Author: harsmo
Last saved by: flanje
Company: NASS

Colorado Crop Progress

USDA NASS Colorado Field Office
P.O. Box 150969, Lakewood, CO 80215
Phone  1-800-392-3202 ∙  1-800-643-6885
e-mail: nass-co@nass.usda.gov
To access USDA-NASS reports http://www.nass.usda.gov/

NATIONAL  
AGRICULTURAL
STATISTICS
SERVICE

Released:  September 8, 2008                                                                                                                 Vol.  45      No.  27

Agricultural Summary: Most of Colorado experienced precipitation levels below average for this time of year. Temperatures averaged a little below normal as well.   Producers were allowed 6.3 days in the field for operations.

TOP SOIL MOISTURE BY PERCENT
| Very Short | Short | Adequate | Surplus
This Week | 5 | 30 | 60 | 5
Last Week | 3 | 33 | 63 | 1
Last Year | 16 | 39 | 42 | 3
SUBSOIL MOISTURE BY PERCENT
| Very Short | Short | Adequate | Surplus
This Week | 21 | 42 | 36 | 1
Last Week | 13 | 49 | 38 | 0
Last Year | 14 | 41 | 43 | 2

Small Grains:   Spring barley was 87 percent harvested in mostly good condition. Spring wheat was 50 percent harvested and is rated in mostly good condition.  Winter wheat was 15 percent seeded by week’s end.

Row Crops: The corn crop was 98 percent at or beyond the dough stage, 57 percent dented and 11 percent mature with the crop in mostly fair to good condition last week.  Sorghum was 91 percent turning color and 20 percent mature with the crop in mostly fair condition by week’s end.

ROW CROPS CONDITION BY PERCENT
Week ending September 7, 2008

| Very Poor | Poor | Fair | Good | Excellent
Corn
This Week | 7 | 13 | 33 | 33 | 14
Last Year | 2 | 7 | 20 | 51 | 20
Sorghum
This Week | 4 | 13 | 45 | 37 | 1
Last Year | 0 | 0 | 22 | 66 | 12

Pasture, Range, and Hay:  Pasture and range conditions across Colorado were rated mostly fair to good.  Second cutting alfalfa was completed while third cutting was 55 percent complete.  The crop was rated in mostly fair to good condition.

Livestock: Death losses for cattle were rated average while sheep and lambs were rated just below average.  Stored feed supplies were rated a little above average.

PASTURE AND RANGE CONDITION BY PERCENT
Week ending September 7, 2008

| Very Poor | Poor | Fair | Good | Excel-lent
Pasture & Range-2008 | 10 | 23 | 40 | 24 | 3
Prev. Year – 2007 | 3 | 9 | 36 | 40 | 12
5-Year Avg. | 9 | 22 | 35 | 29 | 5

COLORADO CROP PROGRESS
Development Ratings for Week Ending September 7, 2008

Item | This Week | Last Week | Last Year | 5-Yr Avg.
Spring Barley | | | |
Harvested | 87 | 62 | 93 | 89
Spring Wheat | | | |
Harvested | 50 | 40 | 72 | 77
Winter Wheat | | | |
Seeded | 15 | N/A | 4 | 11
Corn | | | |
Dough | 98 | 93 | 93 | 83
Dent | 57 | 42 | 52 | 51
Mature | 11 | 4 | 8 | 10
Corn Silage | | | |
Harvested | 24 | 14 | 27 | 26
Sorghum | | | |
Turning Color | 91 | 87 | 50 | 44
Mature | 20 | 10 | 18 | 14
Dry Beans | | | |
Cut | 15 | 9 | 22 | 26
Harvested | 4 | 0 | 7 | 8
Alfalfa | | | |
3^rd Cutting | 55 | 45 | 53 | 50
Dry Onions | | | |
Harvested | 32 | 22 | 38 | 46
Fall Potatoes | | | |
Harvested | 18 | 12 | 2 | 6
Summer Potatoes | | | |
Harvested | 30 | 21 | 36 | 50
	
COLORADO CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITION RATINGS  1/
Item | Very Poor | Poor | Fair | Good | Excellent
Spring Barley | 5 | 17 | 31 | 35 | 12
Spring Wheat | 5 | 18 | 26 | 36 | 15
Corn | 7 | 13 | 30 | 36 | 14
Alfalfa | 2 | 8 | 36 | 40 | 14
Dry Onions | 0 | 4 | 25 | 55 | 16
Summer Potatoes | 8 | 8 | 15 | 53 | 16
Fall Potatoes | 9 | 9 | 28 | 42 | 12
Dry Beans | 1 | 2 | 31 | 54 | 12
Sugarbeets | 3 | 4 | 20 | 46 | 27
Sunflowers | 4 | 14 | 39 | 28 | 15
Sorghum | 4 | 13 | 45 | 37 | 1
Livestock | 1 | 6 | 21 | 64 | 8

USDA NASS
Colorado Field Office

Colorado State University
Cooperative Extension Service

Colorado Department 
of Agriculture

1/  Crop condition ratings pertain to emerged plants early in the growing season through plants remaining to be                   harvested late in the season.