MGGA Weekly Crop Condition Survey - June 2017
June 6, 2017
Mitch Konen - Teton County
Another week of great growing weather here on the Greenfields bench. Water is being applied to crops as needed as soon after the spray rigs make their passes. A lot of variety and stages of crops around the area for sure. A quick little shower Sunday night was met with great relief as top soil was bone dry and the young plants needed just that little bit more to finally make a push for the deeper moisture. Heat stress was very evident in these young fragile plants. The winter wheat and the early barley are jointed and coming on strong. Peas are looking fantastic. Canola, spring wheat, corn and soybeans are doubling in size daily from there rows to near canopy. Irrigation is in full swing and with the varieties of crops should be fairly spread out and not a real burden on the system, but a constant draw.
Moisture Conditions: Good
Precipitation the Past Week: .44
Winter Wheat: Excellent; Booting
Spring Wheat: Excellent; Tillering
Barley: Excellent; Jointing
Other Crops: Canola - 4-5 leaf, Grass - needed a drink and got it
Problems in the Field: Worms(wire and army), flea leaf beetles; wild oats, tansy mustard, dandelions, kochia
When will you begin harvest? Aug 8, 1:30pm
Lochiel Edwards - Chouteau County
Edwardsfarm received .3 precip from a thunderstorm the night of June 4, which likely offered some benefit to spring crops. Not much help to winterwheat, which is under drought stress. The Havre airport reports the driest spring since 1988, a year most of us have unfond memories of. Lots of spring crop on Lonesome Prairie, however, and that can wait a few more days for a good rain. Farmers are pretty well caught up on their fieldwork. Winterwheat is largely headed.
Moisture Conditions: Poor
Precipitation the Past Week: .32
Winter Wheat: Fair; Heading; 40 (bu/A)
Spring Wheat: Good; Jointing; 50 (bu/A)
Other Crops: Safflower
Problems in the Field: Sawfly; cheat, mustard
When will you begin harvest? July 12, 11am
Craig Henke - Liberty County
Things are in need of a good rain. Re crop winter wheat heading for disaster. Fallow winter wheat showing stress, spring wheat looks good yet. Pulse crops look great, busy spraying lentils and chickpeas, no problems with mud holes now. With lots of water in Marias river so we are busy irrigating again. Saw one combine in field, organic neighbor clipping top of mustard off.
Moisture Conditions: Fair
Precipitation the Past Week: 3-5 tenths
Winter Wheat: Fair; Heading; 30 (bu/A)
Spring Wheat: Good; Booting; 30 (bu/A)
Problems in the Field: Cheat grass everywhere
When will you begin harvest? Might have recrop done if no rain
Leonard Schock - McCone County
"The Party's Over"
Turn out the lights
The party's over
They say that
All good things must end
Call it tonight
The party's over
And tomorrow starts
The same old thing again
June 13, 2017
Mitch Konen - Teton County
It is time for another crop survey this Tuesday morning and I don't have much else to do but sit and watch it rain. We have received a little over an inch of rain since it started with a big bang last night. Perfect timing for some of these late seeded spring crops as they weren't quite big enough to be irrigated without leaching some nutrients away. The barley and grass pastures have all been irrigated and was contemplating starting the spring wheat and canola until the clouds opened up. Sprayers still making passes across fields here and there and I still need to spray some fungicide on the spring wheat and canola. Wheat hay has been getting knocked down as well as a few other grass hay fields. Crops are looking grand here on the Greenfields bench and everything is green as far as the eye can see. The markets are holding their own and staying strong. Can't help the smiley face. ;<)
Moisture Conditions: Excellent
Precipitation the Past Week: 1.0" - 1.3"
Winter Wheat: Excellent; Heading
Spring Wheat: Excellent; Tillering
Barley: Excellent; Booting
Other Crops: Canola - 5-6 leaf soon to bolt; Grass hay - getting a good drink, guess we have a few more days to ready the haying equipment; Others - peas are blooming, garbs and lentils all coming on well, soybeans and corn as well
Problems in the Field: Cereal leaf beetles; wild oats, kochia, lambsquarterWhen will you begin harvest? Aug 8, 1:30pm
Lochiel Edwards - Chouteau County
Another difficult week for crops on Lonesome Prairie. Winterwheat heads are whitecapping, but not all. Spring wheat is blue and pushing out the flagleaf, and holes are burning. Anything recropped is at peril, unless recently seeded. A big rain has been forecast for tomorrow, the 13th, although the weatherman's expected accumulation has been in decline for the past couple days. We shall see.......
