Wheat Harvest Begins In Late Spring Heat

Hotter temperatures to start the month also marked the start of Missouri’s wheat harvest. USDA’s weekly crop progress report indicates that the first one percent of wheat was harvested in the past week. While ahead of a year ago, it’s behind the five-year average of four percent. Conditions decreased again last week, with 38 percent in good or excellent condition versus 11 percent poor or very poor, a net drop of four points. 98 percent of the crop has jointed.

With temperatures over six degrees above normal at 76 degrees, farmers enjoyed an average of four days suitable for fieldwork. They were able to bring corn planting to 95 percent complete and soybean planting to 63 percent. Both remain well ahead of last year’s flood-delayed figures, and are just ahead of the five-year average. 90 percent of corn and 43 percent of soybeans have emerged. The corn crop is 61 percent in good or excellent condition, down five points from last week but 34 points better than a year ago. Seven percent is listed in poor or very poor condition. Soybeans are 56 percent good to excellent against six percent poor or very poor, a net increase of six points.

Cotton planting in the Bootheel is two-thirds complete, down 12 points from a year ago and well behind the five-year average of 95 percent. Rice planting is also behind the five-year mark that’s also 95 percent, but this week’s 86 percent completion rate is two points ahead od last year. 78 percent of the crop has emerged. Rice is rated at 54 percent good or excellent versus eight percent poor or very poor, a slight improvement from last week. Cotton conditions have collapsed, with 38 percent in poor or very poor condition, nearly double last week’s figure. Just 27 percent is rated good, down nine points from last week.

56 percent of alfalfa fields have received their first cutting, up from last year’s 45 percent but behind the five-year average of 60 percent. About a third of other hay has been cut. Pastures are steady from a week ago at 63 percent good to excellent and only three percent in poor or very poor shape. Four percent of Missouri farmers reportedly have a shortage compared to seven percent with a surplus. Nine percent have a surplus of stock water supply. Just two percent of topsoil and one percent of subsoil is short on moisture, while 19 percent of topsoil and 22 percent of subsoil have excess moisture.