The new crop progress and condition report is out from USDA’s statistics service. And it looks like the warm sunny days ahead of the weekend rain helped farmers to make progress on seeding fall crops and cutting hay.
The rain that fell on southeastern Wisconsin over the weekend helped ease the dry soil conditions in that neck of the woods. Topsoil moisture condition rated 88 percent adequate to surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 79 percent adequate to surplus.
Corn condition is rated 78 percent good to excellent, even with last week. Eight percent of corn silage is off the ground, that’s a week behind the five-year average. About 10 percent of the corn crop is mature, three days behind the average. Meanwhile, corn in the dough stage or beyond was 92 percent, five days ahead of the average. And 63 percent of corn had reached the dent state, even with the average.
Soybean condition was 77 percent good to excellent, down a percentage point from last week. Soybeans coloring was 44 percent, two days behind the average.
The fourth cutting of alfalfa was reported at 70 percent complete, eight days ahead of the average. Oats harvested for grain was at 94 percent, two days ahead of the average. Potatoes harvested was at 36 percent, a day behind the average. Potato condition fell slightly to 94 percent good to excellent.
And for farmers planting winter wheat – about 8 percent of the crop is in the ground. That’s eight days behind the average.
Finally, pasture condition was rated 69 percent good to excellent, down 2 percentage points from last week.
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