MGGA Weekly Crop Condition Survey
August 28, 2018
Matt Flikkema - Gallatin County
Harvest has come to a halt with the nearly 1 inch of rain in the area today. A lot of the dryland crop has been harvested in the area, but very little of the irrigated crop has been harvested. Most of the spring wheat is not quite ripe yet so we need some warm weather to finish the crop. Moisture conditions are excellent with .8 precipitation in the past week. Winter wheat condition is excellent and harvested with an expected 70 (bu/A). Spring wheat condition is excellent in the soft dough growth stage with an expected 100 (bu/A). Barley condition is excellent and in the hard dough growth stage with an expected 100 (bu/A).
Mitch Konen - Teton County
Harvest has been a mad dash these last two weeks. Most crops are finally ripe enough to actually finish a field without leaving a few green patches. The winter wheat and the barley have been harvested on my farm. Some barley still remains on the bench, but probably won't be standing for long. Just finished some spring wheat that was ready when the storm from the north blew in reminding us that winter is soon approaching. Still have some spring wheat remaining that is still fairly green but changing fast. Probably be another week before I can get into those acres. Have not had a chance to have the malt barley tested as we just had time to bin it and keep moving. Does appear to be of good quality and was excellent in yield. The winter wheat had really good yield but the protein was down maintaining that inverse relationship between protein and yield. Moisture conditions are fair with .4 precipitation in the past week. Winter wheat condition is excellent and harvested with an expected 100 (bu/A). Spring wheat condition is excellent and ripe with an expected 100 (bu/A). Barley condition is excellent and harvested with an expected 100 (bu/A). The chick pea fields in the area are turning with several vegetative areas still green. Can sure see where the good ground is. Corn fields were blistering last week. Cranberry bean fields are really growing now. Some canola fields are being swathed while others are ripening on the stem.
Craig Henke - Liberty County
Still lots of crops in the field yet. Hear a few seeding winter wheat. Rain and cooler weather might get cheat grass started. Chickpeas were little wet yet on Friday, hope get going by Wednesday. Pivots still running to get 3rd cutting of alfalfa. Lots of grain on ground at Chester elevators. Fall is here, see antelope hunters trying to fill tags. Maybe frost tonight, might slow down weeds. Moisture conditions are fair with .31 precipitation in the past week.
Alex Smith - Big Horn County
Harvest has been done for all the spring crop since 8/16 except for one field of triticale seed that just doesn't seem to ripen. Seeded one day after the malt barley but just keeps hanging on. I guess 50 degree nights slows things down. Need to get some seeder maintenance done and some spraying on hailed barley ground. Things to do every day but nothing pressing. Have slowed down some once harvest was pretty much completed. Moisture conditions are fair receiving 1.0 inch on the 19th but .3 precipitation in the past week. Winter wheat is harvested. Spring wheat is harvested. Barley is harvested.
Terry Angvick - Sheridan County
Was a good week for harvest. We are about 3/4 done with durum harvest on our operation. Yields have been surprisingly good, with excellent quality. 25-40 bu/ac. With amount of precip received this growing season, the yields are exceeding past guidelines. A lot of things happening out there. Overall county is also making good progress. Lentil harvest wrapping up. Durum progressing well and chickpea harvest beginning. Yields all over the place depending on planting date, hail, and moisture. Overnight low temps and humidity has been slowing daily starts, but still moving along. Moisture conditions are poor with traces of precipitation in the past week. Spring wheat condition is good and ripe. Sawfly damage along field edges and scattered in the field. Last years weed control program (or lack of) is showing up in undergrowth. Kochia, R Thistle, marestail and prickly lettuce are present in a lot of fields. Done with peas and lentils and about 3/4 done with durum.
