10/25/06 First condition ratings for winter wheat

Farm and Ranch October 25, 2006 USDA reported this week that 86 percent of the U.S. winter wheat crop had been planted to start this week and 65 percent of the crop had emerged. Those are both close to the five-year average for this time. Planting exceeds 90 percent completion in all the Pacific Northwest states. Emergence is at 58 percent in Idaho, 61 percent in Oregon and 74 percent in Washington. Only in Washington is emergence behind the long term average. USDA also issued the first condition rating of the season for winter wheat and meteorologist Brad Rippey has the details. Rippey: "As of October 22nd 57 % of the rated good to excellent, ten percent very poor to poor. Ironically those are the identical numbers to this time last year. Last year we had much drier conditions in key producing areas and conditions deteriorated rapidly from this point on. Much better moisture conditions in many areas this year, however there are a few dry spots to keep an eye on. One is in Oklahoma, particularly western and northern parts of the state. In Oklahoma 27% of the winter wheat is rated very poor to poor. We also see some problems still despite recent showers in the Northwestern states. Washington number two in terms of very poor to poor acreage. Fifteen percent of the crop rated very poor to poor there on October 22nd." The U.S. corn harvest is now over half complete at 53 percent. That's about four points behind the average for this time. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.