MGGA Weekly Crop Condition Survey

 

 

September 17, 2019 - Final Crop Survey

Terry Angvick - Sheridan County
Sorry long absence. Been a long harvest and not done anytime soon! Had a good early run, then have had anywhere from 4-6” of rain throughout county. Still some pea, lentil and chickpea acres left to cut in the county. To date, very little durum has been cut. Probably 20% of planted acreage. The rest had the aforementioned rain, causing considerable quality damage. Yields are far above average, but hard count, sprout damage and low falling numbers are the new norm. There will be very little good durum produced in our corner. Moisture conditions are excellent receiving 4-6" over the last 10 days to two weeks. Spring wheat is excellent and ripe with an expected 50 (bu/A). Most peas are harvested with yields from 40-60. Lentils are mostly harvested ranging from 20-30, although many acres are still out there flat as a pancake. Very few chickpeas have been harvested. Again, many problems with harvest. Limited storage, wet fields, major quality issues especially with durum. I have 1/3 of durum acres cut, with 2/3 left and poor quality on remaining acres. Pretty typical of the area.

Robert Bold - Fergus County
This year was not too hot. Never hit 100 once!! Moisture wise it was a pretty good year--one of the better ones for timely moisture. Our early seeded winter wheat took a 20 or more bushel hit with the 2 snow storms after Easter topped off with the 13 degree night in May. The later seeded winter wheat was just that far along when all the cold bad weather hit. A good spring wheat crop. Got our last half June rains which is not normal. Barley crop was good. See if it makes malt. So drink lots of beer. Or feed lots of cows. Winter wheat seeding conditions are some the best I have seen. Now for the price conversation--but that happens when everyone in the world has good crops. Looking back 30/40 years, US still exports just as many bushels. However, 40/50 years ago, countries that needed to buy grain from US now produce more bushel/year than the US. World wheat consumption has increased dramatically. The food/feed use of wheat will not go away if there are any production problems in the world. I guess you could say the higher price trap is set should there be a production problem. However, we could be that production problem area. Oh well, that is why we have crop insurance--that other countries do not have. With all that said, we are going to seed our normal acres of "poverty grass" this fall. Welcome to the Eternal Optimist Club!! Have a good fall!! See you all at Convention!! Moisture conditions are good receiving 1.25 of precipitation in the past week. Problems in the field are grasshoppers and possibly cheat grass--not yet though.

Mitch Konen - Teton County
Harvest 2019 is a memory. Finished the spring wheat as of last night. I just have some test plot canola to shove through the combine and then the combine can head for its winter slumber. Overall crops were outstanding this year both in yields and quality. Too bad the markets are dragging and a reason to set new goals for more marketing education and utilization of the futures markets. Spring started slow with lots of snow to melt, then good rains in April and May, followed by good rains in July and August. So seeding and harvesting were interrupted by moisture events, but taken in stride. Total moisture to date is around 8.25" for the year, so timeliness of the moisture was a big factor for the crops. Winter wheat seeding chores are in full swing around here and looks to be a fair number of acres going into the next year compared to previous years. Some haying still being performed locally. So all in all a very good production year. Have a good winter season and see ya next year. Moisture conditions are good receiving 0 precipitation in the past week. Winter wheat is good but not yet seeded. Spring wheat is excellent and harvested. Barley is excellent and harvested. Canola remains to be harvested as well as chickpeas. Straw is being baled up. Will begin harvest Aug 10, 2020.

Greg Mathews - Judith Basin County
There was no harvesting this last week as it rained or showered on 4 of the last 7 days. Still quite a few with crop left to cut. Heard of sprout in the barley and ww. Spring wheat has been lite and hard to clean up the white caps. Will start spraying the ground that I want to seed this next week and seed the next. Only got .56 last week but to the north (Moore and Hobson) got an inch or more. Lots of cheat and volunteer grain coming in the SF. Moisture conditions are very good with the recent precip. Starting to see grasshoppers showing up and do not where they came from. Could be a problem later if we do not get a frost to slow them up.

September 10, 2019

Todd Hansen - Hill County
Started seeding on the 3rd. About a 1/3 done with what we plan on seeding. Not sure if this is wise or prudent but winter wheat built this place. Be safe. Moisture conditions are excellent receiving 1.53 of precipitation in the past week. Will begin harvest July 25, 2020.