Greg Mathews - Judith Basin County
With .64 rain on Monday and at only 20%, and cool temps not much work for the rest of the week. Got most of the barley cut and 75 acres left. Getting lots of bales as it was as high as the ww or taller. Waiting for the test to come back but looked good. Back to cutting ww but getting a late start almost every am. The elevators are taking contract grain only, not good for the over run and have to find bin space somewhere. Have not ever had this problem before. Have 3 to 4 days left on the ww and then to the sw if it doesn't rain WW harvesting is about done but one neighbor hasn't started yet. Still running into green spots. Moisture conditions are good with .64 precipitation in the past week. Winter wheat condition is excellent. Spring wheat condition is excellent. Barley condition is excellent. Starting to see some hoppers.
August 21, 2018
Craig Henke - Liberty County
Last spring and now feels like early fall. Monday was hoodie weather. Finished with wheat and lentils, waiting for chickpeas. Finished with 2nd cutting alfalfa and watering for 3rd cutting. Swathed irrigated triticale hay, was slow process swathing it. Irrigated chickpeas are still trying to bloom. See some spring wheat still a few weeks off, sure hangs on with hot weather. Jack frost could take care of the chem fallow weeds in one night. Ready for rain in couple weeks. Moisture conditions are fair.
Alex Smith - Big Horn County
Finished harvesting malt barley. All was hailed on. I think it would have been 60-65 bu. Initial tests show good malt quality. Still have one field of triticale seed to harvest but it just keeps hanging on green. Cool weather for harvest but very nice. Just a few HOT days this year so far. Finished second cutting dryland alfalfa on almost every ace. So total alfalfa production was 4 ton/ac or a little better maybe when we weigh the bales. Got some rain to hopefully flush the hailed on stuff to get it sprayed out and cleaned up. Moisture conditions are good with 1.25 inches of precipitation in the past week. Winter wheat is harvested. Barley is harvested. Lots of hoppers.
Terry Angvick - Sheridan County
Had a good week of harvest. Dry, warm conditions allowed for steady harvest. Had heavy smoke for several days that tempered the high temps. Nights have been very cold, so can’t start too early the past several mornings. Guys are wrapping up the lentil harvest and where not hailed, had some pretty good yields, ranging from 20-35 bu/ac. Durum harvest is going now and again, yields are better than expected, in the 25-40 bu range. Some areas have even higher yields where moisture was timely. Chickpeas are turning fast and harvest will begin soon. No rain this past week. Moisture conditions are poor with no precipitation in the past week. Spring wheat condition is good in the hard dough growth stage.
Trevor Wolery - Hill County
Received .15 of precip Sunday night, sw harvest is 65% completed. Sw on our fallow seemed to be maturing slower than we would of liked. Cc Sw on lentil stubble has been dry. I think it’s all ready now, just a matter of getting to it. Yields have been 15-40, with a majority of the sw averaging 25+. Goldstone country needed one more rain, but we have been thankful for the cool nights during the entire growing season. School started Monday, and have now lost the best dang harvest crew a dad could ask for. Kochia and thistle are still the nemesis with a lot of stubble acres needing to be attended to. 38 degrees Saturday morning is a sign fall is just around the corner.
Robert Bold - Fergus County
There is still some winter wheat in this area left to be harvested. We are finished with the winter wheat and barley and on the spring wheat now. Yields for winter wheat are average for this area because of the winter snow and cold spring. Barley yields are just excellent--thanks to the cool weather. The pulse crop acres seemed to be barley acres this year. Most of it malt varieties. If you drink a beer a day for the entire year, you will get rid of just over 1 bushel of malt barley. So do your best! We still have soil moisture. The green weed green up is very noticeable once the crop has been removed. Received several hundredths of precipitation--just enough to keep the combines out of the fields.
Todd Hansen - Hill County
Well we did cut 600 acres this last week. The balance is still on the green side. A few neighbors are finished or close to done. School is starting. College is starting. Local work force is back to bare bones. Received .20 inches of precipitation in the past week.
