout the week brought moisture to many locations, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Temperatures were near average for most of the State. There were 5.0 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 5 percent very short, 13 short, 74 adequate, and 8 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 6 percent very short, 20 short, 69 adequate, and 5 surplus.

Field Crops Report: Corn condition rated 1 percent very poor, 4 poor, 21 fair, 61 good, and 13 excellent. Corn silking was at 1 percent, near 5 last year and the five-year average of 4.

Soybean condition rated 1 percent very poor, 2 poor, 23 fair, 59 good, and 15 excellent. Soybeans blooming was 17 percent, behind 36 last year, but near 21 average.

Spring wheat condition rated 1 percent very poor, 7 poor, 32 fair, 49 good, and 11 excellent. Spring wheat headed was 86 percent, ahead of 78 last year and near 80 average. Coloring was at 30 percent, well ahead of 4 last year, and ahead of 23 average.

Winter wheat condition rated 10 percent very poor, 22 poor, 39 fair, 27 good, and 2 excellent. Winter wheat headed was 97 percent, near 100 last year and 98 average. Coloring rated 77 percent, ahead of 61 last year and 58 average. Mature rated 3 percent, near 2 last year, but behind 16 average.

Oats condition rated 1 percent very poor, 4 poor, 22 fair, 63 good, and 10 excellent. Oats headed rated 96 percent, ahead of 84 last year and 80 average. Coloring was at 36 percent, well ahead of 11 last year and ahead of 27 average.

Barley condition rated 3 percent very poor, 3 poor, 15 fair, 71 good, and 8 excellent. Barley jointed was 96 percent, near 93 last year. Headed rated 67 percent, ahead of 58 last year, but near 64 average. Coloring was 12 percent, ahead of 3 last year, but near 15 average.

Sorghum condition rated 0 percent very poor, 1 poor, 26 fair, 69 good, and 4 excellent. Sorghum planted rated 86 percent, behind 99 last year and 100 average. Emerged was 80 percent, behind 86 last year and 95 average. Headed was 1 percent, near 4 last year, and equal to the average.

Sunflower condition rated 0 percent very poor, 1 poor, 26 fair, 70 good, and 3 excellent. Sunflowers planted rated 96 percent, near 95 last year and 98 average. Emerged was 72 percent, ahead of 67 last year.

Alfalfa conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 6 poor, 31 fair, 54 good, and 7 excellent. Alfalfa hay first cutting rated 69 percent complete, behind 76 last year and 84 average. Second cutting rated 6 percent complete, behind 12 last year.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report: Pasture and range conditions were rated 2 percent very poor, 7 poor, 28 fair, 47 good, and 16 excellent.

Stock water supplies rated 5 percent very short, 13 short, 77 adequate, and 5 surplus.

North Dakota

FARGO, N.D. – For the week ending July 5, 2015, significant rainfall was received over the weekend in many areas, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. The continued wet weather and high humidity has delayed hay harvest and crop spraying. Average temperatures last week were three to five degrees above normal in the western part of the state and one to two degrees above normal in the east. There were 5.5 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 0 percent very short, 3 short, 78 adequate, and 19 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 0 percent very short, 5 short, 80 adequate, and 15 surplus.

Field Crops Report: Winter wheat condition rated 1 percent very poor, 9 poor, 28 fair, 52 good, and 10 excellent. Winter wheat headed was 95 percent, ahead of 85 last year. Coloring was 18 percent, ahead of 8 last year.

Durum wheat condition rated 0 percent very poor, 1 poor, 11 fair, 74 good, and 14 excellent. Durum wheat jointed was 83 percent, well ahead of 55 last year, and ahead of the five-average of 64. Headed was 41 percent, well ahead of 8 last year, and ahead of 24 average.

Spring wheat condition rated 0 percent very poor, 3 poor, 17 fair, 65 good, and 15 excellent. Spring wheat jointed was 97 percent, ahead of 82 last year and 81 average. Headed was 73 percent, well ahead of 32 last year and 40 average. Coloring was 3 percent.

