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Ag stats: Wyoming crop progress and condition report – week ending October 17, 2021

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This week brought scattered precipitation and above average temperatures to Wyoming, according to the Mountain Regional Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA.

Precipitation this week was a mix of rain and snow. Big Horn County reported a storm early in the week brought a mix of rain and snow that halted all farming for the week. Weston and Goshen counties reported the storm brought much needed moisture and helped improve soil moisture.

Most of the State received over 0.1 inch of moisture. Areas along the western border received over an inch of precipitation, while isolated areas in the southeastern corner of the State recorded only 0.05 inch. Despite the storm, precipitation totals for the month of October are roughly three quarters of an inch below average for most of the State.

Temperatures remained above average this week. Temperatures in the western and southwestern counties ranged from average to 4 degrees above average. Counties along the eastern and northern borders of the State were the hottest this week, with temperatures 6 to 10 degrees above average.

According to the United States Drought Monitor for October 14, 2021, the amount of land rated as abnormally dry remained at 2.1 percent, unchanged from last week. Moderate drought was present across 24.8 percent of the State, a decrease from 27.5 percent last week. Severe drought increased to cover 43.0 percent of the State, roughly a 15.0 percent increase from 37.4 percent last week. Extreme drought conditions decreased slightly from 33.0 percent last week to 30.1 percent of the State this week. This is the fifth week in a row with 100.0 percent of the State experiencing drought conditions.

 

The winter wheat crop was reported at 98 percent emerged this week.

Harvest of corn for grain is behind last year as harvest was reported at 18 percent complete this week compared to 61 percent harvested this time last year.

Sugarbeet harvest is 52 percent complete, compared to 64 percent complete this time last year. Harvest of the third cutting of alfalfa hay and dry edible beans is nearing completion, with harvest reported at 93 percent complete and 96 percent complete, respectively.

Stock water supplies across Wyoming were rated 21 percent very short, 57 percent short, and 22 percent adequate compared to 28 percent very short, 48 percent short, 23 percent adequate, and 1 percent surplus last week.

CROP AND LIVESTOCK PROGRESS

Commodity

Current week

Previous week

Previous year

5-year average

 

(percent)

(percent)

(percent)

(percent)

Alfalfa 

    

3rd cutting harvested 

93 

85 

88 

85 

Corn 

    

Mature 

88 

71 

99 

94 

Harvested for grain 

18 

10 

61 

26 

Dry edible beans 

    

Harvested 

96 

91 

94 

89 

Sugarbeets 

    

Harvested 

52 

50 

64 

51 

Winter Wheat 

    

Emerged 

98 

79 

95 

94 

DAYS SUITABLE FOR FIELDWORK AND SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION

 

Current week

Previous week

Previous year

5-year average

Days suitable for fieldwork 

4.8 

6.5 

6.9 

6.5 

Topsoil moisture 

(percent)

(percent)

(percent)

(percent)

Very short 

29 

38 

46 

18 

Short 

42 

42 

41 

33 

Adequate 

28 

19 

13 

45 

Surplus 

-- 

Subsoil moisture 

    

Very short 

31 

40 

50 

21 

Short 

49 

40 

35 

36 

Adequate 

19 

20 

15 

42 

Surplus 

-- 

-- 

CROP, LIVESTOCK, PASTURE AND RANGE CONDITION

Commodity

Current week

Previous week

Previous year

5-year average

 

(percent)

(percent)

(percent)

(percent)

Corn 

    

Very poor 

-- 

-- 

-- 

-- 

Poor 

-- 

-- 

Fair 

39 

19 

Good 

87 

88 

54 

77 

Excellent 

-- 

Pasture and range 

    

Very poor 

31 

32 

29 

13 

Poor 

39 

30 

43 

20 

Fair 

27 

26 

28 

37 

Good 

11 

-- 

28 

Excellent 

-- 

-- 

Winter wheat 

    

Very poor 

-- 

Poor 

16 

Fair 

72 

63 

32 

29 

Good 

20 

25 

40 

57 

Excellent 

-- 

Livestock 

    

Very poor 

-- 

-- 

-- 

-- 

Poor 

Fair 

38 

31 

20 

14 

Good 

55 

60 

79 

82 

Excellent 

--