With the cereal crop harvest ending, attention in Wyoming is moving to beans, corn and sugarbeets.
"Where we are, the sugarbeet harvest has been shut down because it is too hot to dig," said Camby Reynolds, farm manager at the University of Wyoming Agriculture Research Station near Powell , Wyo.
During the first week of October, Powell had a high of 69 and a low of 23. Across the state, the high temperature of 74 was in Greybull. The low, of 20 degrees, was felt in Sheridan and Lake Yellowstone.
All stations in the state received moisture with Torrington and Chugwater each receiving 1.97 inches. Statewide, moisture levels for the year are varied. Lake Yellowstone has received the most, with +9.44 more than normal. Wheatland is next with +5.38 above normal. The driest place in the state for the year is Rock Springs at -3.71 inches.
Top soil moisture levels are showing 5 percent very short, 13 percent short, 79 percent adequate and 3 percent surplus. That puts the state way above the average over five years, which is 16 percent very short, 34 percent short, 49 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus.
Subsoil moisture levels are also above the average and currently show 5 percent very short, 19 percent short, 75 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus. Over five years the average is 15 percent very short, 53 percent short, and 32 percent adequate.
Despite the temporary setback in the sugarbeet harvest around Powell, statewide 24 percent of the crop has been dug, slightly ahead of the average of 23 percent. Producers are rating the crop this year as 7 percent fair, 64 percent good and 29 percent excellent.
"We are still harvesting a few dry beans," said Reynolds, whose area was hit by a hard frost during the last week of September, which hurt a lot of the crops.
"We got lucky and got our crops out just before it hit, but it damaged some of the beans. We're still waiting to find out how it damaged the sunflowers, but it looks like they will be okay."
Dry bean harvest in the state is 30 percent complete. That is far behind the average of 71 percent. Half of the beans have been cut. Again, that is behind the average of 83 percent. Producers in Wyoming are rating their bean crop as 7 percent very poor, 9 percent poor, 23 percent air, 56 percent good and 5 percent excellent.
The corn crop in the state is continuing to progress. Currently 96 percent of the corn is dented, ahead of the 89 percent average. Seventy-three percent of the corn is now mature. The average over five years is 69 percent at this time.
Corn harvest is just beginning with 2 percent complete. The average is 13 percent. Corn for silage harvest is nearing completion with 91 percent harvested, compared to 81 percent over five years.
Producers are rating this year's corn crop as 4 percent very poor, six percent poor, 10 percent fair, and 80 percent good.
Winter wheat is 94 percent planted across Wyoming, with 51 percent emerged. The average is 94 percent planted and 78 percent emerged at this time.
Range and pasture conditions are listed as 3 percent poor, 15 percent fair, 61 percent good and 21 percent excellent. That should be encouraging to producers since it is better than the average. Over five years the average is 15 percent very poor, 18 percent poor, 29 percent fair, 34 percent good and 4 percent excellent.
"Things are looking good," said Reynolds, whose job, like most producers, is now shifting from fields to desk work.
At the research station harvest is slightly different than commercial ventures.
"If it is a research plot we harvest what we need for data and, after we get the data off the plot, then we harvest and sell the rest on the regular market," he noted.
With the data gathered from their plots, Reynolds' work is now shifting indoors, where they will gather and analyze the data and plan for next year's crops.
Source: www.theprairiestar.com