News

Nebraska crops remain ahead of schedule despite dry, hot conditions

A Central Nebraska farmer says overly dry and hot conditions have made it difficult to irrigate recently.

Greg Greving grows corn and soybeans near Chapman. “Last week we were having a little trouble keeping up with the pivots, but we’ve had a couple of little showers out here have helped – .20, .30.”

The latest crop progress report from the USDA says topsoil moisture across Nebraska is 49 percent adequate with no surplus and subsoil moisture is 43 percent adequate also with no surplus.  

Greving says his corn is on pace to mature. “We do have a couple of numbers of commercial corn that has started to dent,” he says.  “That’s encouraging so you know we’re on our way to maturity in corn.

Seven percent of Nebraska’s corn has dented, 13 percent behind last year with 70 percent in good-to-excellent condition. Eighty-three percent of soybeans in Nebraska have set pods, four percent ahead of last year with 76 percent of the crop in good-to-excellent condition.

Greving tells Brownfield, “Beans are filling pods right now.”

Sorghum is rated 59 percent good-to-excellent condition with 74 percent of the crop headed.

Ninety-four percent of oats have been harvested.

Almost three-quarters of dry edible beans have set pods with that crop in 63 percent good-to-excellent shape.

Pasture and range conditions are rated 76 percent-fair-to-excellent condition.