Oklahoma crop weather, 06/03/2013, v.36 no.16

              United States Department of Agriculture
National Agricultural Statistics Service
Oklahoma Crop Weather
Oklahoma Field Office
Cooperating with the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry
P.O. Box 528804 · Oklahoma City, OK 73152-8804
(405) 522-6190 · FAX (405) 528-2296 · www.nass.usda.gov/ok
A combined contribution with Cooperative Extension Service, USDA Farm Service Agency and Oklahoma Mesonet
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USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Information provided by respondents on NASS surveys, will remain completely confidential, as required by
Federal law. NASS safeguards the confidentiality of all responses, ensuring that no individual producer or operation can be identified.
Volume 36, Number 16
Weekly Summary for May 27-Jun 2
Issued June 3, 2013
Severe Weather Brings Flooding
Multiple storm systems throughout the week brought heavy rains and flooding to central and eastern Oklahoma. Severe weather on Friday night resulted in multiple tornados and flash flooding that claimed the lives of 16 Oklahomans, according to preliminary reports. Upwards of ten inches of rain were reported in some areas of the Oklahoma City metro. Mesonet recorded 8.22 inches or rain at the Oklahoma City East station over the past week. The Central district averaged more than four inches of rain for the week, with heavy bands of rain in northeastern and east central Oklahoma as well. Stock ponds and creeks were filling up in eastern Oklahoma, but conditions were too wet to cut hay. Western Oklahoma once again missed any widespread rainfall and continues to be in a severe to exceptional drought. The period since March 1st in the Panhandle was the driest such period on record, with barely a fourth of normal precipitation on average. Topsoil moisture conditions were rated surplus in 11 percent of the state, but were rated mostly adequate to short. Subsoil moisture conditions improved slightly but 60 percent was rated short to very short. There were 4.3 days suitable for fieldwork.
Small Grains: The ongoing drought has delayed any significant harvest of small grains. Wheat heading was 94 percent complete by the end of the week. Wheat in the soft dough stage of development was 60 percent complete, 33 points behind the five-year average. Rye in the soft dough stage was 89 percent complete by week’s end. Oats heading was 80 percent complete and oats in the soft dough stage reached 32 percent by Sunday, 31 points behind normal.
Canola condition ratings declined and were rated mostly fair to poor with 52 percent rated poor to very poor. Harvest of canola had not yet begun. Canola was 48 percent mature by the end of the week.
Row Crops: Fieldwork was slowed in areas of heavy rain. Corn was rated mostly in good condition. Corn planting was 93 percent complete by the end of the week, and 84 percent had emerged. Sorghum seedbed preparation was 76 percent complete, and 27 percent of the crop had been planted by the end of the week, 27 points behind the five-year average. Thirteen percent of sorghum had emerged by week’s end. Soybean seedbed preparation was 68 percent complete, and 31 percent had been planted, 22 points behind the five-year average. Nine percent of soybeans had emerged by the end of the week. Peanut seedbed preparation was 97 percent complete, and 82 percent of the crop had been planted by Sunday. Peanuts emerged was 64 percent complete. Cotton seedbed preparation was 92 percent complete by the end of the week. Cotton planting was 49 percent complete and 36 percent had emerged by Sunday.
Watermelon planting was 90 percent complete by the end of the week, and 33 percent were running vines, down 12 points from normal.
Hay: Conditions of alfalfa and other hay were rated mostly good to fair. Hay harvest was behind normal, as wet conditions limited cutting in eastern Oklahoma. A first cutting of alfalfa hay was 69 percent complete by the end of the week, 23 points behind the five year average. A first cutting of other hay was 30 percent complete, 17 points behind normal.
Pasture and Livestock: Conditions of pasture and range were rated mostly good to fair. Grasses in eastern Oklahoma will benefit from recent rainfall, while western Oklahoma struggles to find pasture for livestock. Livestock conditions continued to be rated mostly good to fair. Soil Moisture Conditions by Percent Week Ending Sunday, June 2, 2013 Moisture Rating Current Week Previous Week One Year Ago
Topsoil
Very Short 26 23 14
Short
20
22
41 Adequate 43 50 44
Surplus
11
5
1 Subsoil
Very Short
35
38
18 Short 25 26 46
Adequate
36
34
36 Surplus 4 2 0 Conditions by Percent For Week Ending Sunday, June 2, 2013 Commodity Very Poor Poor Fair Good Excellent
Wheat
26
28
28
16
2 Rye 22 28 37 10 3
Oats
9
17
36
33
5 Canola 21 31 30 16 2
Corn
0
1
22
69
8 Alfalfa Hay 7 17 35 36 5
Other Hay
7
14
42
35
2 Livestock 1 7 40 45 7
Pasture and Range
15
18
35
28
4