HUMBOLDT - Crops vary greatly across the region, some look great due to timely rains while others are in poor condition, according to the crop report for the period of July 18 to 24. More moisture is needed to fill pods and heads and producers are hoping for a some more rainshowers in the coming weeks. The heat has caused crops in the drier parts of the region to begin to rapidly dry down creating an earlier than normal harvest for some producers.
The hot dry week helped haying operations and livestock producers currently have 81 per cent of the hay baled or put into silage. An additional 12 per cent is cut and ready for baling. Hay quality is currently rated as 14 per cent excellent, 71 per cent good and 15 per cent fair. Cattle producers have indicated that without significant rain there will likely not be a second cut of hay.
Cropland topsoil moisture is rated as 25 per cent adequate, 67 per cent short and nine per cent very short. Hay and pasture land is rated as 16 per cent adequate, 69 per cent short, 15 per cent very short.
The majority of crops are in poor-to-good condition. Crops in the areas of the region that received rain look good, but as hot days continue and moisture becomes sparse, crops have experience yield reducing stress such as heat blasting of flower petals.
Most of the crop damage this past week was from heat, insects and the wind. Producers have not started harvesting but have begun to prep equipment to be ready for when their crop dries down in the coming weeks.
