MGGA Weekly Crop Condition Survey

 

 

May 29, 2018

Terry Angvick - Sheridan County
A lot of seeding done this past week. All pulse crops in and finishing up durum seeding. I would say 90% complete. Crops look good. Had .3-1.0 “ of precip around the county this past week. Occasional scattered showers as well. Need more, but no complaints! Moisture conditions are good receiving .3-1.2 precipitation in the past week. Spring wheat is good in the 2-leaf growth stage with an expected 30 (bu/A). Pulse crops emerged and look good. Fields that weren’t rolled immediately after landing are being rolled now. Problems in the field are the fields left to be seeded have a pretty good growth of tansy. Ugly and good moisture users. Will begin harvest early August for pulse crops and mid to late for durum.

Robert Bold - Fergus County
Well, Mother Nature did it to us again--crammed 7 weeks of weather into 4 weeks of spring work. Winter wheat spraying is about done. No spring crop spraying yet. Most chem fallow is done. A lot of top dressing going on. Big crop of mosquitos. Moisture conditions are good receiving .25 precipitation in the past week. Winter wheat is good in the 4-leaf growth stage. Spring wheat is good in the 2-leaf growth stage. Barley is good in the 4-leaf growth stage. Big, big crop of first cutting hay on the way. I am guessing that haying will be completely or almost completely done by June 20th. Not many pulse crops this year. Problems in the field are lots of kochia.

Lochiel Edwards - Chouteau County
Lonesome Prairie is typically a country of square block fields. But this spring, we have been farming like a bunch of cowboys, weaving in and out to skirt waterholes and coulees we didn't know we had. The tow cables are feeling stretched. That said, it has been a while since beneficial rain, and the winter wheat is on the verge of moisture stress. Memorial Day saw many farmers still planting, and many summerfallow fields still not burned down. All in all, crops look great! Moisture conditions are good receiving zero precipitation in the past week. Winter wheat is excellent in the booting growth stage with an expected 70 (bu/A). Spring wheat is excellent in the 4-leaf growth stage with an expected 50 (bu/A). Problems in the field are sawfly, cheat and mustard. Will  begin harvest on July 20th at 2pm.

Todd Hansen - Hill County
Seem to be caught up for the moment. Everything seems to be growing very well. Could use a rain soon. Hope to see you at the MGGA golf tournament. Moisture conditions are good receiving 0 precipitation the past week.

Mitch Konen - Teton County
Spring has really sprung, right into summer. The nights are even warm, so making for good growing weather. With the moisture received this spring everything is green as green can be. Have had to mow the yards several times already trying to keep the yard grass under control. Most of the seeding is done around here. Even a little reseeding where the hail and rain crusted the ground. Gears have been changed to spraying duties and soon the irrigation cycle will begin. Overall, the crops were put in a couple weeks late but the growth pattern has fairly well caught up to about normal timing on average. Hope everyone had a good Memorial Day weekend remembering those who gave of themselves for our freedoms and lifestyles. Moisture conditions are excellent receiving .4 precipitation in the past week. Winter wheat is excellent in the tillering growth stage. Spring wheat and barley are both excellent in the 2-leaf growth stage. Dryland hay looks really good. Problems in the field are wild oats, kochia and lambsquarter.

Trevor Wolery - Hill County
The heat lately has been ideal growing conditions for kochia with the last seven consecutive days being over 80 degrees. Spotty showers on 5/23 receiving .05 of moisture. Spring wheat planting finished on 5/24. Winter wheat is showing a bit of stress but is still considered excellent. Earlier sowed spring wheat will need a herbicide application middle of next week with later sowed spring wheat just emerging. Lentils, I think are growing, I have given up watching those fickle dainty things, especially when the neighbor's looks better. At the moment, chem fallow seems to have the most yield potential.

Alex Smith - Big Horn County
I wish I could put some of this rain on the shelf and apply it later. My farming is split up over 15 miles and heavy rain varied over the area. Some WW around looks excellent and some is poor. Some of the poorest is on other growers irrigated fields that were level and didn't drain well. Spring seeding was late but things are jumping out of the ground with good moisture at seeding and some nice temperatures. Thinking about calling a plane in for some of the spraying due to water logged fields if they don't firm up real soon. Moisture conditions are excellent receiving 3.0 to 5.1 precipitation in the past week. Winter wheat is good in the tillering growth stage with an expected 60 (bu/A). Barley is excellent in the 4-leaf growth stage. Alfalfa is 18in tall and excellent. Triticale is 2-leaf. Problems in the field are the alfalfa weevil is just showing up, the usual for weeds with prickly lettuce being the worst, and no diseases yet but I expect it to show up with all the moisture.

