Row crop harvest helped out by warm weather

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Warm, dry conditions last week allowed the state's corn harvest to nearly catch up to last year's rapid pace and get slightly ahead of the five-year average, the Missouri Agriculture Statistics Service said Monday.

The soybean, sorghum and cotton harvests made gains but remained largely behind schedule as farmers were able to get into the fields an average of 5.6 days last week. The corn harvest is 94 percent complete.

Soybeans are lagging about five days behind average in maturing, with 77 percent of the crop harvested. That is also five days behind last year's progress at this point and the five-year average.

The cotton harvest advanced sharply to 5 percent complete, four days ahead of last year but still a week behind the two-year average.

Winter wheat planting was 79 percent complete -- two days ahead of last year but in line with the five-year average.

Fifty-nine percent of the crop has emerged, two days ahead of average. The emerged wheat is rated 22 percent fair, 71 percent good and 7 percent excellent, a slight improvement over last week.

Pastures conditions were reported 6 percent very poor, 15 percent poor, 38 percent fair, 35 percent good, and 6 percent excellent, with little progress made from last week.

------

On the Net:

Missouri Agricultural Statistics Service: http://agebb.missouri.edu/mass