United States Department of Agriculture
National Agricultural Statistics Service, Kansas Field Office
CROP WEATHER
 Kansas Agricultural Statistics
Cooperating with the Kansas Department of Agriculture
PO Box 3534 • Topeka KS 66601-3534 • (785)233-2230 • www.nass.usda.gov/ks • nass-ks@nass.usda.gov
Released: September 15, 2008							 		          Volume 08 No. 38

Agricultural Summary:  Cooler temperatures and heavy amounts of rain in the eastern half of the State limited field work activities and development of some crops statewide.  Producers averaged 2.6 days suitable for field work.  Topsoil moisture is rated as 3 percent very short, 4 percent short, 63 percent adequate, and 30 percent surplus.  Subsoil moisture is rated as 5 percent very short, 9 percent short, 68 percent adequate, and 18 percent surplus.  Primary farm activities involved cutting hay, preparing for wheat planting, harvesting high moisture corn, and cutting corn and sorghum silage.  

Field Crop Report: Ninety-four percent of the corn has dented, compared to 98 percent in 2007 and 97 percent for the 5-year average.  Forty-one percent of the crop has matured, compared to 78 percent last year and 72 percent for the 5-year average.  Five percent has been harvested, compared to 29 percent for 2007 and 25 percent for the 5-year average.  Corn condition is rated as 3 percent very poor, 8 percent poor, 30 percent fair, 49 percent good, and 10 percent excellent.  Ninety-five percent of the sorghum has headed, compared to 100 percent for 2007 and 98 percent for the 5-year average.  Sixty-three percent is coloring, compared to 85 percent last year and 75 percent for the 5-year average.  Ten percent is mature, compared to 17 percent in 2007 and 21 percent for the 5-year average.  Sorghum condition is rated as 2 percent very poor, 8 percent poor, 28 percent fair, 51 percent good, and 11 percent excellent.  Twenty-one percent of soybeans are dropping leaves, compared to 37 percent last year and 39 percent for the 5-year average.  Soybean condition is rated as 4 percent poor, 24 percent fair, 52 percent good, and 20 percent excellent.  Five percent of the wheat has been planted, compared to 6 percent in 2007 and 9 percent for the 5-year average.  Sixteen percent of cotton is in the bolls open stage, compared to 11 percent last year and 20 percent for the 5-year average.  Cotton condition is rated as 5 percent very poor, 10 percent poor, 30 percent fair, 45 percent good, and 10 percent excellent.  Sixty-nine percent of the sunflowers are in the ray flower dry stage, compared to 66 percent in 2007 and 71 percent for the 5-year average.  Thirty-eight percent are in the bracts yellow stage, compared to 37 percent for the previous year and 46 percent for the 5-year average.  Sunflower condition is rated as 5 percent poor, 21 percent fair, 67 percent good, and 7 percent excellent.  Fifty-five percent of the fourth cutting of alfalfa has been completed, compared to 63 percent for the previous year and 60 percent for the 5-year average.

Feed Supplies Report:  Range and pasture conditions were rated as 4 percent very poor, 8 percent poor, 25 percent fair, 54 percent good, and 9 percent excellent.  Feed grain supplies were rated as 3 percent very short, 9 percent short, 87 percent adequate, and 1 percent surplus.  Hay and forage supplies were rated as 2 percent very short, 8 percent short, 80 percent adequate, and 10 percent surplus.  Stock water supplies were rated as 2 percent very short, 5 percent short, 83 percent adequate, and 10 percent surplus.      

This is a cooperative effort with Kansas State Research & Extension Service,
KSU Weather Data Library, and Kansas Agriculture Statistics
	
Crop Conditions for Week Ending 09/14/08
	Very Poor	Poor	Fair	Good	Excellent	
						
Corn	3	8	30	49	10	
Sorghum	2	8	28	51	11	
Soybeans	0	4	24	52	20	
Cotton	5	10	30	45	10	
Sunflowers	0	5	21	67	7	
						
Range & Pasture	4	8	25	54	9	

Crop Progress by Agricultural Statistics District as of 09/14/08
											LAST	LAST	5-YR	
	NW	WC	SW	NC	C	SC	NE	EC	SE	STATE	WEEK	YEAR	AVG.	
														
Corn Dent	94	95	74	99	97	100	99	97	97	94	85	98	97	
Corn Mature	5	24	6	77	68	53	47	44	75	41	28	78	72	
Corn Harvested	0	0	2	0	15	14	2	4	19	5	3	29	25	
Sorghum Headed	99	99	75	99	95	97	100	97	99	95	92	100	98	
Sorghum Coloring	49	61	37	67	65	78	97	67	74	63	52	85	75	
Sorghum Mature	4	4	2	15	9	21	3	6	22	10	5	17	21	
Soybeans Dropping	10	19	22	29	19	29	25	20	7	21	9	37	39	
Wheat Planted	3	5	21	0	1	7	0	0	1	5	2	6	9	

Days Suitable and Moisture Conditions for Week Ending 09/14/08
											LAST	LAST	
	NW	WC	SW	NC	C	SC	NE	EC	SE	STATE	WEEK	YEAR	
Days Suitable	
For Fieldwork	3.2	5.3	4.0	2.7	2.4	2.0	1.7	2.4	.9	2.6	4.4	6.2	
	
Topsoil Moisture (Percent)	
	
Very Short	0	34	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	3	3	10	
Short	12	27	13	2	0	1	0	0	0	4	16	36	
Adequate	76	39	85	92	72	78	50	58	24	63	72	53	
Surplus	12	0	0	5	28	21	50	42	76	30	9	1	
	
Subsoil Moisture (Percent)	
	
Very Short	3	26	34	1	2	0	0	0	0	5	8	5	
Short	25	42	20	6	6	8	0	1	0	9	20	42	
Adequate	69	32	46	90	80	87	76	75	37	68	65	53	
Surplus	3	0	0	3	12	5	24	24	63	18	7	0	

TEMP. AND PRECIP. DATA, SELECTED SITES, FOR WEEK ENDING 09/14/08 at 7:00 a.m. 
		Temperature				Temperature		
Station	Air	Soil 4”	Precip	Station	Air	Soil 4”	Precip	
Dist	City	Max	Min	Avg	Max	Min		Dist	City	Max	Min	Avg	Max	Min		
	
NW	Colby	82	43	60	79	53	1.49	SC	Hesston	79	49	66	79	60	3.83	
WC	Tribune	87	41	61	72	62	.57	NE	Powhatt	75	42	64	74	59	4.31	
SW	Garden Cty	84	45	63	76	62	.01	NE	Manhat	81	45	65	75	63	5.55	
NC	Scandia	81	42	63	74	53	1.99	EC	Ottawa	81	49	66	74	61	4.87	
C	Hays	83	44	64	81	53	.54	EC	Slvr Lk	76	47	64	74	62	3.67	
SC	Hutch	80	48	67	78	60	3.80	EC	Rossvl	78	47	65	74	65	5.54	
SC	St John	82	54	68	80	59	2.50	SE	Parsons	87	50	68	75	65	3.15	
Data collected by Automated Stations (above) may differ from official stations (below).  Automated stations report through midnight on Sunday.  Official reporting stations data are through 7:00 a.m. Sunday.  The map data are collected by individuals (one or more per county).

PRECIPITATION FOR THE WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 14, 2008 at 7:00 a.m.