Agricultural Summary

Scattered showers and below normal temperatures during the week mitigated stress on row crops and helped keep conditions mostly fair to good. Drought stress was more pronounced in deteriorating pasture conditions and declines in moisture supplies. Topsoil moisture supplies are rated at 32 percent very short, 48 percent short, and 20 percent adequate. Subsoil moisture supplies have similar ratings at 34 percent very short, 45 percent short, and 21 percent adequate. The northwest, southwest, and south-central districts are suffering the most from moisture shortages, but all districts are in need of rain as row crops have little subsoil moisture to draw on during critical growth stages. There were 6.6 days suitable for fieldwork.

Field Crops Report

Corn silking is at 72 percent, 1 day ahead of a year earlier and 5 days ahead of the 5-year average. With the bulk of the crop entering pollination, the need for rain is now most acute. Condition of the crop is nearly the same as last week at 2 percent very poor, 8 percent poor, 29 percent fair, 53 percent good and 8 percent excellent. Thirty percent of the soybeans are blooming, 1 day behind last year but 6 days ahead of the 18 percent average. The important growth stage of pod set is just beginning, with 3 percent of the crop setting pods. Condition of the bean crop is rated 3 percent very poor, 11 percent poor, 36 percent fair, 45 percent good and 5 percent excellent, a decline from last week of 5 percentage points in the good and excellent categories. Sorghum heading is at 10 percent, nearly the same as both last year and average. Condition of the crop is rated 1 percent very poor, 5 percent poor, 33 percent fair, 55 percent good, and 6 percent excellent, a moderate decline from a week earlier. Five percent of the rice crop is headed, on pace with normal development. Rice condition continues to progress well at 2 percent poor, 16 percent fair, 58 percent good and 24 percent excellent. Cotton squaring is at 79 percent, while 18 percent has begun setting bolls, both about 2 days behind last year and average. Cotton condition is rated 10 percent poor, 39 percent fair, 48 percent good and 3 percent excellent, similar to a week ago. The second cutting of alfalfa is 85 percent complete, 1 day ahead of last year and over 1 week ahead of average, while the third cutting has begun at 6 percent harvested. Other hay is 92 percent cut, even with last year and over 1 week ahead of normal. Reporters indicate that hay yields have been variable, with some fields surprisingly good but others worse than expected.

Pasture & Livestock

Pasture condition is rated 22 percent very poor, 41 percent poor, 27 percent fair and 10 percent good, a further significant decline from a week earlier as grass growth is stalled in many areas. Stock water supplies are rated 18 percent very short, 32 percent short, 49 percent adequate, and 1 percent surplus. The west-central, central, and southwest districts have counties that have been critically low on pond levels for quite some time.

Weather Summary

Temperatures were below normal for the week, ranging from 1 to 5 degrees below average. Rainfall averaged 0.55 inches Statewide, with amounts by area ranging from 0.09 inches in the southwest to 0.91 inch in the west-central. Nearly all districts had some counties receive 1 to 2 inches, but nearby counties received little to no rain due to the scattered nature of summer storms.