Crop Progress and Pasture Conditions

South Dakota

Sioux Falls – For the week ending July 3, 2016, mostly dry conditions continued to lower soil moisture ratings and stress crops in parts of the State, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Near average temperatures brought a welcomed break from recent heat, but many parts of South Dakota were in need of rain. Producers began winter wheat harvest during the week, while second cutting of alfalfa was ongoing. There were 6.7 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 15 percent very short, 35 short, 49 adequate, and 1 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 10 percent very short, 29 short, 60 adequate, and 1 surplus.

Field Crops Report: Winter wheat condition rated 1 percent very poor, 6 poor, 30 fair, 58 good, and 5 excellent. Winter wheat coloring was 95 percent, well ahead of 70 last year and the five-year average of 52. Harvested was 6 percent, ahead of 0 last year, and near 4 average.

Corn condition rated 2 percent very poor, 5 poor, 25 fair, 58 good, and 10 excellent. Corn silking was 2 percent, near 1 last year and 3 average.

Spring wheat condition rated 1 percent very poor, 9 poor, 36 fair, 49 good, and 5 excellent. Spring wheat headed was 92 percent, ahead of 79 last year and 73 average. Coloring was 30 percent, ahead of 21 both last year and average.

Soybeans condition rated 1 percent very poor, 6 poor, 26 fair, 60 good, and 7 excellent. Soybeans blooming was 26 percent, ahead of 12 last year and 16 average.

Oats condition rated 0 percent very poor, 6 poor, 26 fair, 64 good, and 4 excellent. Oats headed was 90 percent, near 93 last year, but ahead of 79 average. Coloring was 43 percent, ahead of 32 last year, and well ahead of 23 average.

Barley condition rated 0 percent very poor, 10 poor, 43 fair, 39 good, and 8 excellent. Barley jointed was 94 percent, equal to last year. Headed was 81 percent, ahead of 62 last year, and well ahead of 59 average. Coloring was 6 percent, near 9 last year, but behind 13 average.

Sorghum condition rated 0 percent very poor, 2 poor, 33 fair, 65 good, and 0 excellent. Sorghum emerged was 86 percent, ahead of 77 last year, but near 89 average. Headed was 11 percent, ahead of 1 both last year and average.

Sunflowers emerged was 67 percent, near 65 last year.

Alfalfa hay condition rated 7 percent very poor, 17 poor, 50 fair, 26 good, and 0 excellent. Alfalfa hay first cutting was 95 percent complete, well ahead of 65 last year, and ahead of 78 average. Second cutting was 20 percent, ahead of 4 last year.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report: Pasture and range conditions rated 4 percent very poor, 12 poor, 29 fair, 51 good, and 4 excellent.

Stock water supplies rated 4 percent very short, 18 short, 76 adequate, and 2 surplus.

North Dakota

Fargo, N.D. – For the week ending July 3, 2016, average temperatures were near normal in the central part of the State and four to eight degrees below normal in the east, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Minimal amounts of rainfall were received across much of the State. Crops were showing signs of drought stress. Producers were busy cutting and baling hay. There were 6.0 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 7 percent very short, 20 short, 65 adequate, and 8 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 6 percent very short, 21 short, 69 adequate, and 4 surplus.

Field Crops Report: Winter wheat condition rated 1 percent very poor, 3 poor, 23 fair, 66 good, and 7 excellent. Winter wheat headed was 99 percent, ahead of 91 last year. Coloring was 38 percent, well ahead of 13 last year.

Durum wheat condition rated 0 percent very poor, 2 poor, 16 fair, 80 good, and 2 excellent. Durum wheat jointed was 98 percent, well ahead of 78 last year and 60 for the five-year average. Headed was 60 percent, well ahead of 35 last year and 24 average. Coloring was 4 percent.

Spring wheat condition rated 1 percent very poor, 5 poor, 17 fair, 69 good, and 8 excellent. Spring wheat jointed was 98 percent, near 96 last year, but well ahead of 78 average. Headed was 81 percent, ahead of 65 last year, and well ahead of 39 average. Coloring was 9 percent, ahead of 2 last year.

Barley condition rated 1 percent very poor, 2 poor, 15 fair, 73 good, and 9 excellent. Barley jointed was 99 percent, near 97 last year, but well ahead of 78 average. Headed was 90 percent, well ahead of 66 last year and 37 average. Coloring was 20 percent.

Oats condition rated 3 percent very poor, 7 poor, 20 fair, 66 good, and 4 excellent. Oats jointed was 98 percent, near 96 last year, and ahead of 79 average. Headed was 85 percent, well ahead of 65 last year and 39 average. Coloring was 16 percent, ahead of 1 last year.

Corn condition rated 1 percent very poor, 3 poor, 18 fair, 66 good, and 12 excellent. Corn silking was 21 percent, ahead of 3 last year and 2 average.

Soybeans condition rated 1 percent very poor, 4 poor, 20 fair, 66 good, and 9 excellent. Soybeans blooming was 37 percent, ahead of 18 last year, and well ahead of 11 average.

Minnesota

Nearly one-quarter of the second cutting of alfalfa hay was harvested during the 5.8 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending July 3, 2016, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. This was the most days suitable for fieldwork this season since the week ending May 8. Reporters across most of the state said that soils were drying out and some corn leaves were rolling.

