KENNEBEC, S.D. - The 2016 crops are largely on track in the region, especially in Kennebec, S.D., where the focus is on a new Wheat Growers Elevator and Agronomy Center.
About 250 patrons and guests attended an open house for the complex on June 14. The state-of-the-art facility features a shuttle loading capacity of 80,000 bushels an hour, a 110-car circle track and truck receiving capacity of 60,000 bushels per hour. The site has 4.08 million in storage and is served by the Dakota Southern Railroad that operates a 41-mile rehabilitated Chamberlain-to-Presho heavy rail line.
Dale Locken, Wheat Growers CEO, said his company is making good on a promise to build a facility if the rail improvements were made.
Hal Clemensen, board chairman from Conde, S.D., said the construction has been on time and on budget.
Crops in the area are largely winter wheat, corn, grain sorghum and sunflowers.
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Preston Cox, a sales agronomist with the Agronomy Center, which opened in February, said farms in his area were very wet this spring, with six inches of rain in a two-week period. “Things got slowed down, but out here, with the type of soil we have, things got back to normal pretty good,” he said. “Planting carried on for the most part, as it should have.”
Some farmers who tried to save money by not using foliar fungicide, now expect 20 to 50 percent yield losses, Cox said. “But a lot of guys are farming for profit, and doing things as a precaution rather than a rescue treatment,” he said. “They’re staying ahead of the game.”
Here is a snapshot of the region’s crops, as reported by the National Agricultural Statistics Service state for the week ending June 13.
South Dakota Warm temperatures caused alfalfa and pasture conditions to decline, with 6.1 days suitable for field work. Topsoil moisture was 78 percent adequate to surplus, subsoil was 82 percent adequate to surplus. Winter wheat condition was 71 percent good to excellent, with 90 percent headed, ahead of the 55 percent five-year average.
Corn was rated 72 percent good to excellent, with 94 percent emerged, ahead of the 92 percent average. Soybeans were rated 75 percent good to excellent, with 80 percent emerged, ahead of the 70 percent average.
Spring wheat was rated 68 percent good to excellent, with 28 percent headed, compared to the 21 percent average. Oats were 68 percent good to excellent, with 47 percent headed compared to the 21 percent average. Sorghum was 81 percent good, with 53 percent emerged compared to the 36 percent five-year average.
North Dakota Temperatures were above long-term averages by 3 to 6 degrees in the northeast and 9 to 12 degrees in the southwest. Northern parts of the state received 1 to 2 inches of rain, while the south received little. Herbicide applications were slowed by wind, with 5.6 days suitable for field work. Topsoil moisture was 84 percent adequate to surplus, while subsoil was 82 percent adequate or better.
Corn was rated 82 percent good to excellent, with 97 percent emerged, ahead of the 83 percent average. Soybeans were 81 percent good to excellent, with 89 percent emerged, ahead of the 61 percent average. Sunflowers were 93 percent planted, ahead of the 73 percent average, and 63 percent emerged. Canola was rated 85 percent good to excellent, with 96 percent emerged, compared to 72 percent average.
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Other crop rankings in the good to excellent categories were: flax, 84 percent; dry peas, 91 percent; dry edible beans, 71 percent; potatoes, 79 percent. Alfalfa was rated 65 percent good to excellent, with the first cutting 24 percent complete, compared to 4 percent last year. Sugar beets were rated 70 percent good to excellent.
Minnesota One-fifth of the first cutting of alfalfa was completed as of June 13. Topsoil moisture was 92 per adequate to surplus. Subsoil moisture was 92 percent adequate to surplus. The southeast corner of the state received up to 2 inches of rain, while the southwest part of the state received almost nothing.
Corn was rated 60 percent good to excellent. Soybeans were 96 percent emerged and rated 77 percent good to excellent, up from 74 percent the previous week. Dry edible beans were 88 percent emerged, compared to a 56 percent average for the date, and were rated 60 percent good to excellent.
Other crop ratings in the good to excellent categories were: barley, 71 percent; hay, 85 percent; oats, 71 percent; pasture, 72 percent; potatoes, 88 percent; sugar beets, 90 percent; and spring wheat, 68 percent.
Montana Nearly all parts of the state reported precipitation. Warm weather is pushing crop development, with most crops ahead of five-year average development
Winter wheat was rated 64 percent good to excellent, which is ahead of the 59 percent five-year average, with 66 percent headed, compared to the 24 percent average for the date. Spring wheat was 63 percent good to excellent compared to the 58 percent average, with 32 percent in the boot, compared to 14 percent average. Barley was 69 percent good to excellent compared to 58 percent average, with 30 percent in the boot stage, compared to 20 percent average. Durum was 55 percent good to excellent, with no average comparison, with 9 percent emerged compared to a 73 percent average. The state’s pasture and range conditions were 15 percent poor to very poor, 39 percent fair, and 46 percent good to excellent.