Barley condition rated 0 percent very poor, 2 poor, 11 fair, 73 good, and 14 excellent. Barley jointed was 98 percent, ahead of 85 last year and 81 average. Headed was 73 percent, well ahead of 31 last year and 39 average.

Oats condition rated 1 percent very poor, 5 poor, 16 fair, 68 good, and 10 excellent. Oats jointed was 98 percent, ahead of 80 last year and 82 average. Headed was 73 percent, well ahead of 28 last year and 40 average. Coloring was 1 percent.

Corn condition rated 1 percent very poor, 4 poor, 20 fair, 67 good, and 8 excellent. Corn silking was 4 percent, equal to last year, and near 3 average.

Soybean condition rated 1 percent very poor, 3 poor, 18 fair, 69 good, and 9 excellent. Soybeans blooming was 22 percent, ahead of 11 last year and 15 average.

Canola condition rated 0 percent very poor, 3 poor, 21 fair, 63 good, and 13 excellent. Canola blooming was 84 percent, well ahead of 58 last year and 51 average. Coloring was 2 percent.

Sunflower condition rated 0 percent very poor, 4 poor, 17 fair, 74 good, and 5 excellent. Sunflowers emerged was 97 percent.

Flaxseed condition rated 0 percent very poor, 1 poor, 14 fair, 78 good, and 7 excellent. Flaxseed blooming was 49 percent, well ahead of 11 last year and 20 average.

Dry edible peas condition rated 0 percent very poor, 1 poor, 20 fair, 67 good, and 12 excellent. Dry edible peas blooming was 76 percent, well ahead of 41 last year and 52 average.

Dry edible beans condition rated 1 percent very poor, 6 poor, 25 fair, 59 good, and 9 excellent. Dry edible beans blooming was 13 percent, ahead of 7 last year, and near 10 average.

Potatoes condition rated 2 percent very poor, 4 poor, 32 fair, 55 good, and 7 excellent. Potatoes blooming was 44 percent, well ahead of 15 last year, and ahead of 25 average.

Alfalfa condition rated 2 percent very poor, 8 poor, 26 fair, 56 good, and 8 excellent. Alfalfa hay first cutting was 52 percent, well ahead of 25 last year, and equal to the average.

Sugarbeet condition rated 0 percent very poor, 2 poor, 24 fair, 61 good, and 13 excellent.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report: Pasture and range conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 4 poor, 16 fair, 60 good, and 19 excellent.

Stock water supplies rated 0 percent very short, 4 short, 81 adequate, and 15 surplus.

Minnesota

One-third of Minnesota’s soybean acreage was in or beyond the blooming stage as of July 5, 2015, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. There were 5.6 days suitable for fieldwork during the week but skies were hazy due to Canadian forest fires. Field activities for the week included spraying, applying fungicides, and harvesting hay.

Soil moisture levels decreased slightly with the drier than normal week. Topsoil moisture supplies were rated 0 percent very short, 3 percent short, 88 percent adequate, and 9 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies were rated 0 percent very short, 4 percent short, 90 percent adequate, and 6 percent surplus.

Minnesota’s corn condition rated 84 percent good to excellent, up 3 percentage points from last week. Thirty-three percent of the soybean crop was blooming or beyond, 10 days ahead of last year and 1 week ahead of the five-year average. Soybean condition rated 78 percent good to excellent. Small grain development remained well ahead of the average with 90 percent or more of the crops in or beyond the heading stage. Barley condition rated 64 percent good to excellent. Eighteen percent of the oat acreage was turning color or beyond, slightly ahead of normal. Oat condition rated 83 percent good to excellent. Fourteen percent of the spring wheat acreage was turning color, 11 days ahead of the previous year. Spring wheat condition rated 82 percent good to excellent. Twenty-one percent of the dry edible bean crop was blooming, with condition rated at 67 percent good to excellent. Potato condition rated 89 percent good to excellent. Sunflower condition rated 59 percent good to excellent, up slightly from last week. Sugarbeet condition rated 79 percent good to excellent.

