January 11, 2013

Nebraska's winter wheat seedings are expected to total 1.48 million acres, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Nebraska Field Office. Seedings are up 7%, or 100,000 acres, from last year.

Topsoil moisture supplies were very short in western counties as the planting period began with much of the major growing area in the D4 – Exceptional Drought category, according to the National Drought Monitor. As of December 30, 2012, winter wheat crop conditions rated only 14% good to excellent, compared to 74% good to excellent a year earlier.