July 10, 2009

Wheat harvest is over half complete in the southeast and moving west, according to a July 6 report from USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service, Nebraska Field Office.

 

Pollination was getting underway in corn with the first fields having silked. Producers were harvesting hay and applying herbicides to row crops. Temperatures averaged five degrees below normal and ranged from highs near 90 degrees to lows in the 50s across the state. Precipitation was widespread with most districts receiving a half inch or more of rain.

• Corn conditions rated 1% very poor, 3% poor, 12% fair, 60% good, and 24% excellent, well above last year's 72% good or excellent rating. Irrigated fields were 85% good or excellent and dryland fields rated 84%, both well above year ago levels. Corn silked was 6%, ahead of last year's 1% but behind the 9% average.
• Soybean conditions rated 1% very poor, 2% poor, 14% fair, 62% good, and 21% excellent, above last year's 73% good or excellent condition. Soybeans blooming were 13%, ahead of last year's 7% but four days behind the 25% average.
• Wheat conditions rated 2% very poor, 5% poor, 19% fair, 54% good, and 20% excellent, well above last year's 60% good or excellent rating. Wheat turning color was 93%, even with last year but behind the average of 97%. Wheat ripe was 35%, ahead of last year's 28% but six days behind the average of 59%. Statewide wheat harvest was 11% complete, ahead of last year's 5% but a week behind the 31% average.
• Alfalfa conditions rated 2% very poor, 5% poor, 20% fair, 58% good, and 15% excellent, near last year's 74% good or excellent condition. First cutting was 96% complete, near last year's 97% but behind the average of 99%. Second cutting was 29% complete, ahead of last year's 11% but behind the average of 41%.
• Oat conditions rated 0% very poor, 5% poor, 8% fair, 68% good, and 19% excellent, above last year's 84% good or excellent condition. Oats headed was 94%, even with last year and near the 96% average. Oats harvested was 5%, ahead of last year but behind the 9% average.
• Sorghum conditions rated 1% very poor, 3% poor, 20% fair, 67% good, and 9% excellent, above last year's 68% good or excellent condition.
• Dry bean conditions rated 1% very poor, 12% poor, 20% fair, 61% good, and 6% excellent, well above last year's 51% good or excellent condition. Ninety-six percent of the dry beans had emerged, near last year's 95% but behind the 98% average.
• Proso millet planted was 85%, behind last year's 95% and 93% average.
• Wild hay conditions rated 1% very poor, 1% poor, 10% fair, 72% good, and 16% excellent, above last year's 84% good or excellent condition.
• Pasture and range conditions rated 1% very poor, 2% poor, 13% fair, 63% good, and 21% excellent, well above last year's 64% good or excellent condition.