Greg Mathews - Judith Basin County
The WW is finally looking better. Still some that is drowning out and some of the spring crop has died out due to standing in water. Like always it's on the best ground. Hay is growing fast and looks great. Looks like the WW is going to be short for straw. Some still seeding, had rain Tues. and Wed. .52 total. >04 on Saturday night. Will try to get grass and alfalfa in next week. People still getting stuck in the fields, others declaring PP. Moisture conditions are excellent receiving .56 precipitation in the past week. Winter wheat is good in the 5-leaf growth stage with an expected 40 (bu/A). Spring wheat is excellent in the 2-leaf growth stage with an expected 40 (bu/A). Barley is excellent in the 2-leaf growth stage with an expected 50 (bu/A). Problems in the field are lots of fan weed and tansy mustard and have not seen any insects. 

 

May 22, 2018

Matt Flikkema - Gallatin County
Moisture conditions here are excellent with 1-2" precip in the past week. Winter wheat is excellent, at 5-leaf, with 60 bu/A yield potential. Spring wheat is excellent, at 3-leaf and has 100 bu/A potential. Barley is excellent, at 4-leaf, with 80 bu/A potential. Most other crops have just been or are yet to be seeded. Most cereal crops are seeded and 80% emerged; potatoes are being planted...about 20% of that crop is in the ground.

Trevor Wolery - Hill County
Spring started out like the Kentucky Derby in these parts, except I left the gate riding a Shetland. Planting is 85% complete. Moisture conditions are excellent. Winter wheat for this area would be considered excellent. Lentils and spring grain are emerging. Received .3 of precipitation on 5/18 which helped with crusting issues from previous thundershower. Winter Wheat needs UAN and Herbicide application, chem fallow needs sprayer or swather.

Greg Mathews - Judith Basin County
Only one day of work for last week, with .98 hundreds of total precip. There is still water standing in some fields. Some are going to prevent plant as they will not get in. The winter wheat looks from good to poor; some of the early spring crop looks better than the winter wheat, some looks yellow and orange and others spindley. Seeding, still trying to make a go of it. Lots of grass and alfalfa going in. Hay crop looks great if there was no winterkill. Still a lot of fertilizer to be spread - I have a plane coming to spread where it is too wet and muddy and no possible way to stay on top. Moisture conditions are excellent receiving .98 precipitation in the past week. Winter wheat is good in the 3-leaf growth stage with an expected 40 (bu/A). Spring wheat is excellent in the 1-leaf growth stage. Barley is excellent in the 1-leaf growth stage. Problems in the field are water and wet spots.

Terry Angvick - Sheridan County
A lot of acres were seeded this past week. No rain delays, which is good and bad! Surface moisture is drying fast with winds and highest temps. Early seeded crop are emerged and look good. Need a rain pretty badly. In this area, I would say most pulse crops are seeded. As far as spring wheat and durum, probably 60%. A lot happening this past week. Moisture conditions are good with no precip in the past week. Spring wheat is good and at 1-leaf with estimated yield potential of 30 bu/A. Peas and lentils are emerging and look good so far.

Mitch Konen - Teton County
Still not done seeding. Big t-storm, hail 3" deep, rain adding up to an inch hit last Wednesday night at supper time. It was a real toad floater. My weather station recorded right at 1" of rain coming down at 7.5" an hour. You do the math, a lot of moisture in a short period of time. It beat up the winter wheat and pounded all the fresh seeded ground into a hardpan. This storm took a path across the Greenfields about 2 miles wide. Some folks are still dry and finishing their seeding. Have had close to 3" of rain total for the month. Folks are getting the winter wheat sprayed this week. Most all crops are rowed up if seeded prior to last week. Dryland grass has a good start and is looking great. Finally moved cows to grass as the yard was just getting too sloppy. 1 cow to calve, she is on her own. Moisture conditions are excellent with 1.25" precip in the past week. Winter wheat is excellent, at 5-leaf stage. Spring wheat and barley are excellent at 2-leaf. Dryland grass has a great start. Lots of weed problems are developing. 