Moisture Conditions: Poor
Precipitation the Past Week: 0
Winter Wheat: Fair; Heading; 40 (bu/A)
Spring Wheat: Poor; Booting; 30 (bu/A)
Other Crops: Safflower
Problems in the Field: Sawfly; cheat and mustard; drought disease
When will you begin harvest? July 8, 10am
Craig Henke - Liberty County
Ready for a good soaker, raining this morning. Things are in dire need of a drink. Recrop winter wheat looking bleak, but a nice inch could help to finish filling. Busy spraying chickpeas, and irrigated spring wheat and canola. Range land going downhill fast. Ready to start to swath hay on pivots.
Moisture Conditions: Fair
Precipitation the Past Week: .48 and need more
Winter Wheat: Fair; Filling; 30 (bu/A)
Spring Wheat: Good; Heading; 30 (bu/A)
Other Crops: Pulse crops look great
Greg Mathews - Judith Basin County
Been another dry week and lots of wind. Started haying on the 6th, a first, and not much there, about a half a crop or less. Winter wheat is showing drought effects, but is trying to head, spring crops are looking great for now. Hoping for a big rain this next week. Some early peas are starting to flower.
Moisture Conditions: Fair
Precipitation the Past Week: 0
Winter Wheat: Fair; Heading; 30 (bu/A)
Barley: Excellent; 4-leaf
Other Crops: Peas really grew the last 2 weeks starting to shade the ground
Robert Bold - Fergus County
We have puddles around, received little over ¾” precip. – good timing. But my brother at Big Sandy only got 12/100ths.
Comment for last week: I’ve NEVER seen haying in full swing around here on the 29th of May – to date over half the hay acres are on the ground or in the bale. Almost like Arizona - speaking of Arizona, sure is dry. Glasgow’s in tough shape; in fact anywhere east of Malta very dry.
Kurt Voss - McCone & Dawson County
Crops in the area are very poor. Late or shallow seeded crops had spotty emergence. Some acres have had less than 2 tenths of an inch of moisture all year. Worst crops since the 1980's. Early crops are holding somewhat but need rain in the next 2-5 days as they are now turning yellow.
Moisture Conditions: Poor
Precipitation the Past Week: Nothing of significance for month and a half
Winter Wheat: Poor; Filling; 10 (bu/A)
Spring Wheat: Poor; Jointing
Other Crops: Peas - poor; 10 bushel
When will you begin harvest? Some acres probably won't be harvested. WW being hayed if it is good enough
June 20, 2017
Mitch Konen - Teton County
Another week of good weather has passed with the crops reaching for the sky. Water demand has subsided for a little while as the crops have a wide range of stages between the different crops. The barley, hay and grass has been pretty irrigated for the first round. The pulse crops are a little behind with some just starting in on them. Just started the spring wheat irrigation after putting the fungicide down on it over the weekend. Grass and hay crops are starting to hit the ground with a fervor. The moisture from the earlier rains are starting to dwindle. Need to hit the canola with a fungicide then turn the water on it soon as well. It is nice to have several crops spread out over time, but hard on the patience level when not used to it.
Moisture Conditions: Good
Precipitation the Past Week: None
Winter Wheat: Excellent; Heading
Spring Wheat: Excellent; Booting
Barley: Excellent; Heading
Other Crops: Canola - just starting into bolt; Grass/ hay - getting made into bales
Problems in the Field: Cereal leaf beetles; wild oats, kochia, lambsquarter, milk weed
When will you begin harvest? Aug 8, 1:30pm
Craig Henke - Liberty County
Very nice rain, between 1-2 inches. Things look lots better now. Haying is in full swing, nice drying weather this week. Chickpeas started blooming last week, lentils not yet. Busy irrigating, haying, and spraying fungicide on chickpeas.
Moisture Conditions: Good
Precipitation the Past Week: 1-2 inches
Winter Wheat: Fair; Filling; 30 (bu/A)
Spring Wheat: Good; Heading; 30 (bu/A)
Vince Mattson - Liberty County
Moisture Conditions: Fair
Precipitation the Past Week: 1.2"
Winter Wheat: Good; Filling; 50 (bu/A)
Spring Wheat: Good; Jointing; 30 (bu/A)
Other Crops: Chickpeas and lentils are starting to flower and look very good.
