June 28, 2011

The week ending June 26 was another wet week with below normal temperatures that slowed crop development across the state, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Nebraska Field Office.

Strong winds and hail caused crop damage ranging from shredded leaves to plant destruction. Low lying fields along major waterways were saturated or under water from rain and flooding; however in some southern areas, pivots were running.

• Corn condition rated 1% very poor, 3% poor, 17% fair, 64% good, and 15% excellent, near 81% good to excellent last year and 77% average.
   
• Soybean condition rated 1% very poor, 2% poor, 17% fair, 67% good, and 13% excellent, above previous year.
   
• Wheat conditions rated 1% very poor, 14% poor, 29% fair, 46% good, and 10% excellent, below last year’s 71% good to excellent. Wheat turning color was 50%, behind 65% last year and 8 days behind 75% average. Wheat ripe was 7%, ahead of 4% last year, but behind 17% average. Likely start of wheat harvest in southern counties is near July 5.
   
• Sorghum conditions rated 0% very poor, 3% poor, 19% fair, 71% good, and 7% excellent, below last year. Sorghum emergence was at 99%, ahead of 94% last year and 93% average.
   
• Oats condition rated 0% very poor, 2% poor, 13% fair, 73% good, and 12% excellent, below last year’s 88% good to excellent but above 72% average. Approximately 77% of the oats have headed, behind 90% last year and the 87% average.
   
• Dry bean condition rated 0% very poor, 6% poor, 31% fair, 58% good, and %5 excellent. Dry beans planted was 97%, near 99% last year and 98% average. Dry beans emergence was 73%, behind 87% last year and 84% average.
   
• Proso millet planted was 80% complete, near 79% last year but ahead of 75% average.
   
• Alfalfa rated 0% very poor, 2% poor, 15% fair, 69% good, and 14% excellent, equal to last year but above 66% average. First cutting of alfalfa was 92% complete, equal to last year and average. Second cutting of alfalfa was 6% complete, behind 9% last year and 14% average.
   
• Wild hay conditions rated 0% very poor, 3% poor, 22% fair, 63% good, and 12% excellent, below 88% good to excellent last year. Wild hay harvested was 21% complete, ahead of 16% last year.
   
• Pasture and range conditions rated 0% very poor, 3% poor, 16% fair, 68% good, and 13% excellent, well below last year’s 92% good to excellent but above 68% average.

This is from the June 27, 2011 Nebraska Weekly Weather and Crop Report published by the Nebraska Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service.  More information and historic releases are available at http://www.nass.usda.gove/ne/