 

May 15, 2018

Alex Smith - Big Horn County
Still struggling to get seeding completed. Lost three days with a weekend fan problem on the air seeder. Finished the barley but had to seed before spraying cheat grass. Due to the forecast I didn't think I could get both done before the rain. And it came, fields muddy. Now just hope I can get it sprayed before barley emerges. Risky business. Most dryland seeded but a fair amount of irrigated not completed. I don't have irrigated. Fertilizer companies are behind top dressing. Moisture conditions are excellent receiving .6 to 1.0 of precipitation in the past week. Winter wheat is good. Barley is excellent and germinating. Alfalfa looks great.

Dan Works - Chouteau County
A very wet week last week. Field work came to an abrupt halt Thursday! We received 1.8" Thursday- Friday. Still very wet here, I hope to get back to planting later today. It has been a interesting spring to say the least. Many have had to go to the shed and retrieve that long lost tow cable. Moisture conditions are excellent receiving 1.8 of precipitation in the past week. Winter wheat is excellent in the 5-leaf growth stage with an expected 60 (bu/A). Spring wheat is excellent, germinating, with expected 60 (bu/A). Lentils and chickpeas are emerging, as are skeeters from the water traps. Cheat, kochia and russian thistle also seem to like the moisture.

Boyd Heilig - Fergus County
Had a good week of field work. Finished seeding on Tuesday night and sprayed some winter wheat on Wednesday. Weeds are growing too fast. Have had around two inches of rain since Wednesday night. Moisture conditions are excellent. Winter wheat is good in the tillering growth stage with an expected 40 (bu/A). Spring wheat is good in the 2-leaf growth stage with an expected 30 (bu/A). Problems in the field are prickly lettuce.

Todd Hansen - Hill County
Still behind; trying not to have anymore self inflicted down time. Lentils are in, barley is in, working on DNS. Moisture conditions are excellent receiving .5-1.22 of precipitation with hail in the past week.

Greg Mathews - Judith Basin County
Been a lot of rain around this last week, amounts vary depending on where you look. Hobson between 2-6 inches, here at home 2.45 as of Saturday am, Gap area 2-4 inches, Moore area 2-4 inches. The ww is looking like it needs a big boost of growth, lots of thin stands. Wet spots in a lot of fields, talk of getting a plane to put on fertilizer, some are looking at preventive plant, still a lot of acres to go in. Tow truck has been very busy. Moisture conditions are excellent receiving 2.48 of precipitation in the past week. Winter wheat is good in the 3-leaf growth stage with an expected 40 (bu/A). Spring wheat is good and germinating. Barley is excellent and germinating.

Terry Angvick - Sheridan County
Like everywhere else, quite a flurry of activity. All spring crops planted in this area. Mostly durum and spring wheat as far as grains, and pulse crops. Peas, chickpeas and lentils with a lot of chickpeas going in, chasing prices. Still far behind normal. Probably 30-40% seeded. Good moisture conditions for seeding, but surface drying fast in warmer temps and wind. Overall have moisture depth to about one foot. Maybe a little more in some areas. Need rains to catch up and replenish soil profile. Moisture conditions are good receiving no precipitation in the past week. Winter wheat has not been seeded. Spring wheat conditions are good with expected 30 (bu/A). Barley has not been seeded. Still planting pulse crops though a lot has been seeded, early seeded have been and are being rolled. Last year's skeletons are providing great entertainment! Skpping spraying in crop turns out to be a poor decision; saved money but created a whole new set of problems. Expect to harvest late July for pulse crops and August for durum; will know more as year progresses.

Mitch Konen - Teton County
There is another push to finish getting the crops into the ground this week. After the unsettled weather and a good shot of moisture the later part of last week, tractors are starting to roll again trying to finish up seeding the landscape. A lot of the earlier crops are rowed-up and the later seeded are just starting to. Will be a hodgepodge of crops on the bench again this year by the sounds of things. Malt barley, winter and spring wheat, canola, soybeans, corn, cranberry beans, chickpeas, green peas, and maybe even some lentils. The diversity across the bench has just been amazing to watch after what once was fence to fence malt barley. The water in the canal for irrigation arrived in Fairfield Sunday night. The Sun River is running bank full with a little low land flooding occurring. So far the streamflow has been controlled the best it can be. With the recent rain, soil water content has left us in excess again. So the profile remains in good shape. It is gonna be problematic to get the last few acres seeded on my farm as I do have a few water holes and moppy ground that probably won't get seeded. Should finish in the next day or so. Moisture conditions are excellent receiving 1.25 of precipitation in the past week. Winter wheat condition is excellent in the 4-leaf growth stage. Spring wheat is excellent and germinating. Barley is excellent and germinating.Grass is growing strong and dryland hay is looking real good so far. Problems in the field are wild oats, kochia and lambsquarter.

