According to the USDA Crop Progress Report for the week ending July 1, topsoil moisture supplies rated 1 percent very short, 10 short, 77 adequate and 12 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 2 percent very short, 16 short, 75 adequate and 7 surplus. Winter wheat condition rated 2 percent very poor, 7 poor, 26 fair, 52 good and 13 excellent. Wheat harvested was 7 percent, behind last year’s 15 and near the 9 percent average.
Producers in the northern Panhandle said harvest is likely seven to 10 days away. Recent warm temperatures are speeding up the ripening of the wheat. Concerns remain about the potential for damage from stem sawfly. Some fields have already shown white heads from wheat that’s infected, although those locations are not extensive. Recent storms brought isolated hail damage ranging from 10 to 75 percent depending on the field. However, the overall area impacted by hail was minor.
In the southern Panhandle, producers reported more extensive storms. Pea size hail with winds in excess of 80 miles per hour caused damage to as much as 20 percent of fields in Cheyenne, Deuel, and the northwest corner of Keith counties. Of the damaged fields, yield loss is estimated to range from 20 to 80 percent. Some test cutting is already starting in the area, though most producers estimate harvest will not fully begin until the end of the weekend.
In southwestern Nebraska, producers said precipitation varied during the last week. No major storms or hail damage were reported for last week. Harvest has begun on some earlier planted fields. However, the rains in September caused a wide variation in planting dates that is resulting in a variation of field ripening and harvest readiness across the region. Early reports on quality of wheat that has been cut have yields ranging from 30 to 70 bushels per acre; protein levels ranging from 10 to 14; moisture levels in the 10s and 11s; and test weights ranging from 60 to 63.
In south central Nebraska, harvest is underway. However, no initial reports of yields or quality data have been received to date.
Producers in southeastern Nebraska estimate the region is 90 percent harvested. It is one of the smaller harvests for the region, with fewer acres planted in the fall and drought during the spring causing many wheat acres to be hayed. Of the wheat that has been harvested for grain, producers reported average yields in the 30 to 40 bushels per acre range. Many fields with yields of less than 20 bushels per acre were reported. Protein data was not yet available, but test weights ranged from 58 to 60 pounds.
