Planting ahead in the early innings

FARGO, N.D. — Despite recent rains, crop planting and progress is well ahead of normal in the region, although emergence was about on par with normal and farmers were picking their planting opportunities among sporadic storm systems.

Here are a few Crop Stop conversations with Agweek, along the Interstate 29 corridor in North Dakota, followed by a state-by-state summary of the most recent National Agricultural Statistics Service crop report for the four-state area:

Buxton, N.D.

Ron Gjelsness, one of the owner-managers NoKota Packers Inc. in Buxton, N.D., who manages with crop progress storage, and outbound transportation during the shipping season, says red potato growers in his company’s marketing pool are keeping their powder dry until late May.

“They’ll wait about three weeks before they start,” Gjelsness says of the potato planting.

The seven growers in the marketing pool are generally from the Hillsboro area to St. Thomas in North Dakota. Their potato planting date will depend on how rains come. Some of the producers in the northern areas still are concerned about forecasts for temperatures dipping into the low 30s or even a killing frost.

Red potato producers don’t want to plant too early, as most typically need to be harvested in September for proper storage.

(NASS says potato planting was 54 percent complete in the state. That’s largely the russet potatoes, which often are processed into frozen products, can be harvested in July or August for direct processing, but into September for storage.)

NoKota Packers had sold out of potatoes a bit earlier than normal this season, Gjelsness says. Typically, that happens in early May, but this year, the cupboard was bare April 27. The reason? An untimely Florida frost last winter “left a big hole for us to fill in February, March and well into April,” Gjelsness says. NoKota reds from the Red River Valley capitalized, Gjelsness says. There was a dramatic increase in prices for area producers, and NoKota “couldn’t get them out the door fast enough,” Gjelsness says. Size A potatoes (2¼- to 3¾-inch diameter), which the company had the most of, had the best price increases.

Cummings, N.D.

David A. Mueller, who farms near Cummings, N.D., with his brother, Paul, was counting emerged sugar beet seedlings May 4, just ahead of another evening rain system. They had some marble-sized hail, but enough to make the ground white in spots.

“The counts are looking good,” Mueller says, and puts in a request to whomever might be listening: “No frost.”

A 32-degree frost shouldn’t kill sugar beet seedlings, he says, but a 28-degree killing frost would be bad news.

So far, beet seedling stands were running in the 180-plants-per-100-foot-of-row range, which Mueller considers good.

“It varies, but we like the 180 to 200 count,” he says.

Otherwise, the Muellers crops have all gone in early — wheat, barley, corn — all planted. Still to come: dry edible beans, sunflowers and soybeans planting. If weather cooperates, Mueller expects that will happen the week of May 10.

As for the smooth planting season so far, Mueller says, “I’d like to think we deserve it,” but he also knows that’s not how it works. “When you get good weather, you simply take advantage, because it doesn’t always happen.”

Christine, N.D.

Kerm Anderson of Breckenridge, Minn., waited along the field for Chuck Goulet of C-W Valley Cooperative to spread fertilizer on a field Anderson was planting to corn April 26.

“This’ll be the first cornfield I’ll plant,” Anderson says. “This is lots better than last year, that’s for sure.”

He had about 350 acres of corn, and he had 200 acres left to plant as of May 4. He also started with the beans.

Anderson says he felt fortunate because he hadn’t planted any corn at all in 2009, so didn’t have any to “spring harvest” to worry about.

“It was one of the smartest things I’ve ever done,” Anderson says, noting it simply got too late to plant that year.

This year, he’s back to corn, which he’s planted every year since the mid-1990s. Anderson also raises sugar beets and soybeans.

As for the moisture, Anderson says, “We’ve got plenty. We don’t need any more for awhile. We certainly don’t need any snow.”

State updates

Here’s that state-by-state snapshot conditions, as reported in its most May 3 crop progress report, just before widespread rain.

n North Dakota

Topsoil moisture was rated short in only 3 percent of the state, while 83 percent was rated adequate and 14 percent surplus. In Fargo, climate officials noted that this had been the first March and April since recorded weather history in 1881 that there had been no snow reported.

Leading the state’s pack in crop planting progress is sugar beets, which were 95 percent planted, compared with 45 percent for the date. Six percent were emerged, compared with a 2 percent average for the date.

Potatoes were 54 percent planted, compared with the 12 percent average.

Corn was 44 percent planted, compared with an average of 16 percent planted for the date. Districts leading the pack were the east-central, 71 percent, northeast, 50 percent and southeast, 39 percent. Only 2 percent were emerged.

Dry edible bean planting is 6 percent complete, just ahead of the 1 percent average for this date.

Dry edible peas were 41 percent completed, compared with a 38 percent average for the date. Planting was farthest along in the north-central region, 67 percent; central, 55 percent; and west-central, 40 percent.

