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Widespread rains fall across stateKansas Widespread rains fell across the state with the western third, the northeast and the very southeast corner all receiving over an inch during the week ending Oct. 25, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, Kansas Field Office, Oct. 26. Norton county received the most with 2.40 inches followed by Brown county with 2.04 inches. Temperatures ranged from highs around 80 degrees early in the week to lows near 30 degrees by week's end. Precipitation and below normal temperatures limited producers to an average of only 2.2 days suitable for fieldwork, and to just a half of a day in the soaked northwest. Topsoil moisture supplies across Kansas were rated as 1 percent very short, 2 percent short, 72 percent adequate, and 25 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies were rated as 2 percent very short, 7 percent short, 83 percent adequate, and 8 percent surplus. Limited activities for the week included harvesting corn, sorghum, sunflowers, and soybeans, along with planting winter wheat. Cool, damp weather again slowed harvest this past week, with corn harvest 33 points behind the 5-year average, sorghum harvest 32 points behind the average, and soybean harvest 20 points behind average. Forty-seven percent of the corn crop has been harvested, behind both last year at 59 percent and the 5-year average of 80 percent. Corn condition is rated as 3 percent very poor, 5 percent poor, 26 percent fair, 47 percent good, and 19 percent excellent. Eighty-five percent of the sorghum crop has reached maturity, ahead of 79 percent last year but behind the 5-year average of 88 percent. Farmers have harvested only 14 percent of the sorghum crop, behind 2008 at 25 percent and 46 percent for the 5-year average. Sorghum condition is rated as 2 very poor, 6 percent poor, 25 percent fair, 51 percent good, and 16 percent excellent. Ninety-six percent of the soybeans are dropping leaves, ahead of 93 percent last year but behind 98 percent for the 5-year average. Forty-eight percent of the crop has been harvested, behind 2008 at 59 percent and the 5-year average of 68 percent. The condition of the soybean crop is rated as 2 percent very poor, 4 percent poor, 18 percent fair, 48 percent good, and 28 percent excellent. The precipitation and wet soils across the state again made wheat planting difficult, as farmers only planted 7 percent of the crop last week. Eighty percent of the winter wheat has been planted, behind last year's 83 percent and the 5-year average of 89 percent. Sixty-five percent has emerged, behind 72 percent for both last year and the 5-year average. Wheat condition is rated as 2 percent poor, 25 percent fair, 65 percent good, and 8 percent excellent. Sixty-five percent of the cotton has bolls opening, behind 94 percent for last year and 83 percent for the 5-year average. Cotton condition is rated as 8 percent very poor, 16 percent poor, 33 percent fair, 37 percent good, and 6 percent excellent. This is down 12 percentage points in the good to excellent category from the previous week. Five percent of the sunflowers have not reached the ray flower dry stage yet. Ninety percent have bracts yellow, behind both 2008, at 99 percent, and the 5-year average of 98 percent. Seventy-two percent of the sunflowers have reached maturity, behind 77 percent for last year and 87 percent for the 5-year average. Farmers had only harvested 14 percent of the crop by week's end, behind last year at 17 percent and 40 percent for the 5-year average. Sunflower condition is rated as 2 percent very poor, 9 percent poor, 24 percent fair, 55 percent good, and 10 percent excellent. Eighty-one percent of the fourth cutting of alfalfa has been completed, behind the previous year and the 5-year average at 99 and 98 percent, respectively. Range and pasture condition was rated as 2 percent very poor, 8 percent poor, 29 percent fair, 52 percent good, and 9 percent excellent. Feed grain supplies were rated as 1 percent very short, 4 percent short, 91 percent adequate, and 4 percent surplus. Hay and forage supplies were rated as 1 percent very short, 4 percent short, 81 percent adequate, and 14 percent surplus. Stock water supplies were rated as 1 percent very short, 4 percent short, 87 percent adequate, and 8 percent surplus.
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