USDA: Corn Silking Lags; Soybean Blooming Ahead Of Normal

Jul 17, 2017

Corn in Dodge County in eastern Nebraska where rainfall has generally been timely.

Temperatures in Nebraska averaged two to six degrees above normal for the week ending July 9, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Moderate amounts of precipitation covered most of the western counties and eastern parts of the Panhandle; however, the eastern half of the State remained dry. Drier conditions allowed winter wheat harvest to progress.

Topsoil moisture supplies rated 24% very short, 41 short, 35 adequate, and 0 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 16% very short, 38 short, 46 adequate, and 0 surplus.

Field Crops Report

Corn condition rated 2% very poor, 7% poor, 23% fair, 56% good, and 12% excellent. The July 5 report indicated corn condition at 1% very poor, 4% poor, 20% fair, 63% good, and 12% excellent. Corn silking was at 14%, behind 26% last year and 23% for the five-year average.

Nationally, corn condition was 3% very poor, 7% poor, 25% fair, 52% good, and 13% excellent.

Soybean condition rated 2% very poor, 6% poor, 26% fair, 61% good, and 5% excellent. The July 5 report for soybean indicated 1% very poor, 5% poor, 24% fair, 64% good, and 6% excellent. Fifty-one percent of 2017 soybeans were blooming, well ahead of 25% last year and the five-year average of 35%.

Nationally, soybean condition was 3% very poor, 8% poor, 27% fair, 52% good, and 10% excellent.

Winter wheat condition rated 3% very poor, 12% poor, 36% fair, 43% good, and 6% excellent. Winter wheat mature was 85%. Harvested was 52%, ahead of 35% last year and 38% average.

Sorghum condition rated 0% very poor, 2% poor, 32% fair, 55% good, and 11% excellent. Sorghum headed was 4%, near 0% last year and the average of 2%.

Oats condition rated 0% very poor, 2% poor, 37% fair, 56% good, and 5% excellent. Oats coloring was at 86%, near 84% last year. Sixty-one percent was mature and 26% had been harvested, near last year's 22% and the five-year average of 27%.

Alfalfa condition rated 2% very poor, 8% poor, 31% fair, 53% good, and 6% excellent. Alfalfa second cutting was 69% complete, ahead of 56% last year and the average of 50%.

Dry edible beans condition rated 7% very poor, 15% poor, 21% fair, 42% good, and 15% excellent. Dry edible beans emerged was 96%. Blooming was 4%, near 2% last year and 3% average.

Pasture and range conditions rated 3% very poor, 16% poor, 41% fair, 37% good, and 3% excellent.

Source: unl.edu

Video: EP 65 Grazing Through Drought

Welcome to the conclusion of the Getting Through Drought series, where we look at the best management practices cow-calf producers in Alberta can use to build up their resiliency against drought.

Our hope is that the series can help with the mental health issues the agriculture sector is grappling with right now. Farming and ranching are stressful businesses, but that’s brought to a whole new level when drought hits. By equipping cow-calf producers with information and words of advice from colleagues and peers in the sector on the best ways to get through a drought, things might not be as stressful in the next drought. Things might not look so bleak either.

In this final episode of the series, we are talking to Ralph Thrall of McIntyre Ranch who shares with us his experience managing grass and cows in a pretty dry part of the province.