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No relief from hot, dry weatherOklahoma Statewide temperatures averaged nearly 85 degrees during the week ending Aug. 3 with all districts receiving less than a half an inch of average rainfall, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, Oklahoma Field Office, Aug. 4. Most of Oklahoma was in an excessive heat warning or a heat advisory status last week as high temperatures exceeded 100 degrees. The warm and sunny conditions throughout the week have slowed the maturity of row crops and may have damaging effects on yields. Pasture and hay conditions have worsened with the warm weather as well. Precipitation ranged from .18 inch in the South Central district to .48 inches in the Northeast district. Topsoil and subsoil moisture conditions declined considerably, with topsoil falling to mostly very short and subsoil conditions at mostly adequate to short. With the warm weather there were 6.3 days suitable for field work. Plowing of small grain fields is coming to an end as many producers are looking to start preparing seedbeds. Winter wheat plowed increased three percentage points from last week to reach 83 percent complete. Rye plowed increased seven percentage points to reach 90 percent complete, while oats plowed improved nine points to reach 89 percent complete, both ahead of normal. Most row crops are showing signs of heat stress as crop conditions declined from the previous week due to lack of rainfall. Corn is an exception to the statewide decline in condition and remains mostly in the good range. Corn silking was winding down at 90 percent, an increase of four percentage points from last week but four points behind normal. Just over two-thirds of the corn crop had reached the dough stage, up 22 points from the previous week and two points ahead of the five-year average. Corn dent had reached 30 percent by week's end up seven points from the previous week. A small percentage of corn had started to reach maturity. Sorghum emerged was at 86 percent, 13 points behind normal. Thirty percent of the state's sorghum had headed, an increase of five points from the previous week. Sorghum coloring was at 13 percent by week's end. Soybeans blooming were at 61 percent, an increase of eight points from the previous week and two points ahead of normal. Twenty percent of the soybeans were setting pods, an increase of seven points from the previous week but 16 points behind normal. Both sorghum and soybean conditions have been heavily affected by the recent dry weather. Peanuts pegging increased seven points from the previous week to reach 92 percent, five points behind normal. Peanuts setting pods were at 61 percent, nine points behind normal. Cotton squaring increased 13 points to reach 79 percent, nine points behind normal, while 27 percent of the state's cotton acreage was setting bolls, 23 points behind the five-year average. Hay: Both alfalfa and other hay conditions declined due to the recent warm, dry weather but producers were able to cut and bale hay for the majority of the week. Ninety-one percent of the state's alfalfa had been cut for the third time, an eight point increase from the previous week and two percentage points ahead of normal. Alfalfa fourth cutting was at 34 percent by week's end. Other hay first cutting reached 90 percent, an increase of four points from the previous week, while other hay second cutting reached 22 percent, nine points behind the five-year average. Miscellaneous Crops: Nearly all of the state's watermelons were setting fruit by week's end. Watermelon harvest had reached 72 percent complete, an increase of 18 points from the previous week and was in line with the five-year average. Pasture and Range: Pasture and range conditions remained mostly in the good to fair range even with the recent dry weather. Livestock: Prices for feeder steers less than 800 pounds averaged $111 per cwt. Prices for heifers less than 800 pounds averaged $104 per cwt. Livestock conditions were rated mostly in the good to fair range. Mostly light to moderate insect activity was reported. 8/11/08 Date: 8/7/08
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