Rains aid grain
Farm and Ranch June 3, 2010 There has been plentiful rain around most of the grain growing areas of the Pacific Northwest over the past week. In the Weekly Crop Weather report from Washington dryland spring wheat was described as growing as if it was irrigated in Klickitat County. The weather however, has also been conducive for stripe rust in wheat around the region and rains have made fungicide applications a challenge. In Oregon and Washington nearly half of the first cutting of hay is complete. Moisture on the hay that is down has not been welcomed by hay producers. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey has this week’s update on the U.S. winter wheat crop. Rippey: “Heading is progressing quite rapidly into the Great Lakes region and the northwest. In fact we saw ore than half the crop heading during the week in Michigan and in Oregon, just showing how quickly things are progressing. Seventy-five percent of the nation‘s winter wheat headed by May 30th. The five year average is 78%.” Oregon’s winter wheat at 60 percent headed is three points ahead of the five year average while heading is lagging in Washington and Idaho. Condition ratings for winter wheat in the PNW is 70 percent good to excellent or better. Nationally the crop is rated 65 percent good to excellent, down a point from a week ago but still 20 points better than last year. USDA reports 95 percent of the U.S. spring wheat crop has been planted with emergence at 84 percent, both about right on the five year average for now. Planting of the U.S. corn crop is 97 percent complete. I’m Bob Hoff and that’s the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on Northwest Aginfo Net. ?
