Crop Progress and Condition for the Week Ending August 31, 2014.
Spotty rains were received last week. Areas of the Panhandle received on average 1.13 inches of rain. However, some areas of the Panhandle received over an inch of precipitation, while others received no rain at all. Soybeans were blooming in the Southwest District while soybeans in the Northeast District were starting to wilt from the lack of moisture. A storm moved south through the state late Monday night into early Tuesday morning bringing high winds, large hail, flooding rains and tornado warnings to parts of Northeastern Oklahoma. Rain totals were nice but the effects of the storm have yet to be determined.
Temperatures for the week ranged from 53 degrees at Boise City on Friday, August 29th to 105 degrees at Hooker on Sunday, August 31st. Precipitation ranged 0.18 of an inch in the Southeast District to 1.13 inches in the Panhandle District. Topsoil and subsoil moisture conditions were rated mostly adequate to short. There were 5.9 days suitable for field work.
Small Grains: Seedbed preparation was underway for all small grains, ahead of last year. Forty percent of wheat seedbed preparation was complete as of Sunday, well ahead of normal and this time last year. Forty-one percent of rye was seedbed preparation was complete. Twenty-seven percent of oat seedbed preparation was complete.
Canola seedbed preparation was 40 percent complete by week’s end, well ahead of normal.
Row Crops: Corn condition was rated 76 percent good to fair. Ninety-six percent of corn had reached the dough stage, just one point behind the previous year and 2 points behind the five-year average. Corn dented reached 81 percent complete compared to 76 percent the previous year. Sorghum condition was rated 77 percent good to fair. Sorghum headed reached 86 percent complete, 64 percent was coloring and 17 percent was mature by the end of the week.
Soybean condition was rated 86 percent good to fair. Soybeans blooming reached 95 percent complete by week’s end, four points ahead of normal. Soybeans setting pods reached 79 percent complete 17 points ahead the previous year. Peanut condition was rated 94 percent good to fair. Peanuts mature reached 18 percent complete by Sunday. Cotton condition was rated 90 percent good to fair. Ninety-one percent of cotton was setting bolls and 25 percent of bolls were opening.
Hay: Conditions of alfalfa hay and other hay continued to be rated mostly good to fair. Some alfalfa fields in the Northeast District were showing signs of stress. A third cutting of alfalfa hay reached 91 percent complete, while a fourth cutting was 40 percent complete. A second cutting of other hay was 58 percent complete.
Watermelons harvested reached 90 percent complete.
Pasture and Livestock: Conditions of pasture and range continued to be rated mostly good to fair. Grass conditions were deteriorating in the Northeast District and ponds were beginning to suffer. Livestock was rated 60 percent in good condition with 27 percent rated as fair. Livestock markets continued to hold strong.
Weather: Temperatures ranged from 53 degrees at Boise City on Friday, August 29th to 105 degrees at Hooker on Sunday, August 31st. Precipitation ranged from 0.18 of an inch in the Southeast District to 1.13 inches in the Panhandle District. Soil temperature averages ranged from 74 degrees at Boise City on Wednesday, August 27th to 94 degrees at Chickasha on Tuesday, August 26th.
