Agricultural Summary

A week of clear weather enabled corn harvest to progress, during which farmers found generally good yields. However, the dryness increased stress levels on pastures and soybeans. Livestock producers in most areas are feeding supplemental hay much earlier than normal. Walnut caterpillars completely stripped leaves from pecan and walnut groves in Vernon County, although the impact will be minimal since the trees were already damaged by the April freeze. Topsoil moisture rates 38 percent very short, 33 percent short, 28 percent adequate, and 1 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture is rated 27 percent very short, 43 percent short, and 30 percent adequate. There were 6.8 days suitable for fieldwork.

Field Crops Report

The corn crop is 91 percent dented, 5 days behind last year but slightly ahead of normal. Fifty-seven percent is mature, 4 days behind last year and 1 percentage point behind the 5-year average. Early yield reports in northern and west-central areas range from near average to excellent. Some fields are very dry, with one catching on fire in Lincoln County. Overall, the state is 16 percent harvested, 2 days behind last year but about 3 days ahead of normal. The condition rating is 8 percent very poor, 16 percent poor, 31 percent fair, 37 percent good, and 8 percent excellent. Ninety-four percent of the soybean crop is setting pods, 5 days behind last year and marginally behind average. Twenty-two percent is turning color, slightly ahead of the 5-year average of 20 percent. Seven percent is dropping leaves. Soybean condition dropped 3 points in good to excellent from last week, with the crop in the southern two-thirds of the state struggling with heat and dryness, especially double-crop beans. The overall condition rates 10 percent very poor, 19 percent poor, 38 percent fair, 28 percent good, and 5 percent excellent. Sorghum heading is at 93 percent compared with 99 percent as normal. Fifty-eight percent is turning color, nearly 2 weeks behind last year and about 1 week behind average. Nineteen percent has reached maturity, 6 days behind last year and 2 days behind normal. Harvest is 5 percent complete, mostly in south-central and southeastern counties. Sorghum condition is rated 3 percent very poor, 12 percent poor, 45 percent fair, 38 percent good, and 2 percent excellent. Rice harvest is running well ahead of normal at 8 percent complete. Condition rates 1 percent very poor, 2 percent poor, 20 percent fair, 55 percent good, and 22 percent excellent. The cotton crop has 71 percent with bolls opening, about 2 weeks ahead of last year and 3 weeks ahead of average as the heat and dryness have pushed maturity. Cotton condition is rated 10 percent very poor, 25 percent poor, 26 percent fair, 34 percent good, and 5 percent excellent. The third cutting of alfalfa is 86 percent complete, 2 weeks behind last year and slightly behind the 5-year average.

Pasture & Livestock

Pasture condition is rated 28 percent very poor, 29 percent poor, 31 percent fair, 11 percent good, and 1 percent excellent, with a few points from the fair category slipping to poor and very poor. Hay supply is rated 18 percent very short, 29 percent short, 52 percent adequate, and 1 percent surplus. Stock water supply is rated 8 percent very short, 23 percent short, 68 percent adequate, and 1 percent surplus. Fire is becoming a danger on dry pastures in south-central areas, making hay shortages worse. While most fires have been small, one blaze burned over 100 acres. Producers in Bates and Vernon Counties are reseeding pastures lost to July flooding. Several producers are beginning to liquidate cow herds in some east-central and south-central counties. Others are selling calves earlier than normal. Some will try to pasture corn stalks and waterways to alleviate the hay shortage.

Weather Summary

Temperatures during the week were near normal over most of the state except the Bootheel, which averaged 2 to 5 degrees above normal. Rainfall averaged 0.04 inches, with all districts reporting less than one-tenth inch. Rainfall averaged 3.50 inches for the month of August compared with the 30-year average of 3.73. The range was 0.34 inches in the southeast district to 6.46 in the north-central. Cape Girardeau in Scott County recorded the second driest August on record with 0.01 inches and the driest March through August period since 1936.