Topsoil moisture supplies were rated 4 percent very short, 17 percent short, 70 percent adequate, and 9 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies were rated 2 percent very short, 16 percent short, 74 percent adequate, and 8 percent surplus.

Minnesota’s corn condition rating decreased 2 percentage points from the previous week, with 79 percent of the crop rated in good to excellent condition. Eighteen percent of the soybean crop was blooming or beyond, 2 days ahead of the five-year average but 2 days behind the previous year. Soybean condition rated 74 percent good to excellent, down 1 percentage point from the previous week. Eighty-seven percent of the spring wheat acreage was at or beyond the heading stage, 11 days ahead of average but 1 day behind last year. Sixteen percent of the spring wheat crop was turning color, 4 days ahead of average. Spring wheat condition rated 67 percent good to excellent. Eighty-nine percent of the oat crop was at or beyond the heading stage, 11 days ahead of average but equal to the previous year. Twenty-four percent of the oat crop was turning color, and oat condition rated 81 percent good to excellent, down 3 percentage points from the previous week. Eighty-one percent of the barley crop had headed and 10 percent was turning color. Barley condition rated 70 percent good to excellent. Dry edible bean condition rated 66 percent good to excellent, up 3 percentage points from the previous week. Sunflower condition rated 57 percent good to excellent. Potato condition rated 89 percent good to excellent. Sugarbeet condition rated 80 percent good to excellent, down 2 percentage points from the previous week.

With the first cutting of alfalfa hay nearing completion, the second cutting of alfalfa hay was 48 percent complete, 10 days ahead of last year. All hay condition rated 78 percent good to excellent, down 6 percentage points from last week. Pasture condition rated 78 percent good to excellent, down 3 percentage points from the previous week.

Iowa

Spotty precipitation brought relief to some while missing other areas entirely in Iowa during the week ending July 3, 2016, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide there were 5.5 days suitable for fieldwork. Activities for the week included cutting hay, hauling grain and spraying beans.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 8 percent very short, 25 percent short, 64 percent adequate and 3 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 4 percent very short, 20 percent short, 73 percent adequate and 3 percent surplus. South central and southeast Iowa continued to have the lowest levels of topsoil moisture in the State with two-thirds short to very short this week.

Six percent of the corn crop had reached the silking stage, with 79 percent of the crop rated good to excellent. Soybeans blooming reached 20 percent, 2 days ahead of last year and the 5-year average. There were scattered reports of soybeans setting pods. Soybean condition rated 77 percent good to excellent this week. Oat acreage headed reached 95 percent. Oats turning color reached 51 percent, 5 days ahead of last year and 6 days ahead of normal. Harvesting oats for grain or seed has begun in some areas. Oat crop condition rated 80 percent good to excellent.

The second cutting of alfalfa hay reached 48 percent, 2 weeks ahead of last year and 10 days ahead of normal. Hay condition was rated at 71 percent good to excellent, while pasture condition declined from last week, rating 64 percent good to excellent. Livestock conditions were reported as normal although some producers may need to supplement water in pastures due to low creek levels.

Nebraska

Lincoln, Neb. – For the week ending July 3, 2016, widespread rainfall and cooler temperatures were experienced, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Moisture accumulations of an inch or more were common with smaller amounts in some southern counties. Temperatures averaged two to four degrees below normal in central and eastern areas but near normal across the Panhandle. Wheat harvest progressed in central and southern counties. There were 5.7 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 5 percent very short, 28 short, 65 adequate, and 2 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 2 percent very short, 19 short, 77 adequate, and 2 surplus.

Field Crops Report: Corn condition rated 1 percent very poor, 2 poor, 17 fair, 64 good, and 16 excellent. Corn silking was 10 percent, ahead of 4 last year, and near the five-year average of 8.

Sorghum condition rated 0 percent very poor, 0 poor, 17 fair, 74 good, and 9 excellent.

Soybeans condition rated 1 percent very poor, 3 poor, 19 fair, 64 good, and 13 excellent. Soybeans blooming was 10 percent, behind 24 last year and 21 average.

Winter wheat condition rated 3 percent very poor, 9 poor, 25 fair, 49 good, and 14 excellent. Winter wheat coloring was 94 percent, near 91 last year, and ahead of 88 average. Harvested was at 20 percent, ahead of 13 last year, but near 21 average.

Oats condition rated 1 percent very poor, 1 poor, 26 fair, 65 good, and 7 excellent. Oats headed was 98 percent, near 95 last year, and ahead of 93 average. Coloring was 70 percent, well ahead of 50 last year.

Alfalfa condition rated 3 percent very poor, 3 poor, 12 fair, 67 good, and 15 excellent. Alfalfa second cutting was 33 percent, ahead of 24 last year, but near 34 average.

Dry edible beans condition rated 0 percent very poor, 0 poor, 29 fair, 56 good, and 15 excellent. Dry edible beans emerged was 98 percent, ahead of 87 last year, and near 96 average.

Proso millet planted was 97 percent, ahead of 89 both last year and average.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report: Pasture and range conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 2 poor,

17 fair, 66 good, and 14 excellent.

Stock water supplies rated 0 percent very short, 4 short, 92 adequate, and 4 surplus.