10/29/08 First condition rating of winter wheat crop released

Farm and Ranch October 29, 2008 The first crop condition ratings for the 2009 U.S. winter wheat crop were issued by the USDA this week. Department meteorologist Brad Rippey says nationally those ratings are better than last year. Rippey: "Sixty-five percent good to excellent and only 5% very poor to poor. Last year at this time we were looking at 55% good to excellent, 12 percent very poor to poor." But Rippey says there are some problem areas and one of those is the Pacific Northwest. Rippey: "We do see in Oregon for example, 21% of the wheat rated very poor to poor as it has been relatively dry in the northwestern growing areas." None of Washington's winter wheat is rated poor but is 50% fair and 50% good. The state's weekly crop weather bulletin points to very dry conditions in Lincoln county, rainfall being desperately needed in Whitman county to bring the crop along into winter, and a dire need for moisture in Walla Walla county. It's a different story in Idaho where the winter wheat is rated 99 percent good to excellent. While emergence of the winter wheat crop nationally is right on the five year average of 69 percent, emergence in the Pacific Northwest is generally running ten points behind. Planting exceeds 90 percent complete in Washington and Idaho and is 86 complete in Oregon. Eighty-four percent of the total U.S. crop has been seeded. Just 39% of the U.S. corn crop has been harvested. Well behind the average pace for now of 66 percent. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.