U.S. spring wheat harvest nearing an end

Farm and Ranch September 30, 2009 Harvesting of the 2009 U.S. spring wheat crop is nearing an end. Meanwhile planting of the 2010 winter wheat crop continues though some farmers, particularly in the Pacific Northwest, are waiting for rain before they seed. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey provides the weekly update on both activities.

Rippey: “Spring wheat harvest a long season but almost finished up, 94 percent harvested. The five year average is 98%. Less than 10% remaining in the field now in Idaho, Minnesota, Montana and North Dakota as we finally come to an end of that very long spring wheat season. And for the winter wheat we now see more than one-third planted, 36% and that compares favorably to the five year average of 39%. Thirteen percent of the crop emerged. Also very similar to the 5-year number of 14 percent.”

Winter wheat planting in the northwest is much further ahead than the national pace with 73 percent of the crop seeded in Washington, 49 percent in Idaho and 37 percent in Oregon. Emergence in Oregon at one percent and at seven percent in Idaho is behind the five year average. Winter wheat emergence in Washington at 45 percent is well ahead of the five year average for now.

USDA’s Rippey says frost continues to be a threat to the late developing corn crop.

Rippey: “The maturity numbers are lagging by at least 40 points in at least five major production states.”

Just six percent of the corn crop has been harvested.

I’m Bob Hoff and that’s the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.