 

May 8, 2018

Robert Bold - Fergus County
Done seeding barley. Seeding spring wheat now. Too late in our opinion for pulses this year. Plus the pulse price/contracts are not as good as previously. Seeding conditions just excellent. We expected more mud holes and pot holes considering all the snow we had the last half of this past winter. But the run off this spring was not like it was in 2011 and 2013. Tyler Lane, Chouteau County Extension, had his comments correct when he said that even in a recrop situation, there was a full charge of soil moisture. Moisture conditions are excellent receiving trace of precipitation in the past week. Winter wheat is excellent in the 4-leaf growth stage. Spring wheat has not been seeded but 30 (bu/A) is expected. Barley is good. Problems in the field are lots of broad leaf weeds, but don't see any grass weeds yet. 

Todd Hansen - Hill County
So far behind, I think I’m in first place. Moisture conditions are good. Will begin harvest after Lochiel.

Greg Mathews - Judith Basin County
Finished seeding Sunday morning, only got stuck once, had to have tow truck in to get out. That field now waiting to dry out and will be seeded to alfalfa after the 15th, Top dressing still in full swing, WW seems slow to grow, grass and alfalfa have dead spots in some fields. .13 last Monday. Moisture conditions are excellent receiving .13 of precipitation in the past week. Winter wheat is excellent with an expected 50 (bu/A). Spring wheat is excellent and germinating. Barley is excellent and germinating with an expected 50 (bu/A). 

Terry Angvick - Sheridan County
Slow start in this area. Probably two weeks behind normal. Most field work started last week. I would say that about 20% of County is seeded. Pulse crops are typically seeded first, followed by spring wheat and durum. Rain about 7-10 days ago delayed seeding, but gave great topsoil moisture. Moisture conditions are good receiving no precipitation in the past week. Winter wheat, spring wheat and barley have not been seeded but conditions for them are good. Peas and lentils are going in now. Early seeded in past 7-10 days is germinating, crops still being planted. Problems in the field are mostly delayed seeding that will put a big rush on planting. A lot of fields were not sprayed in crop or after harvest so these fields are a mess and will present a problem getting through the old trash.

Mitch Konen - Teton County
A lot of ground got covered this last week with seeding equipment. Favorable conditions as far as the weather goes helped get things in gear. Soil moisture conditions couldn't be better with it being on the verge of excessive. The grass is taking off with the direct sunlight and it definitely is warmer. Almost too warm as the snowpack is coming out of the lower elevations and the reservoirs are full and the flood gates have been opened on Gibson Dam to release excess flow down the Sun River. Received .32" of rain Monday down here on the Greenfields which has halted planting for a day or so, with more in the forecast later in the week. I have only a few days of seeding remaining, but it might be a drawn out affair with the forecast. Moisture conditions are excellent receiving .32" of precipitation in the past week. Winter wheat is excellent in the 3-leaf growth stage. Spring wheat and barley are germinating.

 

May 1, 2018

Alex Smith - Big Horn County
Not much field work done yet. Some spraying and a few isolated dryland seeding areas. Just a very, very few irrigated fields seeded and little tillage done. Fields are very wet with record snowfall, cool cloudy days and frequent rains. Snow as recently as 4/26/18. Raining Sunday afternoon and Monday, raining this Tues AM. Irrigated guys that are used to seeding in Feb, sometimes even Jan are going crazy. Moisture conditions are excellent receiving .65 of precipitation in the past week. Winter wheat is good in the 5-leaf growth stage with an expected 60 (bu/A). Spring wheat and barley have not been seeded. Alfalfa looks great and some roundup spraying completed. Problems in the field are that it is too wet to do much with springs running out of hillside on a couple of fields. The usual prickley lettuce, fanweed and a few cheat areas have made an appearance. A fair amount of the WW needs sun and drying and some areas in heavy stubble seeding look kind of sick while lighter SW or barley stubble looks good; too long under the snow and spring rains.

Boyd Heilig - Fergus County
Had a few good days of seeding last week. Had the winter wheat top-dressed. Moisture conditions are excellent receiving 1/3 inch of precipitation in the past week. Winter wheat is excellent in the tillering growth stage with an expected 40 (bu/A). Spring wheat is good in the germinating grwoth stage with an expected 40 (bu/A). 

