Farmers Able to Make Some Progress in the Fields Last Week
Tuesday, June 11th, 2019 -- 8:52 AM
(Wisconsin Ag Connection) -Farmers in America's Dairyland were able to take advantage of sunny, clear conditions this past week to catch up on some very delayed field work.According to the Wisconsin Ag Statistics Service's weekly crop report, producers were busy planting, spreading manure, spraying fields and starting their first hay crop. Scattered showers did interrupt fieldwork in some areas, but precipitation was light overall. With crop insurance deadlines looming, some farmers were changing planned grain corn acres over to other crops. Topsoil moisture levels were rated 70 percent adequate and 29 percent surplus. Only one percent of the soils were consider short of moisture. As of Sunday, spring tillage was 88 percent complete statewide, which was two weeks behind both last year and the five-year average. Corn planting was also 14 days behind scheduled at 78 percent complete.
So far, about half of that crop is showing emergence. Sixty percent of soybeans are now in the ground, which is 14 slower than normal for early June. The winter wheat is estimated to be around 22 percent headed across Wisconsin, about five days behind last year, and nine days off the average. All but nine-percent of the oats are drilled, with 70 percent emerged. And 41 percent of the first alfalfa cutting was done as of last weekend. That's about a week behind last year and eight days slower than the five-year average. Reporters say 37 percent of the hay crop is looking good to excellent condition.
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