Problems in the Field: Cut worms in the pulse crops; no disease yet...
When will you begin harvest? July 24??
Greg Mathews - Judith Basin County
Finally got some rain and it really helped the crops. This end of the county got 1.11 and the rest of the county got more. Most of the grass is headed out and haying is rolling along fast with mixed reports on tonnage. Have had a lot of interest in hay as the area to the east has little to no hay. People wanting from 50 to 1200 ton. The end of the week has been nice and cool but the darn wind has to blow every day. Hope the rest of you had a big rain and a great week.
Moisture Conditions: Good
Precipitation the Past Week: 1.13
Winter Wheat: Good; Heading; 40 (bu/A)
Barley: Excellent; Jointing; 70 (bu/A)
Other Crops: Peas are flowering just right for rain last week and the cool temps. Had to spray the summerfallow again
When will you begin harvest? Sometime in July
Robert Bold - Fergus County
What a difference a week makes! Last week we had a very nice rain. Since then the wind, soil transpiration and evaporation have taken place in a big way. The winter wheat could almost be made with the current moisture. All the spring crops need one more not in the forecast rain. Peas are blooming. Spring wheat flag leaf. Barley tillering and well on its way. Hay is well over 65% put up. Haying started here on May 28th & 29th. Never have I seen haying start that early. Production under the last 3 good years and slightly under 10 year average.
Moisture Conditions: Fair
Precipitation the Past Week: None
Winter Wheat: Good; Filling
Spring Wheat: Fair; Booting
Barley: Fair; Jointing
Terry Angvick - Sheridan County
Was hoping to have something good to report on crop conditions, but really don't. Severely dry conditions persist. This a very large area that reaches out well beyond the Sheridan County boundaries. Most of this area has received less than 1" of precipitation since April 1st. Early seeded crops emerged well but are starting to head out. They are turning that ugly grey-green color. First peas are just starting to bloom and are 8-10 inches tall. Many fields that were seeded from mid-May on had poor emergence. 20-50% of fields never came up and seeds are lying in dry soil.
Moisture Conditions: Poor
Precipitation the Past Week: .03-.20". Largest rain so far this year was .24 on April 19th
Winter Wheat: Not Seeded
Spring Wheat: Poor; Booting; 10 (bu/A)
Barley: Not Seeded
Other Crops: Peas just beginning to bloom. Yield est = 10 bu (maybe). Lentils will begin to bloom in the next week. Most fields are very short...6-8".
Problems in the Field: Dry conditions have prompted many to forego spraying. Could be a big problem later.
When will you begin harvest? Middle of July for peas. Will be a fast one for all crops!
Alex Smith - Big Horn County
How fast things can change. From getting stuck in the mud to cracks in the dry ground. Never got a rain on my top dressed fertilizer and crops are nutrient starved. Too wet to seed and that was the end of it. Moisture down deep but crop is short and not looking too good. Winter wheat in the area looks great but dryland spring crops are tough.
Moisture Conditions: Fair
Precipitation the Past Week: Trace
Winter Wheat: Excellent; Filling; 60 (bu/A)
Spring Wheat: Fair; Heading; 30 (bu/A)
Barley: Fair; Booting; 40 (bu/A)
Other Crops: Alfalfa looks great and quite a bit is swathed and some baled
Problems in the Field: Cereal leaf beetle
When will you begin harvest? WW July 20?
Matt Flikkema - Gallatin County
Things are progressing very nicely in the past week. Abundant moisture fell last week along with some hail damage in the valley on the Monday afternoon storm. Rainfall amounts are anywhere from 2 plus inches to 1.5 since about the 10th of June. The hail damaged some of the winter wheat, mostly flag leaves destroyed but hurt some the canola and spring wheat and barley.
Moisture Conditions: Excellent
Precipitation the Past Week: 2.00"
Winter Wheat: Excellent; Heading; 70 (bu/A)
Spring Wheat: Excellent; Booting; 100 (bu/A)
Barley: Excellent; Booting; 80 (bu/A)
Other Crops: Canola is bolting
When will you begin harvest? 6 wks
June 27, 2017
Mitch Konen - Teton County
First round of irrigation is done with others starting back in on the barley. Haying is in full swing. Someone turned the oven up because it is getting a bit warm out. Crops are suffering if they don't get water as the faucet has been shut off from above. Grass is getting real dry and fire hazard has increased.