Greg Mathews - Judith Basin County
It has been a week of mixed blessings. First it snowed on Sunday night and Monday morning and a little rain (.49). Then the sun and wind came and started to dry things out. Was able to spray on Thursday and Friday but found some fields were too wet or just plain muddy. Will start seeding some spring wheat late Saturday and should have the dry fields done by Monday if it doesn't rain or snow again. Top dressing is going in full swing and a few started to seed this week. Moisture conditions are excellent receiving .49 of precipitation in the past week. Winter wheat is good in the 2-leaf growth stage. Problems in the field are weeds being all over the place.

Kurt Voss - McCone/Dawson County
Finally got some seed in the ground the last week of April. Seeding into good moisture. With recent rain just waiting for things to dry up a little to get going again. Looking like it will continue to be a late planting year. Moisture conditions are good receiving 7/10ths of precipitation in the past week. Winter wheat is not seeded. 

Mitch Konen - Teton County
This past week saw a good push for sowing seed. The snow banks have disappeared from the field edges and the stubble is also disappearing as field work has begun with a fervor. Started seeding spring wheat over the weekend. The local fertilizer services are maxed out on application services but are rolling along trying to keep everyone covered. Winter wheat is greening up nicely. Cool season grasses are greening up well while the warm season grasses are just getting started. Moisture conditions are excellent receiving no precipitation in the past week. Winter wheat is excellent in the 2-leaf growth stage. Spring wheat and barley have not been seeded. 

 

April 24, 2018

Dan Works - Chouteau County
After the long cold, snowy winter, it looks like spring is upon us. The snow is gone from the fields. The winter wheat looks good and is growing quickly. While the fields are very wet yet, I did see a couple drills start moving late yesterday. I will wait a few days yet (I would hate to be the first one to need a very heavy towing device). Moisture conditions are excellent receiving no precipitation in the past week. Winter wheat is excellent in the 3-leaf growth stage with an expected 70 (bu/A). Problems in the field are 'lakes'. 

Robert Bold - Fergus County
After a long winter from the last half of December to now and breaking some snow fall records in Montana's wheat belt, spring is here!! This winter--according to area historians--this has been the snowiest winter since 1977-78--40 years ago. However, that winter the snow started in early November and was gone by April. But, plenty of spring soil moisture. According to Chouteau County Extension, 100% recropping is achievable soil moisture wise. We are about 95% bare with ice drifts left in places--like field roads along fence lines. Getting seeding and spraying equipment out and ready to go. Hopefully we will be in the field next week. Moisture conditions are excellent. Problems in the field are a lot of winter annuals.

Greg Mathews - Judith Basin County
Still some snow drifts in fields but disappearing. The fields are still wet and look like they might be dry by next week. Top dressing has just started slowly, mainly where the fields are flat and the wind swept the snow away. Some cattle men are running out of hay and others are buying hay where ever they can find it. The weeds in the field are very small to just coming up except for the ones that over wintered. Moisture conditions are excellent receiving .01 of precipitation in the past week. Winter wheat is excellent in the 2-leaf growth stage. Spring wheat and barley have not been seeded. Problems in the field are wet spots and snow drifts.

Vince Mattson - Liberty County
The whole county is flooding at the moment. Most of the winter wheat is either still under snow or under water at the moment. There will be a lot of replanting due to the flooding. Moisture conditions are excellent receiving 1" of precipitation in the past week. Winter wheat is poor in the 1-leaf growth stage with an expected 30 (bu/A). Spring wheat has not been seeded.

Mitch Konen - Teton County
Field work has begun this past week with a bulk of it started yesterday, Monday, April 23. Still a few snowbanks around on the edges of some fields but very small. Peas were being planted next door last Saturday, and the first seed in the ground. Soil temp is actually fairly warm with 42-50 degrees, but it is wringing wet. Calving is almost over and glad of it. Feed yards are a rutted up mess. Feed is short with the extended winter cover but the grass is greening up nicely now. Time to start sowing here. Be safe. "Tractor trough" pictures should be a highlight this year with the excessive moisture. Moisture conditions are excellent with .75 of precipitation for the last two weeks. Winter wheat is excellent in the 2-leaf growth stage. Spring wheat and barley have not been seeded. Peas were just seeded.