Greg Mathews - Judith Basin County
It's been hard to find a dry field and to harvest it all. Keep running into green spots. Been able to only cut one whole field so far. WW yields so far have been all over the place 60 to over 80 with some of the best yet to get. The barley runs from 70's to 110's. Not bad for dry land. Getting lots of straw and the cowboys are happy. Good luck and have fun harvesting. Moisture conditions are good with 0 precipitation in the past week. Winter wheat condition is excellent and in ripe growth stage with an expected 70 (bu/A). Spring wheat condition is excellent in the hard dough growth stage with an expected 50 (bu/A). Barley condition is excellent and ripening with an expected 70 (bu/A).
August 14, 2018
Mitch Konen - Teton County
Harvest is in full swing here on the Greenfields. Most of the winter wheat has been cut. I still have mine to cut as it still has some green streaks. Malt barley is being tested. The nights have started to chill down rather nicely giving us some relief from the heat. Moisture conditions are poor with .02 inches of precipitation in the past week. Winter wheat condition is excellent and in ripe growth stage. Spring wheat condition is excellent and turning. Barley condition is excellent and ripening. Peas have been cut, chicks are turning, 2nd cutting of hay is being harvested, corn is tasseling. Wild oats are a weed problem.
Todd Hansen - Hill County
Sorry for my absence. Winter wheat is done; nice crop. Thank God I had solid stem in. Thanks MSU. Biggest sawfly year in recent memory. Lentils done. Need India to get hungry for these to pencil. Barley - have patches left which looked good but don’t think it’s going to make grade. And waiting on Sspring wheat. I can’t believe there is still green in it after 3 days of over 100. Luther must have put to much stay green in this batch of Vida. So as we patiently wait for our bounty to ripen we have been back in the sprayers. Sanitizing the farm. Had all my kids under same roof for first time since Christmas. And for that I truly feel blessed.
Kurt Voss - McCone, Dawson Counties
Moisture conditions are poor; after the extreme heat last week it is very dry. I didn't seed winter wheat; spring wheat condition is good in ripe growth stage with yield potential of 50 bu/A. Pulse crops are all harvested and were good quality wth above average yields. About half way done with harvest. So far everything is coming in with good quality and above average yields. No significant rain for over a month and very dry harvest conditions. There have been several fires caused from combining in the area in the last week.
August 7, 2018
Greg Mathews - Judith Basin County
Its been a nice week for temps. Still some hay to be put up and some starting on second cutting. Seems to be a lot of hay heading north, have not heard of a price yet. South of Moore one or two have started combining and yields have been very good with 60-75 bu/A on recrop, and protein is all over the place, 10-15.8. Moore will have their million one pile filled up by Monday or Tuesday. Then to the million two pile to the east of town. Moisture conditions are excellent. Winter wheat condition is excellent in the hard dough growth stage with yield potential of 80 bu/A. Spring wheat condition is excellent in the soft dough growth stage with yield potential of 50 bu/A. Barley condition is excellent in the soft dough growth stage with yield potential of 70 bu/A. A lot of grain coming into the elevator. I might get going by the end of the week. Good harvesting to everybody.
Terry Angvick - Sheridan County
Pea and lentil harvests are going strong. Pea harvest should be finished soon, and lentil harvest is mid way complete. Surprisingly good yields for both crops where they weren’t pinned by hail. Peas 25-45 bu/A and lentils 20-30 bu/A. No wheat harvested yet. No appreciable rain this past week. Good for pulse harvest, but heat could use another shot to help fill. The durum does look good. Expect a 30 bu average, with some in either side of that depending on rain received and hail damage earlier. Moisture conditions are fair. Spring wheat is good in the soft dough growth stage with yield potential of 30 bu/A. Chickpeas are looking good. Producers have spent the money for fungicide and it looks to be a wise decision. Again, earlier moisture will determine yield, but so far look good. Last year's lack of weed control is starting to rear up its ugly head. Kochia and Russian thistle are present in many fields and marestail is prominent. Also prickly lettuce in pulse crop acres. I have finished harvesting peas, and will finish lentils this week. First durum is about a week off and after that, it will be a steady run.
