MT. VERNON, S.D. - It’s been a dry summer for Dale Neugebauer, who farms in a partnership with his brother, Darrel, on a diversified farm. The two care for a 50-cow dairy Holstein herd, plus a 60-head beef Hereford cow herd, as well as raising crops on about 1,100 acres.
The Neugebauers raise corn, soybeans, wheat, alfalfa and grass hay. About 350 acres to 400 acres are corn in any year, while soybean acres are 250 acres to 300 acres. The rest is wheat and hay ground.
“The moisture came at the right time for the spring wheat,” Neugebauer says. “The average was 70 bushels an acre, which is real exceptional. Protein was 12 percent to 14 percent, and the test weight was 59 to 60 pounds (per bushel). That’s where you want it.”
About a third of the farm’s corn had to be replanted. They’d finished planting at the end of May and beginning of June, and immediately picked up 5.5 inches of precipitation in one week. It crusted over and damaged quite a bit of the seed. That affected germination.
On-off rain
The rain shut off until about 0.4 inches the week of Aug. 8 and another 0.4 inches on the week of Aug. 15.
“It’s something, but we could use a couple of shots like that,” Neugebauer says.
North of U.S. Interstate Highway 90 has had more precipitation than they’ve had in the Mt. Vernon and Stickney, S.D., area, he thought.
More rain might help soybean pods fill out and avoid grasshoppers. The outside edges of the soybeans are feeling the pressure as the insects look to devour anything that’s green. The inside of the fields were looking good, but the hopper impact is as bad as it’s been for two or three years. “It came with the drought, I suppose,” he says. The Neugebauers typically shoot for 40 to 45 bushels per acre. “That remains to be seen,” Neugebauer says. “It might be a little less.”
He is hoping for 120 bushels per acre on the corn this year, a total which would be down from the 150- to 190-bushel yields on certain fields.
Here are summaries of the Aug. 22 weekly crop progress and condition report from the National Agricultural Statistics.
South Dakota
Soil moisture ratings improved, with rainfall totals from 0.5 to 2 inches across south-central and east-central counties. Topsoil moisture now is 63 percent adequate to surplus, while subsoil is 57 percent adequate to surplus. There were 5.4 days suitable for fieldwork.
Farmers continued with a second- or third-cutting of alfalfa, with 22 percent good to excellent. Winter wheat now was 96 percent harvested, just behind the five-year average pace for the date. Spring wheat is 89 percent harvested, ahead of the 76 percent average.
Corn condition is 53 percent good to excellent, with 83 percent in the dough stage and 21 percent in the dent stage - both slightly ahead of average. Soybeans are rated 59 percent good to excellent, with 94 percent setting pods, ahead of the 88 percent average for the date.
Other crop progress included: Sorghum, 54 percent good to excellent and 43 percent turning color, ahead of the 31 percent average for the date. Sunflowers were 53 percent good to excellent, with 77 percent blooming, behind the 86 percent five-year average.
Stock water supplies are rated 68 percent adequate to surplus. Pasture conditions are rated 23 percent poor or very poor, 37 percent fair and 38 percent good to excellent.
North Dakota
Temperatures during the week were below-normal in the southwest half of the state and near-normal in the north. The eastern half of the state received 1 to 3 inches of rain, while much of the west received an inch or less. There were 5.2 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies were rated 82 percent adequate to surplus while subsoil is rated 81 percent adequate to surplus.
Winter wheat is 95 percent harvested, up from 82 percent average. Durum is rated 81 percent good to excellent, with 97 percent coloring, compared to the 84 percent average. Spring wheat harvest is 64 percent complete, compared to 39 percent average. Barley is 77 percent harvested, ahead of 51 percent average. Oats are 80 percent harvested, ahead of 48 percent average.
Corn condition is 79 percent good to excellent, with 71 percent in the dough, 59 percent average, and 19 percent dented, ahead of 13 percent average. Soybeans are 73 percent good to excellent, with 94 percent setting pods and 6 percent dropping leaves - both about average.
Canola is 78 percent good to excellent, with 32 percent harvested, ahead of the 19 percent average for the date. Sunflowers are 73 percent good to excellent, compared to 90 percent average. About 32 percent were harvested, up from the 19 percent average for the date.
Flaxseed is 79 percent good to excellent, with 94 percent coloring, ahead of 78 percent average. Dry peas were 90 percent harvested, up from a 56 percent average. Dry edible beans were 61 percent good to excellent, with 28 percent dropping leaves, ahead of the 19 percent average. Potatoes were rated 42 percent good to excellent, with 11 percent drying vines, compared to the 17 percent average.
Minnesota
Wet fields slowed harvest for some farmers, with only 3.5 days suitable for field work statewide. White mold attacked some soybeans with the continued precipitation. The southeast part of the state reported sudden death syndrome in soybeans. Topsoil is rated 98 percent adequate to surplus and subsoil is 97 percent adequate to surplus.
Corn was rated 86 percent good to excellent, with 90 percent in the dough stage compared to 66 percent average; 31 percent dented, compared with 23 percent average.
Soybeans are rated 80 percent good to excellent, with 95 percent setting pods, ahead of the 89 percent average for the date.
Dry edible beans are 95 percent podded, with 36 percent coloring.
Sugar beets were rated 58 percent good to excellent, with no crop report. Sunflowers rate 58 percent good to excellent, with no development report. About 70 percent of the alfalfa hay received a third cutting, with no average available. Potatoes were 92 percent good to excellent, with 16 percent harvested.
Montana
Over an inch of rain fell in south-central and southeast areas of the state, with temperatures peaking from the mid-80s to 100 degrees in Jordan and Mizpah, Mont. Hail storms hit parts of the northeast, causing added damage to field peas. Small grain crops are ahead-of-normal. Topsoil moisture is 62 percent adequate or better; subsoil is 58 percent adequate to surplus.
Pasture and rangeland conditions continued to deteriorate under hotter, drier-than-normal weather. Just 33 percent rated good to excellent, below the 38 percent five-year average for the date.
Winter wheat is 97 percent harvested, compared with the 88 percent five-year average. Spring wheat is ranked 65 percent good to excellent and is 53 percent harvested, up from the 39 percent average. Barley is 66 percent harvested, ahead of the 53 percent average. Durum is ranked 55 percent good to excellent, and is 42 percent harvested, up from 22 percent average. Oats are 69 percent harvested, up from 47 percent average.
Dry edible beans are rated 51 percent good to excellent, with 69 percent harvested, ahead of the 29 percent average. Potatoes are rated 94 percent good to excellent. Sugar beets are rated 87 percent good to excellent.
Canola is rated 76 percent good to excellent and is 31 percent harvested, just behind the 34 percent average for the date. Flaxseed is rated 54 percent good to excellent and is 12 percent harvested, less than the 20 percent average for the date. Mustard is 45 percent harvested, up from 30 percent average.
Alfalfa hay is 80 percent second-cut, ahead of the 66 percent average. Other hay is 73 percent second-cut, compared with 52 percent average.
