18 MAJOR U.S. STATES

Corn   Harvested = 54% vs 18% last year and 20% on average (5 years).

Soybeans   Dropping leaves = 85% vs 71% last year and 77% on average.   Harvested = 41% vs 15% last year and 19% on average. 

Winter Wheat   Planted = 40% vs 36% last year and 43% on average. 

KENTUCKY CROP PROGRESS/CONDITIONS    Issued 4:00 P.M., October 1, 2012

AGRICULTURAL NEWS: Widespread showers swept across Kentucky last week, but cleared out just in time for the weekend. Farm operators were periodically kept out of fields with 4.4 days suitable for fieldwork out of a possible seven this past week. Rain for the week totaled 1.27 inches, 0.44 inches above normal. Temperatures for the period averaged 64 degrees across the state, which is normal for this time of year, but was 2 degrees warmer than last week.

 Topsoil moisture was rated 5 percent very short, 22 percent short, 63 percent adequate and 10 percent surplus.

Subsoil moisture was rated 17 percent very short, 32 percent short, 47 percent adequate and 4 percent surplus.

CROPS: As of Sunday September 30, condition of the corn crop was rated as 47 percent very poor, 33 percent poor, 14 percent fair, 5 percent good and 1 percent excellent. Ninety-eight percent of the corn has reached the mature stage, compared with 90 percent last year and the five-year average of 93 percent. Eighty percent of the corn has been harvested, compared with last year’s 53 percent and the five-year average of 58 percent.

Soybeans shedding leaves reached 72 percent, compared with 68 percent last year and 74 percent for the five-year average. Half of the soybean crop rated as mature compared with last year at 38 percent and the 5-year average of 45 percent. Twenty-six percent of soybeans have been harvested, compared with 8 percent last year and the five-year average of 14 percent. Condition of the soybean crop was reported as 8 percent very poor, 13 percent poor, 30 percent fair, 38 percent good and 11 percent excellent.

 TOBACCO: Housed tobacco condition was rated at 1 percent very poor, 4 percent poor, 25 percent fair, 52 percent good, and 18 percent excellent. Eighty percent of the burley tobacco has been cut, compared to 82 percent last year, and 89 percent for the five-year average. Eighty-eight percent of the dark tobacco has been cut, compared to 90 percent last year and 87 percent for the five-year average. The amount of tobacco ready for stripping was 12 percent, while the amount of tobacco already stripped was 1 percent. 

OTHER CROPS AND PASTURE: Winter Wheat seeded was reported at 6 percent.

Pasture conditions improved slightly over the last week, due to rain and cooler temperatures. Pastures were rated as 8 percent very poor, 18 percent poor, 39 percent fair, 30 percent good, and 5 percent excellent.