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.
