July 8, 2013

Clear skies and sunshine last week boosted row crop development and allowed wheat harvest to progress uninterrupted along the southern border, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Much of the state saw little or no rain with topsoil moisture supplies declining as seasonally hot temperatures returned late in the week. Spring-planted, dryland crops in much of the western two-thirds of the state were showing signs of stress. Hay harvest progressed with alfalfa second cutting and wild hay harvests active.

Topsoil moisture supplies rated 14% very short, 39% short, 46% adequate, and 1% surplus, well above previous year. Statewide, subsoil moisture supplies rated 25% very short, 35% short, 40% adequate, and 0% surplus.

Field Crops Report

• Corn conditions rated 1% very poor, 4% poor, 19% fair, 56% good, 20% excellent. Irrigated corn conditions rated 83% good or excellent, compared to 77% average. Dryland corn conditions rated 66% good or excellent, compared to 71% average. Corn silking was 1% complete, behind 46% last year and 16% average.
   
• Soybean conditions rated 1% very poor, 4% poor, 19% fair, 63% good, and 13% excellent. Twenty percent of the crop was blooming, behind 35% last year but near 21% average.
   
• Sorghum conditions rated 1% very poor, 10% poor, 38% fair, 31% good, and 20% excellent.
   
• Wheat conditions rated 24% very poor, 26% poor, 31% fair, 18% good, and 1% excellent. Wheat turning color was 92%, behind 100% last year but near 95% average. Wheat ripe was 30%, well behind 97% last year and 48% average. Twelve percent of the crop was harvested, well behind 90% last year and 27% average.
   
• Oat conditions rated 4% very poor, 12% poor, 31% fair, 43% good, and 10% excellent. Oats headed were 96%, compared to last year’s 100% and the average of 97%.
   
• Dry bean conditions rated 0% very poor, 0% poor, 18% fair, 76% good, and 6% excellent. Dry beans blooming were 1%, compared to 3% last year and 2% average.
   
• Alfalfa conditions were 3% very poor, 9% poor, 31% fair, 51% good, and 6% excellent. Alfalfa first cutting was 99% complete, compared to last year’s 100% and 98% average. Alfalfa second cutting was 19% complete, well behind last year’s 86% and 43% average.
   
• Pasture and range condition was 11% very poor, 27% poor, 39% fair, 21% good, and 2% excellent.