Leading the cereal grains in progress is spring wheat planting, pegged at 45 percent complete as of May 3, compared with 37 percent average for the date during the past five years. Farthest ahead was the east-central part of the state, with 92 percent complete, followed by the southeast at 72 percent complete and northeast at 56 percent. About 9 percent of the spring wheat is emerged, slightly ahead of normal.

Durum was 14 percent planted, up 11 percentage points from the previous week but still behind the 21 percent average for the date. Farthest ahead is the southwest at 39 percent planted. Only 1 percent was emerged.

Oats hit 27 percent planted, still behind the 35 percent average. Only 3 percent was emerged, behind the 5 percent average. Canola was 17 percent planted, on par with average.

On the livestock side, hay and forage supplies rated 92 percent adequate to surplus — far better than last year’s 37 percent for this date. Grain concentrate supplies are 98 percent adequate or better, and pastures and ranges were judged to be “growing” across the state, compared with 57 percent for this date. Pasture and range conditions so far are ranked 61 percent good to excellent.

n South Dakota

South Dakota was in the top five warmest periods in March and April, with temperatures 3 degrees higher in Watertown. The town of Porcupine posted an 82-degree day the week before May 2. Topsoil and subsoil moisture were adequate or better throughout the state, about the same as last year. Soil temperatures ranged from 46 degrees in Aberdeen to 54 degrees at Beresford.

The big planting story so far is corn, which is 31 percent planted as of May 3, up from 10 percent last year and a five-year average of 16 percent. Soybeans are 3 percent planted, compared with a 1 percent average.

Winter wheat was 20 percent in the “boot” stage, up from an 11 percent last year and is rated 83 percent in the good to excellent categories.

Spring wheat is 75 percent seeded and 37 percent emerged — both on par with five-year averages. Barley is 52 percent seeded and 8 percent emerged. Oats is 66 percent seeded and 28 percent emerged

On the livestock side, feed supplies are ranked 91 percent adequate to surplus, and stock water supplies are 99 percent adequate to surplus. Calf death losses were ranked below normal for 12 percent of reports and normal for 81 percent. Calving was 84 percent complete and 30 percent of cattle had moved to summer pasture.

n Minnesota

Topsoil moisture before this past week of rain was ranked 76 percent adequate to surplus and 24 percent short to very short. Growing degree days were ahead of normal in the northwest since April 23 and precipitation slightly behind normal for the period since April 1.

Corn was 87 percent planted in the state, up from last year’s 56 percent at this date, and a five-year average of 41 percent. Some 9 percent had emerged, up from 1 percent.

Soybean land had been prepared for 47 percent of the crop, up from 18 percent last year and the 13 percent average for the date. About 19 percent of the soybeans had been planted, up from the 4 percent average.

Other planting completions for the date were barley, 97 percent; oats, 96 percent; and spring wheat, 98 percent. The wheat was considerably ahead of last year’s 16 percent, and the five-year average of 34 percent for the date.

On the row crop side, sugar beets were 97 percent planted, compared with the five-year average of 44 percent.

Potatoes were 76 percent planted, compared with the 39 percent average. Canola was 86 percent planted, compared with zero planted last year at this point and an average of 6 percent for the date.

Spring wheat condition was so far ranked 94 percent good to excellent. Pasture was ranked 69 percent good to excellent.

n Montana

April ended with an intense storm, with power and phone outages across the central part of the state. The state posted its lowest pressure readings in 60 years and 38 mph average wind speeds at Cut Bank on April 29.

Soil moisture is ranked 74 percent adequate to surplus, about equal with the five-year average. Subsoil is 69 percent adequate or surplus, up from the 53 percent average for the date. Even so, 71 percent of the field tillage was well under way, compared with 57 percent average for this date.

Winter wheat was ranked 62 percent in the “good” and “excellent” categories, up from 60 percent the previous week. 84 percent was greening and growing.

Planting of all crops is largely ahead of normal pace. Compared with five-year averages, the May 3 reports showed barley at 63 percent, 51 percent average; camelina, 55 percent, no average; corn, 29 percent, 18 percent average; dry beans, 12 percent, 11 percent average; dry peas, 66 percent, 57 percent average; durum, 32 percent, 26 percent average; lentils, 56 percent, 44 percent average; mustard, 16 percent, 26 percent average; spring wheat, 55 percent, 49 percent average; and sugar beets, 75 percent, 65 percent average.

Calving was 86 percent complete and lambing 73 percent complete, both on par with five-year averages. About 17 percent of cattle and 11 percent of sheep had been moved to pasture, slightly behind average. Pasture conditions were ranked 37 percent good to excellent, about on par with average.

Tags: north dakota, crops, planting, farm, agriculture