Crop Progress and Condition for the Week Ending September 7, 2014.
The month of September started nicely with a statewide average rainfall total of 1.51 inches in the first week of the month. The week began with hot and humid summer temperatures followed by a cool front that swept through the state toward the end of the week. The cool front brought nice precipitation totals to the Panhandle, Central and Western Oklahoma, which are the areas that need it most. The Northeast District also received heavy rains last week with a total as high as 7.2 inches recorded in Foraker, Oklahoma located in Osage County.
Heavy precipitation totals were good for soybean crops and to improve pasture. Row crops continued to make good progress and producers were preparing for sorghum harvest. Cotton crops in the far Southwest District were showing signs of stress with 40 percent rated good compared to 54 percent rate good one week ago.
Temperatures for the week ranged from 52 degrees at Alva on Sunday, September 7th to 102 degrees at Grandfield on Monday, September 1st. Topsoil and subsoil moisture conditions were rated mostly adequate to short. There were 5.5 days suitable for field work.
Small Grains: Seedbed preparation continued for all small grains. Fifty-two percent of wheat seedbed preparation was complete as of Sunday. Forty-nine percent of rye was seedbed preparation was complete. Thirty-one percent of oat seedbed preparation was complete.
Canola seedbed preparation was 70 percent complete by week’s end, well ahead of normal.
Row Crops: Corn condition was rated 75 percent good to fair. Ninety-eight percent of corn had reached the dough stage. Corn dented reached 88 percent complete compared to 81 percent the previous year. Corn mature reached 39 percent complete, 27 points behind normal. Sorghum condition was rated 78 percent good to fair. Sorghum headed reached 91 percent complete, 70 percent was coloring and 33 percent was mature by the end of the week.
Soybean condition was rated 86 percent good to fair. Soybeans setting pods reached 87 percent complete 9 points ahead the previous year. Seven percent of soybeans were dropping leaves by week’s end. Peanut condition was rated 93 percent good to fair. Peanuts mature reached 24 percent complete by Sunday. Cotton condition was rated 87 percent good to fair. Thirty percent of cotton bolls were opening.
Hay: Conditions of alfalfa hay and other hay continued to be rated mostly good to fair. A third cutting of alfalfa hay reached 93 percent complete, while a fourth cutting was 52 percent complete. A second cutting of other hay was 66 percent complete.
Watermelons harvested reached 93 percent complete.
Pasture and Livestock: Conditions of pasture and range continued to be rated mostly good to fair. Livestock was rated 60 percent in good condition with 27 percent rated as fair. Livestock markets continued to hold strong.
Weather: Temperatures ranged from 52 degrees at Alva on Sunday, September 7th to 102 degrees at Grandfield on Monday, September 1st. Precipitation ranged from 0.67 of an inch in the South Central District to 2.87 inches in the Northeast District. Soil temperature averages ranged from 66 degrees at Boise City on Saturday, September 6th to 92 degrees at Burneyville on Friday, September 5th.
