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Wet soil, cool conditions slow harvestNebraska For the week ending Oct. 18, wet soils and cool conditions slowed harvest of fall crops to a crawl, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, Nebraska Field Office, Oct. 19. With only two days suitable for field work, soybean harvest crept forward to just over halfway complete and is a week behind average. Corn harvest has also been slow due to poor drying conditions. High grain moisture levels have resulted in progress being over two weeks behind the average. In the west, producers were busy harvesting sugar beets. Temperatures averaged 11 degrees below normal across the state. The Panhandle, North Central and Southwest Districts saw highs in the 80s and lows in the 20s. All districts recorded lows near or below the freezing mark. Precipitation was widespread but limited. All districts, except the Panhandle, averaged at least a quarter of an inch of rainfall. Corn conditions rated 2 percent very poor, 5 percent poor, 11 percent fair, 54 percent good, and 28 percent excellent, above last year's 76 percent good or excellent rating. Irrigated fields rated 83 percent good or excellent while dryland fields rated 79 percent, both above year ago levels. Corn mature was 78 percent, behind last year's 82 percent and 94 percent average. Corn harvested was 13 percent complete, behind last year's 17 percent and eighteen days behind the 34 percent average. Soybean harvest moved slowly to 55 percent complete, behind last year's 72 percent and a week behind the 75 percent average. Sorghum conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 3 percent poor, 19 percent fair, 52 percent good, and 25 percent excellent, even with last year's 77 percent good or excellent condition. Sorghum mature was 76 percent, ahead of last year's 63 percent but behind the 89 percent average. Sorghum harvest was 7 percent complete, near last year's 8 percent but sixteen days behind the 30 percent average. Dry beans harvested were 92 percent complete, behind last year's 99 percent but ahead of the 90 percent average. Winter wheat seeded was 95 percent, even with last year but near the 97 percent average. Winter wheat emerged was 78 percent, behind last year's 85 percent and 86 percent average. Proso millet harvest was 63 percent, behind last year's 88 percent and the 85 percent average. Pasture and range conditions rated 2 percent very poor, 4 percent poor, 20 percent fair, 57 percent good, and 17 percent excellent, well above last year's 57 percent good or excellent condition.
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