MGGA Weekly Crop Condition Survey

 

 

September 18, 2018 - Final Crop Survey

Mitch Konen - Teton County
When will this year end? I still have 75 acres of spring wheat patches remaining that was green earlier but now between the rain showers and fog I just can't get to it. Other than that it has been a good year. Barley came off in excellent quality and average to above yields. Winter and spring wheat came off in good shape as well with real good yield but the protein was off just a little. But I didn't fertilize for it either. Irrigation water has been in ample supply and should last into October. All in all in good year if and when I can finish it. Moisture conditions are fair with .35 precipitation in the past week. Winter wheat is harvested with 100 (bu/A). Spring wheat condition is excellent and ripe with an expected 90 (bu/A). Barley is harvested with 100 (bu/A). Some of the chickpeas have been harvested while others are still waiting for the green to disappear. Most of the canola has been harvested. Few fields of late barley and spring wheat remain. Fields are getting prepped for winter wheat seeding.

Matt Flikkema - Gallatin County
Harvest is close to wrapping up in the valley. Some spring wheat is still a little green, needs a little more time it seems. I'm hearing and seeing some wonderful yields of irrigated spring wheat, lots of 100 plus bushels, but protein a little lacking. Some of the first potatoes are being harvested, most growers will start sometime this week. Not much has started with winter wheat planting, that will probably start some this week.

Craig Henke - Liberty County
A few seeding winter wheat, but most waiting for flush of cheat grass. Have a day left on irrigated chickpeas, and close to third cutting of alfalfa to put up yet. Mornings have the fall feeling, and days getting less sunlight, tells us we better get ready for winter. Even with lower prices of pulse crops they are still the money maker. Lots of grain piled on ground at Chester elevators. Moisture conditions are fair with .31 precipitation in the past week.

Terry Angvick - Sheridan County
Harvest winding down. A few acres of Lentils, durum and chickpeas remain. The cool damp weather has delayed final push. More damp weather forecast this week will push harvest back even more. Could be some quality issues with these last acres. Discolor, potential sprout, etc. Moisture conditions are fair with .1-.2 precipitation in the past week. Spring wheat is harvested. Sawfly damage to durum crop. Not severe, but a problem in some areas. Kochia, Russian thistle, and Hawksbeard on the rise. Harvest-wise, I am fine for about 2-3 weeks now. Rest of county about 85-90% complete.

Robert Bold - Fergus County
Not too much winter wheat seeding taking place at the moment. Waiting for moisture and weeds. But it is not too late yet. Done later seeding before. However, there is nothing like a good 4 leaf stand going in to winter dormancy. Not a lot of spraying yet either. Waiting for cheat grass to wake up for a good kill. Moisture conditions are fair. Kochia is a problem in the field.

Greg Mathews - Judith Basin County
Harvest is still struggling on with little to no work days last week. WW seeding has very little seeded as everyone is waiting for the cheat to come. Some are giving up and going to start this next week. Hope everybody had a great harvest and next year will be the same.

September 11, 2018

Mitch Konen - Teton County
Harvest is dragging on for a few with yet green spring wheat. Also some pulses, garbs, around that are just being taken on a patch basis as well. I have been patching my spring wheat just to get what is ripe off the field. Looks to be another week for the patches but with the cooler weather who knows how long I will be in stalled mode. Quite a few sprinklers going and some flood irrigation as well replenishing the ground moisture for winter wheat seeding or just for the sake of putting it to bed wet for the upcoming winter. Pishkin reservoir is still near full, thus, plenty of irrigation supply for the Greenfields Irrigation District. Haying is nearing an end as well. Hauled a little barley to AB and it tested out as good as it can get. Very good quality and average or better yield. Wheat, both winter and spring have come off in very good condition as well. Protein a little down for wanton standards but the yield was better than average. Overall a very good year. Now if I can just get my marketing on the same level. Moisture conditions are poor with no 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 garbs are being patched. The corn is filling. Canola is being harvested. Problems in the field are sawfly, wild oats, kochia and pigweeds.

Robert Bold - Fergus County
Calendar wise, need to be seeding winter wheat. However, best farming practices dictate to wait for weeds to emerge and dry hard top soil conditions to improve. So we wait. In reality, what is really needed is a good hard killing frost to kill and to activate. At this point there is no winter wheat seeding done here in our area, however, I see a number of fields seeded west of here. Moisture conditions are fair with no precipitation in the past week.

Greg Mathews - Judith Basin County
Ran into green grain and had to stop harvesting. Sprayed sf and will cut a little more second cutting. Harvest is slowly ending except for those who have no more bins to fill because both elevators are taking contract grain only, the rest will have to wait for a train to come or pile on the ground. Something that has never happened before. The cheat grass has yet to start to green up and making people nervous. Moisture conditions are good with no precipitation in the past week.

September 4, 2018

Mitch Konen - Teton County
The harvest fervor has slowed to a crawl around the bench over this last week. Just a few machines trying to run here and there as they run into green crops. Most of the barley has been cut with just some later seeded still green acres remaining. The spring wheat is taking its own sweet time turning, and now that the nights are staying cooler longer it is excruciatingly slow. I am thinking by the end of this week the rest of my spring wheat should be ready. Water is being applied to fields most likely to be seeded to winter wheat. Sounds like the water supply should last through September. Moisture conditions are fair with no precipitation in the past week. Spring wheat condition is excellent and ripe with an expected 90 (bu/A). Barley condition is excellent and harvested with an expected 100 (bu/A). Corn is coming along as are the black birds. Chickpeas or garbs are being cut on the dryland areas but are a ways out on the irrigated as the vegetative areas are fairly green yet. Alfalfa is being put up. Canola is getting picked up as well. Problems in the field are sawfly and wild oats.

Robert Bold - Fergus County
For us harvest is over. For this area, it was a harvest for the books. Not the biggest crop but a good one. We started harvest on the second (of August) and finished on the first (of September). Had 6 days all harvest that we did not cut--2 because of green and 4 because of showers. There is still grain in the area to harvest. The green undermat in our stubble is probably the worst I have seen. Got to get to work spraying. A good hard frost would be welcome. Going to wait for moisture for winter wheat seeding. September is usually a moisture month of some sort. Hunting season is on. There goes all our privacy. But you cannot believe all the "friends" you have--some you have never seen before. Moisture conditions are fair.

Todd Hansen - Hill County
Finished Harvest on 8-26, amazing how a rain storm can motivate. Good crop. Neighborhood is wrapping harvest up. Now onto seeding and starting this vicious cycle all over again. Started seeding on 9-1, plan on seeding all chemfallow to Hrw. Stay safe. Happy Labor Day. Will begin harvest 7-25-2019.

Greg Mathews - Judith Basin County
Where has the summer gone? The nights have been cool or cold and not much heat in the day time. Will start on the spring wheat Sunday, finished ww on Saturday and tried to finish the patches on barley that I left but had to leave about 5 acres because of all the suckers that are headed out and that are still green. Do not have an idea when they will be able to combine. Got .24 on last Monday and started harvesting on Wednesday, was slow going and the poor little square baler operator has bales that are about on top of each other, can step from bale to bale. Sf is greening up and will have to be sprayed soon, waiting to see if the cheat will come. Moisture conditions are good with .24 precipitation in the past week. Winter wheat is harvested. Spring wheat condition is good and ripe with an expected 50 (bu/A). Barley condition is excellent and harvested with an expected 80 (bu/A).