10/11/07 Winter wheat planting and crop progress update

Farm and Ranch October 11, 2007 Winter wheat planting in the Pacific Northwest is about right on or ahead of the average planting pace for now. Washington growers are the furthest along with seeding at 84 percent complete. The five-year average is 82 percent. Planting in Oregon at 64 percent complete is slightly behind last year but well ahead of the five-year average of 43 percent. And in Idaho 67 percent of the crop is in the ground, right on the five-year average. USDA meteorologist Eric Lubehausen says nationally 58 percent of the winter wheat has been planted. Lubehausen: "Nationally a seven point lag behind this time last year and eight points behind the 5-year average. Most notably wet weather in Kansa slowing the crop planting there." Winter wheat emergence also lags nationally with 29 percent of the crop up compared to the five-year average of 36 percent. In the PNW 55 percent of Washington's crop has emerged, just ahead of the five-year average. In Oregon emergence is way ahead of average at 35 percent, and in Idaho emergence is just slightly ahead of average at 26 percent. As for the U.S. corn harvest Lubehausen says 42 percent of the crop's in the bin. Lubehausen: "That's 15 points ahead of last year at this time and 12 points ahead of the five-year average." Potato harvesting continues in the Northwest. Harvesting is right on pace in Washington at 74 percent complete. Idaho has harvested 69 percent of its potatoes which is ahead of the five-year average of 57 percent. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.