The first cutting of alfalfa hay was 95 percent complete. The second cutting of alfalfa hay was 23 percent complete, 4 days ahead of last year. All hay condition rated 76 percent good to excellent, up 4 percentage points from the previous week. Pasture condition rated 80 percent good to excellent. Livestock benefited from the improved conditions of pastures and hay.

Iowa

Warm and sunny weather helped dry out soil conditions and aided crop development during the week ending July 5, 2015, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide there were 4.8 days suitable for fieldwork. This was only the second week this season that all districts had at least 4.0 days suitable for fieldwork. Activities for the week included cutting hay, applying herbicides, and scattered replanting of crops.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 0 percent very short, 2 percent short, 73 percent adequate and 25 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 0 percent very short, 3 percent short, 75 percent adequate and 22 percent surplus. Statewide surplus topsoil and subsoil moisture levels dropped 6 and 4 percentage points, respectively, from the previous week.

Eighty-two percent of the corn crop was rated good to excellent. Nearly all soybeans have emerged. Soybeans blooming reached 20 percent. Soybean condition rated 78 percent good to excellent this week. Oats headed or beyond reached 96 percent this week. The percent of oat acreage turning color reached 43 percent, 4 days ahead of 2014, and slightly ahead of normal. Oat condition improved slightly to 82 percent good to excellent.

The first cutting of alfalfa hay reached 90 percent complete. The second cutting reached 24 percent, one week ahead of last year, but 4 days behind the average. Hay conditions remained 70 percent good to excellent. Pasture condition rated 80 percent good to excellent. Livestock conditions were reported as good.

Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. — For the week ending July 5, 2015, rainfall of one inch or more was common across much of the northern half of Nebraska, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Temperatures averaged above normal in the western half of the State but below normal in the east. Wheat harvest was underway in south central and southwestern counties, but rain delayed harvest in parts of the southeast. There were 5.7 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 3 percent very short, 16 short, 72 adequate, and 9 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 4 percent very short, 14 short, 74 adequate, and 8 surplus.

Field Crops Report: Corn condition rated 1 percent very poor, 5 poor, 22 fair, 58 good, and 14 excellent. Corn silking was at 5 percent, near 7 last year, but behind the five-year average of 12.

Sorghum condition rated 0 percent very poor, 1 poor, 31 fair, 63 good, and 5 excellent. Sorghum emerged was at 96 percent, near 99 for both last year and the average.

Soybean condition rated 1 percent very poor, 6 poor, 24 fair, 56 good, and 13 excellent. Soybeans emerged was at 95 percent, behind 100 for both last year and the average. Blooming was at 29 percent, behind 36 last year, but ahead of 23 average.

Winter wheat condition rated 15 percent very poor, 19 poor, 30 fair, 34 good, and 2 excellent. Winter wheat coloring was at 93 percent, ahead of 84 last year, but near 90 average. Mature was at 65 percent, well ahead of 34 last year and 42 average. Harvested was at 18 percent, ahead of 11 last year, but behind 24 average.

Oats condition rated 2 percent very poor, 6 poor, 24 fair, 62 good, and 6 excellent. Oats headed was at 96 percent, ahead of 85 last year, but near 94 average. Coloring was at 59 percent, ahead of 43 last year.

Alfalfa condition rated 1 percent very poor, 3 poor, 24 fair, 58 good, and 14 excellent. Alfalfa hay first cutting was at 94 percent, near 95 last year and 97 average. Second cutting was at 28 percent, behind 35 last year and 39 average.

Proso millet planted was at 94 percent, well ahead of 61 last year, but near 91 average.

Dry edible beans condition rated 0 percent very poor, 3 poor, 20 fair, 70 good, and 7 excellent. Dry edible beans emerged was at 92 percent, behind 98 for both last year and the average.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report: Pasture and range conditions rated 2 percent very poor, 4 poor, 17 fair, 64 good, and 13 excellent.

Stock water supplies rated 2 percent very short, 5 short, 87 adequate, and 6 surplus.