Farm & Ranch Guide: North Dakota's Ag Newspaper

FARGO, N.D. - The below normal temperatures during the days following Easter continued to hold spring planting operations hostage, at least through the end of the week ending April 15, according to the weekly Crop and Livestock Report from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.

But the recent weather conditions did allow soil moisture supplies to improve slightly in many areas of the state. The service did note however, that warmer conditions at the end of the week allowed some farmers to get in the fields on a limited basis.

Topsoil moisture conditions were rated one percent very short, 12 short, 80 adequate and seven percent surplus. This compares with last week's report of one percent very short, 15 short, 75 adequate and nine percent surplus and the five-year (2002-2006) average of seven percent very short, 21 short, 65 adequate and seven percent surplus.

Limited planting has taken place in northwest and southwest quadrants of the state and the Fargo Field Office of the NASS is still predicting an average statewide starting date for fieldwork of April 20. The expected starting date ranges from April 11 in the southwest district to April 25 in the northeast district. The latest statewide starting date goes back to 1979, when farmers didn't get going until May 13 on the average.

The small grain plantings are behind last year's and the five-year average rate, with less than one-half of one percent of the spring wheat, durum, barley and oats acreage seeded at week's end. This compares to last year's progress at this time of two percent of the durum and barley seeded and three percent of the spring wheat and oats crop. The five-year average at this time is: barley and durum - three percent completed; oats - four percent; and spring wheat - seven percent.

On the livestock side, those producers in areas of the state that reported snowfall noted stressful conditions for calving and lambing. Calving is now 71 percent complete and lambing 80 percent finished, both behind last year's and the five-year average. Shearing moved ahead five points from last week to 89 percent complete.

The adverse weather conditions also taxed existing feed supplies, with eight percent of the forage supplies rated very short, 15 short, 73 adequate and four surplus, compared with an average of three percent very short, 12 short, 79 adequate and six surplus.

The service reported that the warmer weather at the end of the week helped break dormancy of pastures and ranges. They were rated as 24 percent growing, compared with 15 percent growing at the end of the previous week. Pastures and ranges conditions were listed as 12 percent very poor, 23 poor, 40 fair, 23 good and two percent excellent.

Soil temperatures in the state on April 15 ranged from a low of 34 degrees in the Oakes area to 50 degrees at Williston.

The highest temperature recorded in the state during the week ending April 15 at the North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network (NDAWN) stations was 74d egrees at Bottineau and the low of 10 degrees was observed at Mohall.

No precipitation was reported at any of the NDAWN stations during the past week, leaving the entire state below normal in precipitation totals for the growing season.

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