Moisture Conditions: Excellent
Precipitation the Past Week: None
Winter Wheat: Excellent; Filling
Spring Wheat: Excellent; Booting
Barley: Excellent; Heading
Other Crops: Canola is bolting. Peas and other pulses are blooming. Grass hay is being knocked down soon to get wrapped.
Problems in the Field: Wild oats
When will you begin harvest? After Lockie
Greg Mathews - Judith Basin County
Been a nice a cool week and the winter wheat sure needed it. It looks as it pulled moisture from deep and stop the blue look. The haying is finishing up and the winter wheat is starting to turn, way too early for that. The barley is continuing to come along as all is about headed out and the peas are in full bloom. Sure need a rain, reports about east of here are disastrous, people are looking for hay and selling cattle.
Moisture Conditions: Fair
Winter Wheat: Fair; Turning; 50 (bu/A)
Barley: Good; Filling
Robert Bold - Fergus County
Well, I think the drought is here. I see on the drought monitor maps the drought expansion. The winter wheat is pretty well made. There will be protein this year. Yields at this point look to be about in line with the 20 year county average. All the spring crops need moisture now. The spring wheat is heading under stress. Peas are blooming but the pod set appears too small. There is not much hay left to be cut and put up in this area. The newer stands did well. All the older stands had sub average yields. Not much hay put up 20 or 30 miles east of here. This is as dry as 1988. The biggest difference up to now is the temperature is less than 1988.
Moisture Conditions: Poor
Precipitation the Past Week: None
Winter Wheat: Fair; Soft dough
Spring Wheat: Fair; Heading
Barley: Poor; Booting
Terry Angvick - Sheridan County
Still no appreciable rain over the entire region. There were a few hundredths on a couple of occasions, but nothing beneficial. Crops continue to deteriorate, with pea and lentil fields flowering at very short heights. There are very few flowers, and with very few flowers = very few pods = very low yields. The early durum is heading at least two weeks ahead of schedule and also very short. There will not be much of a harvest this season, as a good many acres did not emerge. The seeds either germinated and died, or are laying in dry soil.
Moisture Conditions: Poor
Precipitation the Past Week: Minimal
Winter Wheat: Not Seeded
Spring Wheat: Poor; Booting; 10 (bu/A)
Barley: Not Seeded
Other Crops: As stated above
Problems in the Field: Many have abandoned spraying this year. Fields are actually not too bad. Any appreciable rain will bring on the lurking little bastards! Too dry to see any disease problems. Some early tan spot.
When will you begin harvest? 3rd to 4th week in July for peas. Looking at a 5-10 bu crop. Lentils will be very short, and we will have a difficult time cutting the short and low yielding crop.
Kurt Voss - McCone & Dawson County
Best spring wheat has potential for around 20 bushel. Poorer spring wheat is partly headed or just coming up after the little rain that was received 2 weeks ago, this wheat is likely to be hay at best most likely grazing. Crops in the general area very poor due to severe drought. Most winter wheat in the area was hayed as it was worth more in hay then grain.
Moisture Conditions: Poor
Precipitation the Past Week: None
Winter Wheat: Not Seeded; Turning
Spring Wheat: Poor; Heading; 10 (bu/A)
Barley: Not Seeded
Other Crops: Peas are filling some pods and still flowering. Cool weather helping if we could get another rain they have potential to yield 10-20.
When will you begin harvest? July, some acres will not make harvest.
Alex Smith - Big Horn County
Winter wheat and hay that benefited from the early big rains are in great shape. Spring crops turned when the faucet was turned off and are suffering. The pastures have some green in them and lots of growth, but could use a big rain. Rating moisture as fair because there is some moisture down deep but the top is very, very dry. Most dryland winter wheat looks around 50-60 but see some 80's.
Moisture Conditions: Fair
Precipitation the Past Week: .2
Winter Wheat: Excellent; Turning; 60 (bu/A)
Spring Wheat: Poor; Heading; 30 (bu/A)
Barley: Fair; Heading; 40 (bu/A)
Other Crops: Hay yields are good 2-3 tons/ac.
When will you begin harvest? WW July 15-20