Nebraska Wheat Harvest Off to Good Start

By Scout Nelson

Warm and mostly dry weather across Nebraska provided good opportunities for fieldwork and crop care during the week ending June 29, 2025. However, the lack of rainfall is beginning to cause moisture stress in some areas.

According to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), there were 4.1 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture was rated 5% very short, 27% short, 61% adequate, and 7% surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies are rated 11% very short, 41% short, 44% adequate, and 4% surplus.

Corn

Corn silking is at 2%, slightly behind the 3% progress this time last year and 1% below the five-year average. The condition is 1% very poor, 2% poor, 20% fair, 58% good, and 19% excellent.

Dry Edible Beans

Planting is nearly complete at 99%, ahead of both last year and the average. Emergence is 80%, slightly behind 87% from last year. Crop condition is reported as 0% very poor, 1% poor, 29% fair, 69% good, and 1% excellent.

Oats 

Oat heading stands at 88%, close to the previous average. The crop condition is 2% very poor, 3% poor, 47% fair, 46% good, and 2% excellent.

Sorghum

Planting is at 96%, slightly behind last year. Heading is at 1%. Sorghum condition is strong, rated 0% very poor, 1% poor, 18% fair, 60% good, and 21% excellent.

Soybeans

Soybean blooming has reached 4%, well behind the 20% recorded last year. Conditions are 1% very poor, 3% poor, 28% fair, 56% good, and 12% excellent.

Winter Wheat

Wheat harvest is at 4%, trailing last year’s 11%. Crop conditions are 17% very poor, 22% poor, 30% fair, 30% good, and 1% excellent.

Pasture and Range

Conditions are 7% very poor, 20% poor, 36% fair, 35% good, and 2% excellent.

Photo Credit:gettyimages-eugenesergeev