Following are details from the state Crop/Weather Report:
Iowa: Although harvest of both corn and soybean crops is currently underway, cool and cloudy weather has slowed drying of the crops. Flood gauges along the Missouri River are finally dropping below flood stage and some farmers with flooded acres are seeding winter wheat or similar crops for winter cover and soil improvement. There were 6.2 days suitable for fieldwork statewide during the past week. Topsoil moisture levels rated 16% very short, 34% short, 48% adequate, and 2% surplus. Subsoil moisture rated 14% very short, 34% short, 51% adequate, and 1% surplus.
Eighty percent of the corn crop is now mature, five days behind last year but six days ahead of normal. Five percent of the corn crop has been harvested for grain or seed, behind 2010’s 9% but equal to the five-year average. The moisture content of the corn left to harvest throughout othe State dropped 2% from previous week to an average of 27%, with the corn currently being harvested running 23% moisture content. Reports of moderate to heavy corn lodging declined from 18% to 14% as many farmers concentrate on harvesting damaged corn first. Ear droppage remains a larger problem than last year at this time, but only 7% of the crop is experiencing moderate to heavy ear droppage. Corn condition stands at 5% very poor, 10% poor, 29% fair, 44% good, and 12% excellent.
Ninety-four percent of the soybean crop has turned color, equal to both last year and the five-year average. Over half of Iowa’s soybean fields are dropping leaves, but development still lags 6 days behind last year and normal. Just 3% of the soybean crop has been harvested, behind last year’s 7% and the normal 8%. Soybean lodging and shattering levels are nearly identical to last year at this time. Soybean condition stands at 3% very poor, 8% poor, 26% fair, 48% good and 15% excellent. Third cutting alfalfa hay harvest advanced to 96% complete, equal to last year’s pace but ahead of the normal 94%. The condition of the hay crop is reported at 8% very poor, 18% poor, 33% fair, 34% good, and 7% excellent.
Illinois: Temperatures continued to remain below normal again last week. Statewide, temperatures averaged 59.5 degrees, 2.3 degrees below normal. Again, southern portions of the state received above average rainfall while the northern and central portions remained relatively dry. Statewide precipitation averaged 0.83 inches, the same as normal. Topsoil moisture is 18% very short, 36% short, 42% adequate, and 4% surplus. Even with rain in the southern parts of the state, there were 5.7 days suitable for fieldwork.
Corn harvest continued across much of the state. The corn crop is now 22% harvested, up from 11% last week but still three percentage points below the five-year average. Corn harvest is being delayed in some northern parts of the state due to slow maturing plants and high moisture levels. The corn condition is rated at 5% very poor, 17% poor, 38% fair, 34% good, and 6% excellent. Soybean harvest picked up slightly from last week and is now at 4%, well below the average of 12%. Soybean condition is rated at 18% poor to very poor, 36% fair, and 46% good to excellent.
Nebraska: For the week ending Sept. 25, 2011, dry weather allowed for harvesting to pick up momentum, but progress was limited due to high grain moisture levels, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Nebraska Field Office. Frost was recorded in portions of Nebraska, however, a statewide hard freeze has yet to occur. Harvest of corn silage, high moisture corn, and seed corn were winding down. Temperatures for the week averaged 4 to 8 degrees below normal for the eastern half of the state and from near normal to 4 degrees below normal for the western half. Highs were in the 80s and lows were in the 30’s. Very little rain fell during the week.
Corn condition rated 2% very poor, 5 poor, 17 fair, 55 good, and 21 excellent, below 81% good to excellent last year but near 75 average. Irrigated corn conditions rated 79% good to excellent and dryland corn rated 69. Corn mature was 52%, well behind 74 last year and 57 average. Corn harvest was at 6%, behind 9 last year but equal to average. Soybean condition rated 1% very poor, 3 poor, 17 fair, 57 good, and 22 excellent, above 76% good to excellent last year and 74 average. Soybeans turning color was 92%, behind 94 last year and average. Soybeans dropping leaves was 47%, well behind 76 last year and 67 average. Soybean harvest was just underway.
Missouri: Cool dry weather allowed corn harvest to proceed quickly throughout central and northern districts with over 500,000 acres harvested last week. Although there were 5.7 days suitable for fieldwork statewide, the southeast experienced 3.6 days of wet cool weather, slowing corn harvest in the Bootheel. Topsoil moisture dried some from last week with 21% very short, 32% short, 43% adequate, and 4% surplus. Spurred by the early harvest in the southwest ground worked for fall tillage was 10%, three days ahead of last year, and 11 days ahead of normal (five-year historic average). Off-farm storage availability was 5% short, 88% adequate, and 7% surplus. On-farm storage availability was 8% short, 81% adequate, and 11% surplus.
