Nebraska's crop progress - A weekly overview

By Scout Nelson

The latest scoop from the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service is in! If you've been wondering how Nebraska's crops are doing, here's your update for the week that ended on October 8, 2023.

During this week, farmers had a good 5.6 days fit for fieldwork. Curious about moisture? Topsoil moisture was a mix, with 23% very short, 33% short, and the rest was adequate or in surplus. Subsoil moisture followed a similar trend.

Corn showed diverse conditions, from 12% very poor to 10% excellent. About 94% of corn had matured, a bit more than last year's 90%. When it came to harvesting, 32% was done, slightly surpassing the 25% average.

Soybeans also had varied conditions, with 14% rated very poor and 8% excellent. Harvested soybeans were at 52%, slightly more than last year's 50% and ahead of the 46% average.

Winter wheat planting is progressing well at 91%, exceeding both last year's and the average rates. About 65% had emerged, which is a noticeable jump from last year's 48%.

As for sorghum, its condition ranged from 4% very poor to 30% excellent. About 83% of sorghum had matured, and 18% was harvested.

Dry edible beans are almost done dropping leaves, standing at 95%. Their harvesting rate is 65%, a tad behind last year.

Nebraska's pastures and ranges seem to be in a decent state, with conditions ranging from 7% very poor to 8% excellent.

Whether you're directly involved in agriculture or just like to stay informed, knowing how the state's crops are faring is always valuable.

Photo Credit: gettyimages-luc-pouliot