For the week ending August 11, 2019, there were 4.3 days suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Topsoil moisture supplies rated 0 percent very short, 1 short, 68 adequate, and 31 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 0 percent very short, 1 short, 67 adequate, and 32 surplus.
Field Crops Report:
Corn condition rated 2 percent very poor, 6 poor, 28 fair, 45 good, and 19 excellent. Corn silking was 85 percent, behind 98 last year and 96 for the five-year average. Dough was 25 percent, well behind 69 last year and 51 average. Dented was 1 percent, behind 10 last year, and near 5 average.
Soybean condition rated 2 percent very poor, 8 poor, 37 fair, 40 good, and 13 excellent. Soybeans blooming was 83 percent, behind 96 last year and 94 average. Setting pods was 47 percent, well behind 79 last year and 76 average.
Winter wheat harvested was 68 percent, well behind 96 last year and 90 average.
Spring wheat condition rated 2 percent very poor, 4 poor, 32 fair, 47 good, and 15 excellent. Spring wheat harvested was 16 percent, well behind 76 last year and 61 average.
Oats condition rated 0 percent very poor, 3 poor, 36 fair, 46 good, and 15 excellent. Oats harvested was 44 percent, well behind 86 last year and 80 average.
Sorghum condition rated 1 percent very poor, 1 poor, 34 fair, 57 good, and 7 excellent. Sorghum headed was 59 percent, behind 73 last year and 77 average. Coloring was 5 percent, behind 11 last year and 12 average.
Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 3 poor, 20 fair, 45 good, and 31 excellent.
Crop Production Report:
Based on August 1 conditions, South Dakota’s 2019 corn crop is forecast at 630 million bushels, down 19 percent from last year, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Acreage harvested for grain is estimated at 4.01 million acres, down 17 percent from a year ago. Average yield is forecast at 157 bushels per acre, down 3 bushels from last year.
Soybean production is forecast at 156 million bushels, 39 percent below last year. Area for harvest, at 3.46 million acres, is down 38 percent from 2018. Yield is forecast at 45 bushels per acre, down 1 bushel from last year.
South Dakota’s 2019 winter wheat crop is forecast at 38.0 million bushels, up 20 percent from last year’s crop. Harvested acreage is estimated at 730,000 acres, up 11 percent from a year ago. Average yield is forecast at 52 bushels per acre, up 4 bushels from last year.
Other spring wheat production is forecast at 36.2 million bushels, down 11 percent from last year. Harvested acreage is estimated at 770,000 acres, down 20 percent from a year ago. The yield, forecast at 47 bushels per acre, is up 5 bushels from last year.
Oat production, at 6.97 million bushels, is down 11 percent from last year. Harvested acreage is estimated at 85,000 acres, down 11 percent from a year ago. The yield is forecast at 82 bushels per acre, unchanged from last year.
Sorghum yield is forecast at 77 bushels per acre, down 3 bushels from last year. Harvested acreage is estimated at 170,000 acres, down 15 percent from a year ago. Production of 13.1 million bushels is down 18 percent from a year ago.
Alfalfa hay production is forecast at 4.86 million tons, up 29 percent from last year. Harvested acreage is estimated at 1.80 million acres, up 3 percent from 2018. Expected yield, at 2.70 tons per acre, is up 0.55 ton from last year. All other hay production is forecast at 2.61 million tons, up 29 percent from last year. Harvested acreage is estimated at 1.45 million acres, down 3 percent from a year ago. Expected yield, at 1.80 tons per acre, is up 0.45 ton from last year.
Special Note:
Survey respondents who reported acreage as not yet planted for corn, cotton, sorghum, and soybeans in fourteen States for the Acreage report, released June 28, 2019, were re-contacted in July. Excessive rainfall had led to planting delays and challenges at the time of the survey, leaving a portion of acres still to be planted for corn in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; cotton in Arkansas; sorghum in Kansas; and soybeans in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. When planting delays occur NASS has established procedures and processes in place to re-contact respondents. In addition to the updated survey information, NASS considered Farm Service Agency (FSA) certified acreage information as well as satellite-based indications of acreage to update planted and harvested acreage estimates for this report. NASS estimates of planted area are always larger than the certified acres reported by FSA because of definitional differences and the fact that some producers do not participate in USDA programs and therefore do not report their acreage to FSA. It is also important to note that data are reported to FSA over an extended period of time, with varying due dates across the country, and is historically incomplete in early August.
NASS has carefully analyzed these data for many years and has determined they normally don’t become nearly complete until September for cotton and October for corn, soybeans, and sorghum. A detailed description of how NASS incorporates the FSA certified acreage information into the estimating process can be found at https://www.nass.usda.gov/Education_and_Outreach/Understanding_Statistics/FSA_Acreage.pdf.
