Agricultural Summary

Most counties received light to moderate rainfall during the week, but farmers still had 5.8 days suitable for fieldwork to harvest corn, soybeans, milo, cotton, and rice, as well as plant winter wheat. The rain was a slight help to pasture conditions in some areas, particularly the southwest district. However, the three eastern districts are in desperate need of rain to improve pasture conditions and stock water supplies. More rain is also needed for good wheat germination. Topsoil moisture rates 23 percent very short, 39 percent short, 37 percent adequate, and 1 percent surplus, a modest improvement from last week.

Field Crops Report

The corn crop is mature with the exception of a few fields in the three northern districts. Harvest is 69 percent complete, the same as last year and 3 days ahead of the 5-year average of 64 percent. Progress ranges from 35 percent complete in the northwest to 97 percent in the southeast. Yields are reported as highly variable across northern counties, depending on wind damage and summer moisture. Irrigated fields in the Bootheel produced average yields. Eighty-nine percent of the soybean crop is turning color, with 68 percent dropping leaves, both slightly behind last year and average. Forty-three percent is mature, marginally ahead of last year and normal. Harvest is 14 percent complete, compared with 10 percent last year and 12 percent as the 5-year average. Initial yields are above average in the northwest. However, it appears dryness stressed soybeans in northeastern and east-central counties, cutting yields to levels below average in many areas. Dryland soybean yields in the Bootheel are very poor, with some double-crop beans not worth harvesting. Even some irrigated fields are well below average. Soybean condition is rated 11 percent very poor, 17 percent poor, 37 percent fair, 28 percent good, and 7 percent excellent. Sorghum turning color is at 93 percent, 10 days behind normal, while 67 percent is mature, 1 week behind average. Harvest is 33 percent complete, about 1 week behind last year and normal. Sorghum condition is rated 3 percent very poor, 10 percent poor, 44 percent fair, 39 percent good, and 4 percent excellent. Rice harvest is 80 percent complete, 1 week ahead of last year and 10 days ahead of normal. Cotton harvest is 46 percent complete, 18 days ahead of last year 16 days ahead of the 5-year average. Irrigated yields have been good to excellent, but dryland yields poor. Cotton condition is rated 9 percent very poor, 23 percent poor, 24 percent fair, 34 percent good, and 10 percent excellent. Winter wheat is 9 percent planted and 2 percent emerged, both even with normal.

Pasture & Livestock

Pasture condition is rated 23 percent very poor, 25 percent poor, 35 percent fair, 16 percent good, and 1 percent excellent, a slight improvement from last week. Hay and livestock water shortages were reported in the east-central district as well as the eastern part of the south-central district. Pasture reseeding occurred in the northeast and central districts. Pike County in the northeast reported livestock producers planning to seed wheat or rye fields for fall grazing.

Weather Summary

Temperatures averaged mostly 7 to 9 degrees above normal during the week. Rainfall averaged 0.80 inches, ranging from 0.32 inches in the east-central district to 1.73 in the southeast. High winds and hail were reported in parts of the central district.