U.S. spring cereal seeding nearly complete
Farm and Ranch June 9, 2009 The USDA reports that at the start of this week spring wheat planting in the U.S. was finally nearing completion. Rippey: “Finally, now 96% planted. The five year average is 100%.” USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey who says North Dakota and Minnesota still have about four percent of their spring wheat to plant. Emergence of spring wheat in the Pacific Northwest is about right on the five year average for now but Rippey says that’s not the case nationally. Rippey: “Eighty-four percent emerged by June 7th. Five year average 97%. In North Dakota we have only seen three-quarters of the crop emerge by June 7th compared to the five year average of 96%.” Rippey says the spring wheat that is up isn’t looking too bad. Rippey: “Seventy-two percent of the spring wheat crop looking good to excellent. Only four percent very poor to poor. A year ago at this time 63% good to excellent and four percent very poor to poor. Drought in some of the western areas was a problem a year ago.” Seeding of the barley crop is about wrapped up with 96 percent in the ground to start this week, just three points behind average. Emergence of the crop is normal in the northwest but lagging nationally. Ninety-seven percent of the U.S. corn crop has been planted. A wheat stripe rust update from Washington State University reports the disease has now been found on susceptible varieties in experimental plots near Pullman. Incidence was less than one percent and severity less than five percent. I’m Bob Hoff and that’s the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.
