Oklahoma Agriculture Blog

Drenching Rains Further Delay Crop Activities

Although there were a few days of sunshine early in the week, heavy rains mid-week saturated fields and further delayed row crop harvest and small grain planting. All nine districts received measurable precipitation, with the Southeast receiving the most at nearly three inches. The weekend brought pleasant weather and an optimistic forecast, as several days of dry, sunny weather are expected and will allow producers to get in the fields. Soil moisture conditions continue to be favorable, as topsoil was rated 32 percent surplus and subsoil 21 percent surplus. Due to the wet conditions, there were only 2.6 days suitable for field work.

Small Grains: Oklahoma small grain producers cannot seem to catch a break as several rainy weeks have slowed field work and delayed planting. Progress was made in some areas this week as wheat planted increased eight points to reach 84 percent complete, eight points behind normal. Wheat emerged increased to 74 percent complete, up eight points from the prior week, but four points behind the five-year average. Rye emerged was virtually complete by week’s end. Oat seedbed preparation reached 86 percent complete, while 42 percent of the oats were planted by Sunday, up just one point from last week but 13 points behind normal. Oats emerged reached 36 percent complete, eight points behind the five-year average.

Row Crops: Harvest of all row crops is running well behind average this year, due to heavy fall rains. This week’s rains soaked fields and kept combines parked in many areas. Conditions of most row crops continued to rate mostly in the good to fair range. Eighty-five percent of the State’s corn was harvested by week’s end, up five points from the previous week but 13 points behind normal. Seventy-one percent of the State’s sorghum had reached maturity by week’s end, while 30 percent was harvested, up three points from the previous week, but still 20 points behind the five-year average. Soybeans at maturity reached 72 percent, up seven points from the prior week, but 14 points behind normal. By week’s end, just over a third of the
soybeans were harvested, up seven points from last week, but 25 points behind the five-year average. Peanuts at maturity reached 95 percent complete, up eight points from the previous week. By Sunday, 71 percent of the peanuts had been dug while half had been combined, both running well behind normal. Cotton opening bolls was virtually complete by week’s end while cotton harvested reached 20 percent complete, up eight points from last week but 18 points behind the five-year average.

Hay: Wet conditions brought haying activities to a halt in most areas. As of Sunday, fifth cuttings of alfalfa were 71 percent complete, while sixth cuttings were 15 percent complete, up two points from last week but 22 points behind normal. Conditions of alfalfa continued to rate mostly in the good to fair range. Producers made a second cutting on 83 percent of other hay, up one point from the prior week but seven points behind the five-year average.

Pasture and Range: The heavy rains soaked pastures and conditions across the State continued to rate mostly in the good to fair range.

Despite Wet Fields, Some Planting and Harvesting Continues

Wind and cooler temperatures prevailed across Oklahoma during most of the week. The State experienced temperatures averaging in the mid- to high-60’s, with temperatures dropping to as low as 29 degrees in Hooker. A few storms revisited the State during mid week, with precipitation ranging from 0.61 in the North Central district to 2.75 in the Southeast district. Overall soil moisture conditions continue to be rated in the surplus to adequate range with topsoil rated 26 percent surplus and subsoil remaining at 12 percent surplus. Although some producers were able to return to the fields and proceed with planting and harvesting activities due to calmer conditions across the State, many others were kept out of the fields as a result of excess rain
from prior weeks. There were 2.6 days suitable for field work.

Small Grains: Some small grain planting continued despite wet field conditions across the State. Wheat seedbed preparation reached 76 percent, a two point increase from the previous week, but 11 points behind the five-year average. Wheat emerged increased to 66 percent complete, six points ahead of the prior week, but four points behind normal. Rye planted was virtually complete, while 95 percent of the crop had emerged, five points ahead of the five-year average. Oat seedbed preparation was 84 percent completed, two points ahead of the previous week and in line with the five-year average. Forty one percent of oats were planted by week’s end, three points ahead of the previous week, but nine points behind normal. Oat emergence reached 35 percent, four points ahead of last week, but three points behind the five-year average.

Row Crops: Only isolated row crop harvesting continued throughout the week due to excess moisture in the fields. Row crop conditions continued to rate mostly in the good to fair range. Virtually all the corn was mature Sunday, two points up from the previous week, but two points behind the five-year average. Corn harvest was 80 percent complete by week’s end, a three point jump from the previous week but 16 points behind the five-year average. There were some reports of aphlatoxin across the State. All sorghum coloring was virtually complete by week’s end, while 60 percent had reached maturity, 17 points behind normal. Sorghum harvested reached 27 percent complete, up eight points from the prior week, but still 17 points behind normal. Sixty-five percent of soybeans reached maturity, up ten points from the previous week, but 12 points behind normal. Soybeans harvested reached 27 percent complete, up seven points from the prior week, but 22 points behind the five-year average. Peanuts at maturity reached 87 percent complete, up eight points from the previous week. Fifty-six percent of peanuts had been dug while 36 percent had been combined, eleven points behind the five-year average. Ninety-six percent of cotton bolls had opened, up four points from the previous week and in line with the five-year average. Cotton harvested had reached 12
percent by week’s end, up five points from the prior week, but still 14 points behind normal.

Hay: Haying activities continued in most areas of the State while some areas remained at a standstill due to wet field conditions. By week’s end, fifth cuttings of alfalfa were 70 percent complete, while sixth cuttings were 13 percent complete, up four points from the prior week but 18 points behind normal. Conditions of alfalfa continued to rate mostly in the good to fair range. Eighty two percent of other hay received a second cutting, three points ahead of the previous week, but six points behind the five-year average.

Pasture and Range: Pasture and range conditions continued to improve and by week’s end rated mostly good to fair, with a good rating of 50 percent and a fair rating of 34 percent.