May 8, 2009

For the week ending May 3 favorable conditions at the end of the week allowed producers to make significant progress planting spring crops, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Nebraska Field Office. Other conditions also were favorable: Topsoil moisture is above last year and subsoil moisture levels are the best they have been since 1999.

• Corn planting made good progress and was 52% complete, 5 days ahead of last year's 28% and 3 days ahead of the average of 42%. Three percent of the state's corn had emerged, ahead of last year's 0% and behind the average of 5%.
• Soybean planting was 7% complete, ahead of last year's 3% and ahead of the average of 5%.
• Sorghum planting is underway and was 2% complete, ahead of last year's 0% and the average of 1%.
• Wheat conditions rated 1% very poor, 3% poor, 25% fair, 59% good, and 12% excellent, above last year's 65% good or excellent condition. Wheat jointed was 31%, well ahead of last year's 23% but six days behind the 50% average.
• Alfalfa conditions rated 0% very poor, 3% poor, 23% fair, 66% good, and 8% excellent, above last year's 67% good or excellent condition.
• Oats conditions rated 0% very poor, 11% poor, 9% fair, 75% good and 5% excellent. Oats planted was 95% complete, ahead of last year's 86% and the 92% average. Oats emerged was 68%, well ahead of last year's 37% and 62% average.
• Pasture and range conditions rated 0% very poor, 5% poor, 26% fair, 60% good, and 9% excellent, ahead of last year. Calf losses rated 14% below average, 84% average, and 2% above average.