Weather and field conditions impact the pace and success of agricultural activities. For the week ending August 20, 2023, farmers had 6.5 suitable days for fieldwork. The USDA’s data showed that topsoil moisture was mostly in short to adequate range, while subsoil moisture closely mirrored those levels.
Diving into crop-specific reports:
Corn: Most of the corn was in good to excellent condition. 83% of corn had reached the dough stage, slightly ahead of past averages. 43% was dented, surpassing previous year figures, while only 1% had matured.
Soybeans: Mainly rated as good, with 95% blooming - a bit slower than past years. The setting of pods at 82% was also behind last year's pace.
Sorghum: The condition was predominantly good to excellent. About 89% had headed, which is considerably ahead of the previous year. Coloring, at 27%, was on par with average trends.
Oats: 94% of oats were harvested, slightly behind the usual pace.
Dry edible beans: These showed a solid condition, with most rated as good. Bloom was at 94%, and setting pods were noted at 68%.
In the pasture and range report, the majority were rated good to excellent.
This data paints a picture of the current agricultural landscape, with crops largely progressing well, though with some lagging behind their average pace.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-laughingmango
Categories: Nebraska, Government & Policy