Oklahoma

Warm temperatures with good soil moisture continued to promote growth and development of Wheat and other small grains, during the week ending, March 19, while the Wheat jointing advanced ahead of normal for the first time this year, according to the Oklahoma Agricultural Statistics Service, March 21.

Row crop field preparation made favorable progress due to dry weather prior to the late-weekend showers. March 20 was the warmest day of the week with high temperatures in the 70s across Oklahoma. Altus was the warmest station at 78 degrees. The coldest weekly temperature was at Boise City at 11 degrees March 16. There were 5.4 days suitable for field work.

Wheat condition dipped slightly because of drying weather but continued to be rated mostly good. Wheat jointing advanced 27 percentage points to stand at 45 percent. Jointing ranged from 15 percent in the Panhandle district to near 65 percent in the East Central and Southeast districts. Russian Wheat aphid was reported in some Panhandle localities. Spring planting of oats was nearing completion and jointing was running less than 10 percent across all of Oklahoma's nine districts.

Row crop activity centered on preparing soils for spring planting. Peanuts were the only crop running behind the five-year seedbed prepared average. Six percent of the state's corn acreage was planted. Corn planting ranged from none in the Panhandle and West Central districts to 43 percent in the Southeast district. Many cotton producers in the Southwest district were busy fertilizing and putting down herbicide. Late harvest of some 2004 cotton was nearing completion in the North Central district.

Cattle remained in mostly good condition. Cattle were doing well on graze-out Wheat pasture but some bloat was detected in areas of southwest Oklahoma. Lice infestations were noticed on cattle in areas of the Panhandle. Cattle auctions reported active trade in mid-March with the highest bids since mid-January 2005. Feeder steers less than 800 pounds averaged just over $111 per cwt. and feeder heifers less than 800 pounds averaged just over $105 per cwt.

Warm temperatures and good moisture supplies have caused grasses to "green up." Late-weekend rain should help producers in drier areas who were trying to burn pastures. Hay supplies remained in good shape with 95 percent rated either average or above average. The Southwest district was the only area reporting any sizeable amount of below average hay supplies. They were at 31 percent below average.

Date: 3/24/05