Corn mature was 94%, six days ahead of last year, and two weeks ahead of normal. The north-central and north-east districts matured faster this year due to the dry conditions. Corn harvested was 50%, 4 days ahead of last year, and 1 week ahead of normal. Corn regressed back to 21% very poor, 23% poor, 26% fair, 26% good, and 4% excellent. Corn moisture at harvest dropped from last week to 17.3% statewide, ranging from 10.9% in the southwest to18.9% in the northwest. Soybeans turning color and beyond were 72%, the same as last year, and 1 day ahead of normal. Soybeans dropping leaves and beyond were 39%, one day behind last year and normal. Soybeans mature were 11%, four days behind last year and normal. Soybeans harvested were 2%, three and four days behind last year and normal. Soybean condition was 13% very poor, 23% poor, 30% fair, 28% good, and 6% excellent
Ohio: The average temperature for the state was 63.0 degrees, 2.3 degrees above normal for the week ending Sept. 25, 2011. Precipitation averaged 1.30 inches, 0.57 inches above normal. There were 85 modified growing degree days, three days below normal. Reporters rated 2.5 days suitable for fieldwork during the seven-day period ending Sept. 23. Topsoil moisture was rated 0% very short, 3% short, 72% adequate, and 25% surplus.
As of Sept. 25, corn dented was 84%, compared to 96% for the five-year average. Corn mature was 19%, compared to 83% last year and 53% for the five-year average. Corn harvested for grain was 1% complete, compared to 22% last year and 80% for the five-year average. Corn for silage was 46% harvested, compared to 94% last year and 80 for the five-year average. Thirty eight percent of soybeans were dropping leaves, compared to 87% last year and 77% for the five-year average. Six percent of soybeans were mature, compared to 63% last year and 37% for the five-year average.
Indiana: Cool, rainy days slowed harvest progress of the major field crops during the week, according to the Indiana Field Office of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. In fact, the harvest pace for corn is running about 17 days behind last year and nine days behind the five-year average. Harvest of the soybean crop is running about 18 days behind last year and 10 days behind average.
There were 4.0 days suitable for field work. Ninety-two percent of the corn crop is in the dent stage compared with 100% last year and 94% for the five-year average. Fifty percent of the corn acreage is mature compared to 93% last year and 62% for the five-year average. Seven percent of the corn acreage has been harvested, compared to 43% last year and 16% for the five-year average. Moisture content of harvested corn is averaging about 24%. Corn condition is rated 33% good to excellent compared with 57% last year at this time. Sixty-one percent of the soybean acreage is shedding leaves compared to 88% last year and 72% for the five-year average. Three percent of the soybean acreage has been harvested compared with 38% last year and 14% for the five-year average. Moisture content of harvested soybeans is averaging about 14.5%. Soybean condition is rated 40% good to excellent compared with 53% last year at this time.
Minnesota: Harvest is underway for corn and soybeans, according to the USDA, NASS, Minnesota Field Office. As of Sept. 25, 2% of corn was harvested, compared to 2% last year and 3% for the five-year average. Soybeans were 3% harvested compared to 6% last year and 9% average. Dry conditions persisted despite scattered rain showers that fell early in the week. Amounts varied from near zero in southwestern areas to almost an inch in northwestern areas. Topsoil moisture supplies held steady from last week and were rated 13% very short, 35% short, 50% adequate, and 2% surplus. Fall-like weather prevailed as below average temperatures were observed at most reporting stations. Temperatures were 3.6° below normal statewide, and 5.7 days were rated suitable for fieldwork.
Ninety-six percent of corn was in the dent stage, compared to 97% average, while 52% of corn was mature, compared to 58% average. Corn condition ratings were nearly equal to last week. Ninety-one percent of soybeans were turning yellow, compared to 97% average, while 74% of soybeans were dropping leaves, compare to 84% average. Thirty-six percent of the state’s soybeans were mature, compared to 52% average. Soybean condition ratings were nearly equal to last week.
South Dakota: Another week of fall like temperatures and mostly dry conditions brought 6.7 days suitable for field work last week. Most row crop development is moving along on schedule, but conditions are dropping slightly with the lack of moisture in many areas. Much of the state has received well below average precipitation over the last 30 days with several areas 1.5 inches or more below average. These areas of the east, south central and northwest have received less than 50% of average over this time. More sub-freezing conditions occurred over the state adding to the area with crops having been frozen ending the growing season. Average temperatures were in the 50°s F statewide. These were generally below average by 1-6° F except for a few locations in the west, which were near average.
Row crop development for most crops is slowly reaching the mature stage and harvest of corn and soybeans is just beginning in some areas. Soybeans dropping leaves are at 82%, just behind the five-year average of 85%. Forty-eight percent of the corn is now at the mature stage, with 2% harvested, equal to the same time last year. Harvesting of corn silage is now 84% complete, slightly ahead of last year at 83%.
