Crop Progress and Pasture Conditions

South Dakota

Sioux Falls, S.D. — For the week ending June 26, 2016, soil moisture ratings declined following a predominately dry week, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Showers and thunderstorms early in the week brought moisture to parts of central South Dakota. However, much of the State remained dry, stressing crops in some areas as warm, windy conditions returned by week’s end. There were 6.6 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 10 percent very short, 27 short, 60 adequate, and 3 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 7 percent very short, 22 short, 69 adequate, and 2 surplus.

Field Crops Report: Winter wheat condition rated 1 percent very poor, 5 poor, 29 fair, 60 good, and 5 excellent. Winter wheat coloring was 78 percent, well ahead of 44 last year and the five-year average of 31.

Corn condition rated 2 percent very poor, 3 poor, 22 fair, 61 good, and 12 excellent.

Spring wheat condition rated 1 percent very poor, 7 poor, 34 fair, 53 good, and 5 excellent. Spring wheat headed was 73 percent, ahead of 55 last year, and well ahead of 52 average.

Soybeans condition rated 1 percent very poor, 4 poor, 20 fair, 65 good, and 10 excellent. Soybeans emerged was 98 percent, near 97 last year, but ahead of 93 average. Blooming was 5 percent, near 1 last year, and equal to the average.

Oats condition rated 0 percent very poor, 5 poor, 33 fair, 58 good, and 4 excellent. Oats jointed was 96 percent. Headed was 80 percent, near 79 last year, but ahead of 64 average. Coloring was 17 percent, equal to last year.

Barley condition rated 0 percent very poor, 8 poor, 45 fair, 39 good, and 8 excellent. Barley jointed was 90 percent, near 88 last year. Headed was 59 percent, ahead of 44 last year and 40 average.

Sorghum condition rated 0 percent very poor, 2 poor, 32 fair, 66 good, and 0 excellent. Sorghum planted was 99 percent, well ahead of 79 last year, and ahead of 93 average. Emerged was 80 percent, ahead of 65 last year and 75 average. Headed was 8 percent, ahead of 0 both last year and average.

Sunflowers planted was 97 percent, well ahead of 76 last year, and ahead of 85 average. Emerged was 32 percent, behind 41 last year.

Alfalfa hay condition rated 6 percent very poor, 14 poor, 48 fair, 31 good, and 1 excellent. Alfalfa hay first cutting was 87 percent complete, well ahead of 52 last year and 62 average. Second cutting was 9 percent.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report: Pasture and range conditions rated 3 percent very poor, 10 poor, 26 fair, 55 good, and 6 excellent.

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

North Dakota

Fargo, N.D. — For the week ending June 26, 2016, average temperatures were near normal across much of the State, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. The extreme northwestern part of the State received an inch of rain, when combined with moisture from recent weeks, was causing some flooding and crop disease issues. Many areas of the State experienced storms that brought very windy conditions which resulted in some crop damage. Some areas also received hail that caused further crop damage. Crops in the south central and southwestern parts of the State have received very little moisture this growing season and were stressed. Many producers were busy applying herbicides and fungicides to their crops. There were 5.6 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 5 percent very short, 17 short, 67 adequate, and 11 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 4 percent very short, 18 short, 73 adequate, and 5 surplus.

Field Crops Report: Winter wheat condition rated 1 percent very poor, 3 poor, 25 fair, 64 good, and 7 excellent. Winter wheat headed was 91 percent, ahead of 73 last year. Coloring was 12 percent, ahead of 1 last year.

Durum wheat condition rated 0 percent very poor, 1 poor, 23 fair, 74 good, and 2 excellent. Durum wheat jointed was 92 percent, well ahead of 58 last year and 44 for the five-year average. Headed was 47 percent, well ahead of 19 last year.

Spring wheat condition rated 1 percent very poor, 4 poor, 17 fair, 70 good, and 8 excellent. Spring wheat jointed was 92 percent, near 90 last year, but well ahead of 62 average. Headed was 60 percent, well ahead of 38 last year and 23 average.

Barley condition rated 0 percent very poor, 2 poor, 15 fair, 74 good, and 9 excellent. Barley jointed was 94 percent, near 90 last year, but well ahead of 63 average. Headed was 60 percent, well ahead of 39 last year and 22 average.

