Winter wheat seeding progressing ahead of normal

Cooler temperatures coupled with additional rainfall in certain areas during the week ending Sept. 9 allowed for some improvement in soil moisture levels, pasture grass availability, and row crop conditions, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Mountain Regional Field Office, New Mexico. Despite the appearance of widespread moisture, there were many locations that continued to suffer from prolonged dryness. Overall, conditions rated abnormally dry or worse were entrenched across 99.2 percent of the state, a slight improvement when compared with last week. Topsoil moisture levels were reported as 46 percent adequate to surplus, compared with 37 percent last week, 70 percent last year, and a 5-year average of 53 percent. Statewide, winter wheat seeding was progressing well ahead of normal as producers took advantage of recent soil moisture increases. In Union County, ranchers continued to battle water shortages, and were weaning calves earlier as a result. Comments also noted that corn for grain harvest was drawing closer.