Robert Bold - Fergus County
Winter wheat harvest is in full swing. The grain terminals are piling on the ground. Surprising how things have changed over the years. Producers used to bin due to trucks, roads, transportation to mention a few. It used to be very few had semi-trucks. Now which farm does not have a semi? Or more. The grain terminals are putting the grain out on the ground but covered. The terminals don't need a capital outlay or property taxes even though their shrinkage and operating costs increase on those bushels. Seeing the price of wheat at a 3 year high, it puts a spring in everyone's step. With a nice carry in the market one can see why the terminals will take as much grain off the combine as possible. We will be done with winter wheat in a day or two then on to the barley. The spring wheat will be more than ready by the time we get there. And the spring wheat crop looks just excellent even though last week's report was in error. The yields have been just excellent. We had some 67 bu/acre 9 year recrop winter wheat. Moisture condition is fair with no precipitation in the past week. Winter wheat has been harvested; spring wheat condition is excellent in the hard dough growth stage. Barley condition is excellent and ripe. A lot of kochia is coming up behind the combines, meaning there is enough moisture in the soil for it.
Trevor Wolery - Hill County
Winter wheat harvest has been completed. Very grateful for the yields, ranging from 30 to 60 plus. A big year for sawfly, I will have to rethink my relationship with hollowstem wheat. 50% completed with lentil harvest; I am more excited that this lentil crop is about to be finished then with its yield. Spring wheat harvest will begin by end of the week, and will lose my harvest help to volleyball, football, and school way too soon. Moisture condtion is fair with no precipitation the past week.
Mitch Konen - Teton County
A week of hot weather here on the Greenfields bench. Crops are maturing, but not as fast as you would think with the heat. The family and I have been practicing that age old art of weed eradication called rogueing out in the seed production fields. Usually in the fields before 7 until we can't stand the heat anymore. Weeds are not bad, just a lot of ground to cover by foot. Quite a few acres of second cut hay laying on the ground in the neighborhood. The only pivots running are on some corn and some late seeded chicks. A few winter wheat fields have been harvested or patched out and some of the peas are getting patched out, so evidently borderline ready. The dryland winter wheat to the north of me is getting shaved off. My winter wheat is still about a week out, with the barley a week behind it and the spring wheat is taking its sweet time. Moisture conditions are poor, with no significant moisture since the 3rd of July. Water storage is still in good shape for some fall harvesting. Winter wheat condition is excellent in the hard dough growth stage with yeld potential of 70 bu/A. Spring wheat condition is excellent in the soft dough growth stage with yield potential of 80 bu/A. Barley condition is excellent in the hard dough growth stage with yield potential of 100 bu/A. Corn is tassling, chicks are turning, peas are getting patched out, canola is turning dark, some hay is in the windrow while others are still irrigating waiting to take the second cut. Grasshoppers are working the edges and weeds are wild oats, kochia, lambsquarter and milk weed. I expect to begin harvest August 13.
Alex Smith - Big Horn County
Winter wheat has been harvesting for about 10 days. My recrop winter wheat is at 60 bu/ac and 13 pro. Had sawfly damage and we don't have sawfly. Maybe the big snow kept the ground from freezing and we had more survival? Hear of some record yields on fallow, 70,80,90,100. Irrigated has some problems due to too wet. Barley was looking good until a hail storm on July 29. 20% to 100% damage. Didn't get a report in that following Tuesday - just too busy. Moisture conditions are fair with no precip in the past week. Winter wheat condition is excellent, ripe with 80 bu/a potential. Spring wheat is excellent, soft dough and 60 bu potential. Barley is good condition, hard dough and 60 bu potential. Spring triticale that was top of shirt pocket high (I'm 6 ft) got blown down by the wind storm that accompanied the hail. We'll see if it fills. Another triticale location is still green. Some second cutting dryland alfalfa going on. Hoppers are getting thick.