Oats condition rated 1 percent very poor, 5 poor, 22 fair, 67 good, and 5 excellent. Oats jointed was 92 percent, near 88 last year, but well ahead of 66 average. Headed was 62 percent, well ahead of 38 last year and 24 average.

Corn condition rated 1 percent very poor, 3 poor, 15 fair, 69 good, and 12 excellent. Corn silking was 13 percent, ahead of 0 last year and 1 average.

Soybeans condition rated 1 percent very poor, 3 poor, 19 fair, 68 good, and 9 excellent. Soybeans blooming was 19 percent, ahead of 6 last year and 3 average.

Canola condition rated 0 percent very poor, 1 poor, 14 fair, 79 good, and 6 excellent. Canola blooming was 59 percent, ahead of 52 last year, and well ahead of 27 average.

Sunflowers condition rated 0 percent very poor, 5 poor, 27 fair, 65 good, and 3 excellent. Sunflowers emerged was 94 percent, near 90 last year. Blooming was 1 percent, near 0 last year.

Flaxseed condition rated 1 percent very poor, 3 poor, 13 fair, 80 good, and 3 excellent. Flaxseed blooming was 15 percent, behind 26 last year, but near 12 average.

Dry peas condition rated 0 percent very poor, 2 poor, 12 fair, 84 good, and 2 excellent. Dry peas blooming was 74 percent, well ahead of 48 last year and 31 average.

Dry edible beans condition rated 5 percent very poor, 5 poor, 25 fair, 56 good, and 9 excellent. Dry edible beans emerged was 94 percent, near 95 last year, and ahead of 88 average. Blooming was 3 percent, near 1 last year and 2 average.

Potatoes condition rated 9 percent very poor, 12 poor, 38 fair, 33 good, and 8 excellent. Potatoes emerged was 97 percent, near 96 last year, and ahead of 80 average. Blooming was 13 percent, equal to last year.

Alfalfa hay condition rated 4 percent very poor, 14 poor, 29 fair, 48 good, and 5 excellent. Alfalfa hay first cutting was 69 percent complete, well ahead of 24 last year.

Sugarbeets condition rated 2 percent very poor, 3 poor, 29 fair, 54 good, and 12 excellent.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report: Pasture and range conditions rated 2 percent very poor, 9 poor, 33 fair, 52 good, and 4 excellent.

Stock water supplies rated 4 percent very short, 14 short, 78 adequate, and 4 surplus.

Minnesota

Nearly one-quarter of the second cutting of alfalfa hay was harvested during the week ending June 26, 2016, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. There were 4.7 days suitable for fieldwork. Continued wet field conditions in the northern parts of the state have delayed some field activities such as cutting hay and spraying. Other areas report that between the heat and wind, soils are drying out, resulting in curling corn leaves. Statewide, the crop condition rating for corn was estimated at 81 percent good to excellent.

Topsoil moisture supplies were rated 1 percent very short, 11 percent short, 74 percent adequate, and 14 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies were rated 2 percent very short, 10 percent short, 74 percent adequate, and 14 percent surplus.

Minnesota’s corn condition rating increased 2 percentage points from the previous week, with 81 percent of the crop rated in good to excellent condition. Soybean condition rated 75 percent good to excellent, down 1 percentage point from the previous week. Seventy-two percent of the spring wheat acreage was at or beyond the heading stage, 12 days ahead of the five-year average and 2 days ahead of last year. Six percent of the spring wheat crop was turning color. Spring wheat condition rated 65 percent good to excellent, up 1 percentage point from last week. Seventy-eight percent of the oat crop was at or beyond the heading stage, 12 days ahead of average and 2 days ahead of last year. With 7 percent of the oat crop turning color, oat condition rated 84 percent good to excellent, up 1 percentage point from the previous week. Seventy percent of the barley crop had headed, with scattered reports of barley turning color. Barley condition rated 69 percent good to excellent, up 4 percentage points from the previous week. Dry edible bean condition rated 63 percent good to excellent. Sunflower condition rated 56 percent good to excellent, up 7 percentage points from last week. Potato condition rated 88 percent good to excellent. Sugarbeet condition rated 82 percent good to excellent, down 6 percentage points from the previous week.

