TOPEKA – Dry conditions last week allowed farmers to harvest their row crops as corn progress advanced 11-points and soybeans advanced 14-points while sorghum harvest was slower advancing just 3-points, that according to the latest numbers for the Kansas Acricutural Statistics Service.
As of Sunday, Kansas corn producers had harvested 53-percent of their crop, behind 67-percent last year, but ahead of the 5-year average of 48-percent.
Corn harvest in the southeast Kansas is nearly complete while farmers in the Northwest Kansas have only harvested 26-percent of their crop.
Leaves are dropping on 66-percent of the soybean acreage, behind 70-percent last year and 73-percent for the 5-year average. Sixteen percent of the soybeans were reported as harvested, compared to 17-percent last year and 15-percent for the 5-year average. Soybean condition was rated as 26-percent very poor, 26-percent poor, 22-percent fair, 21-percent good, and 5- percent excellent.
Four percent of the sorghum crop is left to head, while 84-percent has turned color, well behind 99-percent for the previous year and the 5-year average of 93-percent. 38-percent of the sorghum has matured, advancing 15-points last week, but remains behind 69-percent last year and 51-percent for the 5-year average.
Sorghum harvest was 5 percent complete by Sunday, behind 22-percent last year and 14-percent for the 5-year average. The crop’s condition was rated as 24-percent very poor, 24-percent poor, 29-percent fair, 18-percent good and 5-percent excellent.
Kansas winter wheat producers seeded 23 percent of the States wheat acreage last week, bringing the total to 43 percent complete, ahead of 42 percent last year but behind the 5-year average of 47 percent. Northeast Kansas is leading the state with 75-percent of their wheat already planted.
Thirteen percent of the Kansas crop had emerged, ahead of 11-percent last year but behind 18- percent for the 5-year average.
Fifty-two percent of the cotton crop had bolls opening, behind 83-percent in 2010, but the same as the 5-year average. The cotton condition improved to 18-percent very poor, 17-percent poor, 39-percent fair, 23-percent good and 3-percent excellent.
Ninety-two percent of the sunflower crop had ray flowers dried, ahead of 88-percent last year and 89-percent for the 5-year average. Eighty-one percent of the crop had turned yellow, ahead of 69-percent last year and 75-percent for the 5-year average, while 58-percent had already turned brown, ahead of 39-percent last year and the 5-year average of 34-percent. Kansas sunflower producers have harvested 9- percent of their crop, ahead of last year at 5-percent and the average of 6-percent.
The condition was rated 5-percent very poor, 14-percent poor, 36-percent fair, 39-percent good, and 6-percent excellent.
The fourth cutting of alfalfa was 62-percent complete, well behind 85-percent last year and 77- percent for the 5-year average.