Another Great Week of Weather for Wisconsin Farmers
Wednesday, September 9th, 2020 -- 8:06 AM
(Wisconsin Ag Connection) -Farmers across the state continued to be blessed with ideal conditions for fieldwork last week, even as some much needed rain fell in parts of Wisconsin.The weekly crop progress report said farmers were able to harvest corn silage and fourth crop hay. And the warmer temperatures helped corn and soybeans mature rapidly in response to dryer weather and shorter days, according to the Wisconsin Ag Statistics Service. Topsoil moisture levels were rated nine percent very short, 22 percent short, 66 percent adequate and three percent surplus. As of Sunday, all but six percent of the corn was in the dough stage or beyond, more than four weeks ahead of last year and 10 days better than the five-year average. Sixty-five percent of the corn was dented, which was also well ahead of normal. With 78 percent of the crop still rated good to excellent statewide, farmers have about 24 percent of their corn chopped for silage.
In the soybean fields, over half of that crop is now coloring. That's two weeks ahead of the 2019 crop year and five days further along than normal. Another 12 percent of the beans were dropping leaves. About 40 percent of the potato harvest is now complete. And winter wheat has reached 22 percent planted so far. Farmers have nearly all of the third alfalfa hay crop off the ground, with fourth cutting at 46 percent complete.
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