Quite a change in the weather in Wisconsin last week. The weekly crop progress report from the National Ag Statistics Service Wisconsin Field Office says temperatures for the week averaged 3 to 5 degrees above normal but things really cooled down late in the week. Precipitation ranged from .52 inches in Green Bay to 2.5 inches in Eau Claire. In fact, that was enough to finally pull Eau Claire into the “above normal” category for year-to-date precipitation. Milwaukee is 4.68 inches above normal, La Crosse 5.07, Green Bay 5.41 and Madison 7.79 inches above normal for the year. All cities are about 500 growing degree days above normal. Statewide soil moisture is averaging 80 percent adequate and 16 percent surplus.
Corn silage chopping is in full-swing with 20 percent chopped, 10 points ahead of the five-year average for this date. More would have been chopped were it not for wet ground. The Badger State corn crop is 93 percent in the dough stage, 76 percent dented and 15 percent mature, all well ahead of normal. The crop is rated 84 percent good to excellent.
The Wisconsin soybean crop has 36 percent of the leaves turned color with 8 percent dropped, both numbers a little ahead of the five-year average. There are reports of white mold and some sudden death syndrome in the crop. Overall the crop is rated 83 percent in good to excellent condition.
Some winter wheat and winter rye planting has begun.
We will have to wait until next week’s report to see how much damage was done by high winds and hail on Labor Day.
Read the full NASS report here:
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