The first cutting of alfalfa hay was 92 percent complete, 9 days ahead of average. Twenty-five percent of the second cutting of alfalfa hay was complete, 10 days ahead of last year. All hay condition rated 84 percent good to excellent, down 3 percentage points from last week. Pasture condition rated 81 percent good to excellent.

Iowa

Iowa experienced highly variable weather conditions ranging from almost no precipitation to heavy rain and isolated hail during the week ending June 26, 2016, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide there were 5.6 days suitable for fieldwork. Activities for the week included cutting hay, herbicide and fungicide applications, and some hauling of grain. Heat and lack of moisture stressed some crops, causing corn leaves to curl.

Topsoil moisture levels declined to 8 percent very short, 21 percent short, 67 percent adequate and 4 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels also fell to 3 percent very short, 17 percent short, 76 percent adequate and 4 percent surplus. South central and southeast Iowa reported the lowest topsoil moisture levels with approximately two-thirds of topsoil moisture rated very short or short.

There were scattered reports of corn reaching the silking stage this week. Seventy-nine percent of the corn crop was rated in good to excellent condition. Soybeans blooming reached 5 percent, equal to both last year and the five-year average. Soybean condition rated 77 percent good to excellent. Oats headed reached 90 percent this week, 2 days ahead of last year, and 5 days ahead of normal. Oats coloring reached 22 percent, 4 days ahead of the average. Oat condition rated 81 percent good to excellent.

The second cutting of alfalfa hay reached 24 percent complete, almost one week ahead of average. Hay conditions rated 75 percent good to excellent this week. Pasture condition rated 68 percent good to excellent. Livestock were reported as experiencing some stress as a result of heat and insects.

Nebraska

Lincoln, Neb. — For the week ending June 26, 2016, irrigation was in full swing as temperatures, which averaged two to six degrees above normal, were accompanied by mostly dry conditions, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Dryland crops were beginning to showing signs of stress as soil moisture supplies were drawn down. Rainfall totals of an inch or more were limited to parts of west central Nebraska and a few eastern counties. Row crops were developing quickly and the dry conditions allowed wheat harvest to progress in parts of the south. Ridge till operations and herbicide applications were major farm activities. There were 6.4 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 5 percent very short, 32 short, 60 adequate, and 3 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 2 percent very short, 18 short, 77 adequate, and 3 surplus.

Field Crops Report: Corn condition rated 1 percent very poor, 2 poor, 18 fair, 65 good, and 14 excellent. Corn silking was 1 percent, equal to last year, and near the five-year average of 2.

Sorghum condition rated 0 percent very poor, 0 poor, 17 fair, 79 good, and 4 excellent. Sorghum emerged was 96 percent, ahead of 89 last year, but near 93 average.

Soybeans condition rated 0 percent very poor, 2 poor, 20 fair, 66 good, and 12 excellent. Soybeans blooming was 8 percent, near 7 last year, and equal to the average.

Winter wheat condition rated 3 percent very poor, 9 poor, 25 fair, 50 good, and 13 excellent. Winter wheat coloring was 90 percent, ahead of 80 last year and 71 average. Harvested was at 4 percent, near 1 last year, but behind 9 average.

Oats condition rated 1 percent very poor, 1 poor, 25 fair, 66 good, and 7 excellent. Oats headed was 94 percent, ahead of 88 last year and 84 average. Coloring was 49 percent, well ahead of 22 last year.

Alfalfa condition rated 3 percent very poor, 3 poor, 12 fair, 67 good, and 15 excellent. Alfalfa second cutting was 12 percent, near 11 last year, but behind 22 average.

Dry edible beans condition rated 0 percent very poor, 0 poor, 28 fair, 57 good, and 15 excellent. Dry edible beans emerged was 94 percent, well ahead of 70 last year, and ahead of 82 average.

Proso millet planted was 93 percent, well ahead of 69 last year, and ahead of 79 average.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report: Pasture and range conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 2 poor, 16 fair, 67 good, and 14 excellent.

Stock water supplies rated 0 percent very short, 4 short, 93 adequate, and 3 surplus.