Craig Henke - Liberty County
Nice fall rain, should get cheat grass started. Gearing up to seed next week, a few have started. Alfalfa will enjoy this rain, 1 inch from sky is different from 1 inch from pivot. Need nice fall for all the crops still out there. Here we are planning for 2020 crop, life goes by fast. Lots of crickets, and a few hoppers, but rainy weather should slow them down. Moisture conditions are good receiving 1.20 of precipitation in the past week.

Robert Bold - Fergus County
A little wet here. Setting us for excellent fall seeding conditions. September and October are 2 of the 4 most important months for moisture along with April and May. June surprised me. However I am told that a dry April and May, June rains can't make up the difference. Grasshoppers allowing, we will be getting ready to seed winter wheat as soon as it dries up some. Most people are done harvesting. Just a few patches left to harvest. However, south of us in Greg's part of world, there is still a lot of grain left to harvest. Oh well, it will get in the bin. It always has. Good luck seeding. It has been one pretty good summer! Never hit 100 once. Which is good because I am not a big heat fan. 85 is good enough. Moisture conditions are good receiving over 1 inch of precipitation in the past week. Problems in the field are grasshoppers.

Mitch Konen - Teton County
Last week saw a lot of crops come off the fields in a hurry. Due both to the crop finally being ready and a monsoonal forecast. I would venture to guess that better than 90% of the crop has been taken. Some spring wheat and late seeded barley is about all that remains of small grains, while canola and chickpeas are near ready as well. Sounds like crops were of great quality as well as quantity. Marketing skills are what needs to be sharpened now as the tariff/ trade issues have softened the marketplace. Moisture conditions are good receiving .66 of precipitation in the past week. Winter wheat is excellent and harvested. Spring wheat is excellent and ripe with an expected 90 (bu/A). Barley is excellent and harvested. Canola and chickpeas are waiting for some good weather again.

Greg Mathews - Judith Basin County
Have only 80 acres of barley left and will be done but got rained out Friday. Crops as a whole were just above average. Some in the area were bumper on ww depending on variety. Some in the Harlo area had frost damage and there was nothing to harvest but the hail storm helped them out, heard last night. A lot of green coming in the spring planted crops (more than ever) cheat and ww and some weeds. Will wait for the cheat to come in the sf before seeding. Best of luck harvesting to those who are still at it. Moisture conditions are good.

September 3, 2019

Craig Henke - Liberty County
Starting on fall work list. Harrowing and working stubble on irrigated land, can't wait for rain so running pivots to get soaked up for next year. Going to need rain before seeding on dryland, might seed one pivot to winter wheat. Seems like grasshoppers are getting more plentiful, might be a problem. Guess farmers need to go on strike with these prices. Moisture conditions are fair.

Robert Bold - Fergus County
Harvest is Done!! Catch our breath here for a while. Getting to be time to start on Crop 2020.

Mitch Konen - Teton County
Fall is in the air and harvest is progressing rapidly. We are in the middle of harvest here where normally we should be putting the finishing touches on it. A lot of acres have been sawn off this past week, leaving the stubble to mark its completed cycle of production. It was a sight a few nights ago as I counted at least a dozen combine lights and various support vehicles within view of my own operation. The peas and winter wheat have been cut and most of the barley as well. Pushing green barley is still a problem for me now. These shorter days are not helping the maturity rate for the remaining crops. Still have a substantial amount of spring wheat to cut that has a few green spots that are turning slowly. Irrigation of stubble fields has commenced, preparing for winter wheat seeding to begin in the near future. Yields are sounding big along with good quality. Hope all are having a bountiful and safe harvest. Moisture conditions are fair receiving 0 precipitation in the past week. Winter wheat is excellent and harvested. Spring wheat is excellent and ripe with an expected 90 (bu/A). Barley is excellent and ripe with an expected 100 (bu/A). Canola is still turning. Problems in the field are grasshopper, earwigs, mosquitoes and kochia. When will harvest end is the pertinent question.

Greg Mathews - Judith Basin County
Will finish up one the ww Sunday and then back to the barley. Got greened out and rained out Friday. Still a lot of crops to be cut in the area. Some just started Saturday. Not getting very long days in as there is dew every morning. Cheat is starting to show up in the sf and crop ground, surprised at this. Moisture conditions are good. Winter wheat is harvested. Barley is good and ripe.