South wrapping up as the north begins to roll

The U.S. Department of Agriculture state field offices released their weekly crop reports following the Independence Day holiday. Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas are all reaching completion of harvest, while northern states are waiting on the wheat crop to ripen. Nebraska¹s southern counties are just getting started.

Texas: Irrigated wheat harvest neared completion in areas of the northern High Plains, while dryland wheat harvest continued to suffer due to drought conditions.

Oklahoma: Virtually all harvest of the state¹s small grain crops was completed. Wheat ground plowed reached 60 percent complete by July 3, up 16 points from the previous week and 19 points ahead of normal.

Kansas: Winter wheat producers have only 16 percent of the crop left to cut as harvest progressed 29 points to reach 84 percent complete by July 3, ahead of last year at 80 percent and the 5-year average of 75 percent. Farmers in the west central and northeast districts made tremendous progress as they combined over 60 percent of their wheat last week, leaving only the northwest district below 60 percent with only 22 percent harvested.

Missouri: Winter wheat harvest continued 5 days ahead of normal, moving 25 points from last week to 88 percent, nearly the same as last year.

Colorado: Winter wheat has finished heading with 79 percent turning color, 34 percent ripe and 21 percent harvested at the end of last week. The crop is rated in mostly fair to good condition after reports of hail affecting the crop in the eastern regions of the state.

Nebraska: Wheat conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 11 percent poor, 25 percent fair, 52 percent good, and 11 percent excellent, below last year¹s 70 percent good to excellent. Wheat turning color was 84 percent, behind 87 percent last year and 92 percent average. Wheat ripe was 19 percent, behind 26 percent last year and one week behind 43 percent average. Wheat harvest was just underway in Southeastern counties while the likely start of harvest in the southern Panhandle is not expected until mid-July.

South Dakota: Spring wheat is 93 percent in the boot stage and 50 percent headed, lagging behind the averages of 97 and 83 percent respectively. Winter wheat growth made strides with 92 percent headed, but still behind the previous year of 99 percent. Winter wheat turning color at 28 percent is severely behind the 5-year average of 70 percent.

Montana: Many producers have begun spraying as disease in winter wheat is beginning to affect this year¹s crop. Stripe rust and tan spot have also been detected in several counties.

Wyoming: The progress of all crops, except for spring wheat emerged and winter wheat turning color, continues to lag behind both this time last year and the 5-year average.

For more information contact crew@allbaoardharvest.com. All Aboard 2011 is sponsored by High Plains Journal and DuPont Crop Protection.

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