Nebraska

For the week ending Aug. 21, cooler temperatures and limited rainfall helped maintain soil moisture levels but did not improve crop conditions, according to the Nebraska Agricultural Statistics Service, Aug. 22.

Rain in the southern portion of the state allowed producers to stop irrigating for a few days. Producer activities included irrigating, chopping corn silage, marketing of old crops, and preparing for harvest.

Corn conditions rated 4 percent very poor, 9 percent poor, 24 percent fair, 44 percent good, and 19 percent excellent. Irrigated fields declined to 81 percent good or excellent and dryland fields declined slightly to 35 percent. Eighty-seven percent of the crop was in the dough stage, ahead of 81 percent last year and the average at 85 percent. Fifty percent of the crop had dented, ahead of 28 percent last year and 42 percent for the average. One percent of the corn crop had reached maturity.

Ninety-eight percent of the soybean crop had set pods, ahead of last year and average at 94 percent. Soybean coloring had progressed to 6 percent, ahead of 3 percent last year but behind 10 percent for the average. Conditions rated 4 percent very poor, 13 percent poor, 30 percent fair, 42 percent good, and 11 percent excellent. This is still above average but below last year.

Sorghum conditions rated 5 percent very poor, 14 percent poor, 37 percent fair, 36 percent good, and 8 percent excellent, lower than last year but better than average. Ninety-five percent of the crop had headed, ahead of 88 percent last year and the average at 87 percent. Sorghum coloring was at 28 percent, ahead of last year at 14 percent and average at 23 percent.

Dry Bean conditions rated 7 percent poor, 28 percent fair, 53 percent good, and 12 percent excellent. Ninety-eight percent of the crop had set pods, ahead of last year and the average at 94 percent. Thirteen percent had begun turning color, ahead of last year at 3 percent and the average at 10 percent. Five percent of the dry bean crop had begun dropping leaves.

Alfalfa conditions rated 6 percent very poor, 17 percent poor, 37 percent fair, 34 percent good, and 6 percent excellent. Third cutting was 81 percent complete, ahead of last year at 73 percent and the average at 72 percent. Fourth cutting was underway with 5 percent harvested.

Proso millet harvest began earlier than last year with 2 percent already out of the field, but is still behind the average at 4 percent.

Pasture and range conditions rated 7 percent very poor, 20 percent poor, 33 percent fair, 38 percent good, and 2 percent excellent. Conditions are ahead of last year and average.

Date: 8/24/05