Agricultural Summary

Substantial progress was made in the winter wheat harvest during the week, as some farmers found better yields than earlier harvested fields. Hay harvest also progressed, with all areas beginning the second alfalfa cutting. Spotty coverage of showers and storms, typical of summer, brought timely rains to some counties but left others mostly dry. Enough rain fell to keep corn and soybean conditions stable from last week, but reporters are communicating the need for continued rains in order to germinate double-crop soybeans, activate herbicides, and supply moisture to corn entering critical development stages. Rain is especially needed in the three eastern districts, where topsoil moisture shortages remain. Topsoil moisture at the state level rates 6 percent very short, 27 percent short, 62 percent adequate, and 5 percent surplus. There were 5.8 days suitable for fieldwork.

Field Crops Report

Twenty-two percent of the corn crop is silked, slightly behind last year but a few days ahead of 16 percent as normal. Silking ranges from 4 percent in the northeast to 75 percent in the southeast. Slight stress was observed in the dryer counties, mostly in the form of corn leaves rolling in the afternoons, but lack of extreme heat has kept stress to a minimum. After sharp deterioration the week before, corn condition in the northeast and east-central districts stabilized at 62 percent and 51 percent in good to excellent, while Bootheel corn improved from 43 percent to 59 percent. State-wide, the condition rates 3 percent very poor, 5 percent poor, 29 percent fair, 50 percent good, and 13 percent excellent. Soybean planting is 94 percent complete. Most of the fields yet to be planted are in wet areas of the west-central and southwest districts. Emergence is 86 percent complete, 6 days behind last year and slightly behind normal. Early growth remains slow in dry eastern areas. Reporters in the wet southwestern areas mentioned that delayed wheat harvest could reduce double-crop soybean acreage from normal levels. Soybean condition is 2 percent very poor, 5 percent poor, 36 percent fair, 51 percent good, and 6 percent excellent. Sorghum planting is 90 percent complete, 9 days behind the 5-year average. Sorghum heading is at 5 percent. Condition is rated 1 percent very poor, 3 percent poor, 37 percent fair, 55 percent good, and 4 percent excellent. Rice heading is 2 percent complete, with condition rated 2 percent poor, 22 percent fair, 60 percent good, and 16 percent excellent. Cotton squaring is at 62 percent, 1 week ahead of last year and average. Twelve percent is setting bolls, well ahead of the normal 2 percent. Dunklin County reported spraying for spider mites. Cotton condition is rated 7 percent very poor, 15 percent poor, 28 percent fair, 46 percent good, and 4 percent excellent. Wheat harvest advanced substantially, moving ahead 31 points to 52 percent complete, 8 days behind last year and slightly behind normal. A few yield reports indicated better than expected results. First cutting alfalfa is 96 percent harvested, while second cutting is off to a slower start than usual at 16 percent complete, or 8 days behind average. Other hay is 73 percent cut, equal to normal.

Pasture & Livestock

Pasture condition is rated 4 percent very poor, 12 percent poor, 41 percent fair, 38 percent good, and 5 percent excellent. Cattle producers in some areas are still reporting hay shortages, but look to find relief from stable grass condition and normal hay yields.

Weather Summary

Temperatures were 1 to 3 degrees above normal throughout the state. The state averaged 0.83 inches of rainfall, ranging from 0.53 in the northeast and southwest to 1.03 in the northwest.