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Crops improve due to warmer conditionsNebraska For the week ending June 22, rain, below normal temperatures, and hail occurred again this week, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, Nebraska Field Office, June 23. Despite below normal temperatures, many crops responded favorably to the warmer conditions and showed improved color and growth. The corn crop is highly variable, with the later planted fields just emerging to others more than 4 feet tall. A few wheat fields are turning color with harvest expected to begin around July 1. Most hay producers had their first cutting harvested. Temperatures averaged 4 degrees below normal across the state with high's ranging around 90 in the Panhandle and Southwest District to lows in the upper 40s in the Panhandle. Precipitation was widespread with the North Central, Southwest, South Central, and Southeast Districts all averaging over an inch of moisture. Corn conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 4 percent poor, 25 percent fair, 56 percent good, and 14 percent excellent, well below last year's 85 percent good or excellent rating. Dryland fields rated 75 percent good or excellent while irrigated fields rated 66 percent good or excellent. Soybean conditions rated 2 percent very poor, 5 percent poor, 24 percent fair, 58 percent good, and 11 percent excellent, well below last year's 81 percent good or excellent condition. Soybeans planted were 96 percent complete, with the largest amount of unplanted acreage in the extreme southeast. Soybeans emerged was 84 percent, behind last year's 99 percent and 11 days behind the average of 98 percent. Wheat conditions rated 4 percent very poor, 7 percent poor, 27 percent fair, 52 percent good, and 10 percent excellent, well above last year's 54 percent good or excellent condition. Wheat turning color was 42 percent, well behind last year's 80 percent and 8 days behind the 77 percent average. Disease was a concern in some southern fields. Alfalfa conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 6 percent poor, 25 percent fair, 56 percent good, and 12 percent excellent, near last year's 67 percent good or excellent condition. First cutting was 75 percent complete, behind last year's 92 percent and 93 percent average. Oat conditions rated 0 percent very poor, 2 percent poor, 8 percent fair, 73 percent good, and 17 percent excellent, well above last year's 73 percent good or excellent condition. Oats headed was 60 percent, behind last year's 82 percent and ten days behind the average of 87 percent. Sorghum conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 2 percent poor, 30 percent fair, 59 percent good, and 8 percent excellent, below last year's 73 percent good or excellent condition. Sorghum planted was 97 percent complete, even with last year and near the 98 percent average. Sorghum emerged was 77 percent, behind last year's 88 percent and 89 percent average. Dry bean planting was 96 percent complete, ahead of last year and the average of 95 percent. Dry beans emerged was 61 percent, behind last year's 80 percent and three days behind the 72 percent average. Pasture and range conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 6 percent poor, 21 percent fair, 54 percent good, and 18 percent excellent. 6/30/08 Date: 6/25/08
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