Agricultural Summary

Another week of dry weather gave farmers the chance to nearly wrap up soybean and sorghum plantings. Producers made significant headway harvesting wheat while also keeping busy with hay harvest. Most areas maintain adequate moisture for crop growth, although dryness is starting to creep into the southern part of the state, where the south-central and southeast districts are 55 and 57 percent short to very short of topsoil moisture. After last week’s very hot temperatures, light stress to a few non-irrigated fields has been noted in the southeast. Statewide, topsoil moisture is rated 1 percent very short, 14 percent short, 68 percent adequate, and 17 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture is rated 10 percent short, 79 percent adequate, and 11 percent surplus. There were 5.4 days suitable for fieldwork.

Field Crops Report

Corn silking is 30 percent complete, 5 days ahead of last year but 6 days behind normal. Corn condition is rated 3 percent very poor, 8 percent poor, 35 percent fair, 44 percent good, and 10 percent excellent, little change from last week. Soybean planting is 97 percent complete, on pace with the 5-year average. Scattered reports from the north-central and east-central districts indicate some chronically wet fields may go unplanted. Emergence is 88 percent, over 1 week ahead of last year but 6 days behind the 93 percent normal. Soybean blooming is at 6 percent. Soybean condition is rated 2 percent very poor, 8 percent poor, 36 percent fair, 46 percent good, and 8 percent excellent, nearly identical to last week. Cotton squaring advanced 37 points from last week to 54 percent complete, about 1 week behind normal. Cotton condition is 16 percent poor, 38 percent fair, 43 percent good, and 3 percent excellent. Rice condition is rated 2 percent poor, 25 percent fair, 52 percent good, and 21 percent excellent. Sorghum heading has begun in all but the northwest and northeast districts. Sorghum condition is rated 1 percent very poor, 6 percent poor, 39 percent fair, 50 percent good, and 4 percent excellent. Wheat harvest is 84 percent complete, only slightly behind average. Highly variable yields have been reported. The second cutting of alfalfa is 37 percent complete, while other hay is 72 percent cut, both about 1 week behind normal.

Pasture & Livestock

Pasture condition is rated 4 percent poor, 29 percent fair, 57 percent good, and 10 percent excellent, a drop of 6 points from last week in good to excellent. Some browning of pastures was reported in the south-central district, where the good to excellent rating dropped 43 points. Stockwater supplies are adequate to surplus nearly statewide.

Weather Summary

Temperatures averaged 1 to 2 degrees below normal in the southeast and 2 to 5 degrees below normal across the rest of the State. Rainfall averaged 1.00 inches for the week. The east-central district recorded the most precipitation with 1.78 inches. Isolated areas of central Missouri reported upwards of 3 to 4 inches the morning of July 4. The driest districts were the south-central at 0.14 inches and southeast at 0.37.