According to the latest USDA Crop Progress Report released on Monday afternoon, a mere 34{dfeadfe70caf58f453a47791a362966239aaa64624c42b982d70b175f7e3dda2} of the U.S. winter wheat crop is rated good-to-excellent. This is down one percentage point from last week and shows dramatically worse conditions than 2010. Last year at this time, 68{dfeadfe70caf58f453a47791a362966239aaa64624c42b982d70b175f7e3dda2} of the crop received that rating. States with high percentages of their crop in the very poor-to-poor categories are Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. Our region is doing remarkably better than the national average with Montana’s winter wheat rated 68{dfeadfe70caf58f453a47791a362966239aaa64624c42b982d70b175f7e3dda2} good-to-excellent, South Dakota’s at 76{dfeadfe70caf58f453a47791a362966239aaa64624c42b982d70b175f7e3dda2} and Wyoming’s at 66{dfeadfe70caf58f453a47791a362966239aaa64624c42b982d70b175f7e3dda2}.
The good news we are seeing in condition ratings is being overshadowed, however, by much delayed progress in our fields. Below are highlights from each state’s report:
MONTANA:
Most producers are waiting for the topsoil to dry out a little before getting well underway with field work. Sixty-five percent of producers have not been able to start field tillage work, compared to only 9 percent last year, and 20 percent for the five-year average. Seven percent of the spring wheat has been planted compared to the 52{dfeadfe70caf58f453a47791a362966239aaa64624c42b982d70b175f7e3dda2} that was in the ground at this time last year. Sugarbeet planting is 14{dfeadfe70caf58f453a47791a362966239aaa64624c42b982d70b175f7e3dda2} complete, down from last year’s 73{dfeadfe70caf58f453a47791a362966239aaa64624c42b982d70b175f7e3dda2}. Barley is 13{dfeadfe70caf58f453a47791a362966239aaa64624c42b982d70b175f7e3dda2} planted compared to the 61{dfeadfe70caf58f453a47791a362966239aaa64624c42b982d70b175f7e3dda2} that was in the ground at this time last year. The winter storm that hit eastern Montana over the weekend will not help progress there at all. View full report…
SOUTH DAKOTA:
Despite last week’s cool temperatures, small grains all made slight advances in the percent planted over the last week, but are still well behind last year’s progress. Spring wheat planting is estimated at 22 percent for the state, compared to 74 percent last year and 68 percent for the five-year average. Two percent of South Dakota corn has been planted, down from last year’s 28{dfeadfe70caf58f453a47791a362966239aaa64624c42b982d70b175f7e3dda2}. Nine percent of the barley is in the ground. That compares to the 51{dfeadfe70caf58f453a47791a362966239aaa64624c42b982d70b175f7e3dda2} that had been seeded at this time last year. View full report…
NORTH DAKOTA:
“Ugh” is probably one of the more descriptive words for the state of North Dakota as a late spring storm walloped the western part of the state over the weekend. 1{dfeadfe70caf58f453a47791a362966239aaa64624c42b982d70b175f7e3dda2} of the spring wheat and 1{dfeadfe70caf58f453a47791a362966239aaa64624c42b982d70b175f7e3dda2} of the sugarbeets are now in the ground. Those are the only spring-planted crops to have shown any progress in the past week. The five-year average would be to have 32{dfeadfe70caf58f453a47791a362966239aaa64624c42b982d70b175f7e3dda2} of spring wheat and 45{dfeadfe70caf58f453a47791a362966239aaa64624c42b982d70b175f7e3dda2} of the sugarbeets planted by this time of year. Last year a whopping 94{dfeadfe70caf58f453a47791a362966239aaa64624c42b982d70b175f7e3dda2} of the beets were already in the ground. View full report…
WYOMING:
Mainly due to the weather, planting of small grains and sugar beets continue behind schedule compared to the same time last year. Barley is only 1{dfeadfe70caf58f453a47791a362966239aaa64624c42b982d70b175f7e3dda2} behind the five-year average with 74{dfeadfe70caf58f453a47791a362966239aaa64624c42b982d70b175f7e3dda2} planted. Seventeen percent of spring wheat has been planted, roughly half of what we normally see. Sugarbeets are now 23{dfeadfe70caf58f453a47791a362966239aaa64624c42b982d70b175f7e3dda2} planted. This is down from last year’s 60{dfeadfe70caf58f453a47791a362966239aaa64624c42b982d70b175f7e3dda2} at this time. View full report…
© Northern Ag Network 2011
Haylie Shipp
