Another Slow, Wet Planting Season for Corn Farmers, South Plains Wheat Shows Stress 

Corn planting progress continues to lag according to a report released Monday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. With nine percent of total corn acres planted by April 19, progress lags behind the five-year average for this point by four percentage points.


"Planting continues to progress slowly due to wet, cool conditions this year," said National Corn Growers Association President Chip Bowling. "But, it is important to keep in mind that the season has only begun in many parts of the country. Last year, corn planting started off slowly, and we harvested a record corn crop in the fall. Many opportunities and obstacles still lies ahead as a long growing season has only just entered growers' horizons."


Progress surpassed the five-year average in four of the top 18 corn-producing states, with Minnesota surpassing the average planting progress by the largest margin at six percentage points. States in the lower portion of the Corn Belt and south, which would have normally seen the most progress by this point, continue to lag. Corn planting progress in Tennessee remains the furthest behind the average with 37 points fewer acres planted than average. Progress in Kentucky and Missouri also lags more than 20 point behind the five-year average at this point.


To view the full report released Monday, click here.  

Precipitation last week brought some relief to Oklahoma, but winter wheat progress declined in the Panhandle due to limited moisture and effects of the ongoing drought. In the weekly crop progress report from USDA, the state's wheat crop rated 37 percent good to excellent, 38 percent fair and 25 percent poor to very poor. The crop gained one point in the good to excellent category, while losing one point in the poor to very poor category. Winter wheat jointing reached 95 percent by Sunday. The canola crop was rated 55 percent fair to good with blooming at 88 percent. Seedbed preparation was well underway for row crops. Corn reached 84 percent by week's end, sorghum was at 57 percent, soybeans 37 percent, cotton was 80 percent and peanut seedbed preparation reached 46 percent complete. Click here for the full Oklahoma report.


Winter wheat progressed in most areas of Texas, however, a lack of moisture combined with warm temperature stressed wheat in the Northern High Plains. In the latest USDA report, the winter wheat crop rated 51 percent good to excellent, 35 percent fair and 14 percent poor to very poor. The crop gained two points in the poor to very poor category and half of the crop has headed. That was well ahead of last year and the five year average. Corn planting was 51 percent complete with 37 percent emerged. Sorghum planting was 46 percent complete and soybeans were 12 percent planted. Grazing was more prevalent as range and pasture conditions improved where precipitation and warmer temperatures occurred. Click here for the full Texas report.


 The Kansas wheat crop continues to show stress, while corn planting gets underway. The latest report has the winter wheat crop rated 26 percent good to excellent, 46 percent fair and 28 percent poor to very poor. The crop gained two more points in the fair category since the previous week. Winter wheat jointing was at 62 percent, ahead of last year and the five year average. Planting advanced slowly due to wet soils. Corn planting was 23 percent complete with eight percent of the crop emerged. Click here for the Kansas report.  
  

Peel Finds Oklahoma Forage Conditions Improving

Dr. Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist, offers weekly analysis about the cattle marketplace in the e-newsletter, the Cow/Calf Corner. Today- he looks at the impact on the cattle market of improving forage conditions:


"Most of Oklahoma has received significant rain the past 10 days with totals generally ranging from one to three inches, with localized totals over 8 inches. Some of the best rain fell in some of the worst drought area of western Oklahoma. Much of northern Texas and the Texas Panhandle also received good rain. While this moisture does not eliminate all the drought conditions, the timing is superb for forage growth, not to mention the wheat crop in the region.


"This moisture ensures initial forage growth in warm-season pastures and provides producers an opportunity to assess the health of those rangelands after extended periods of stress. The temptation will be to stock pastures too heavily and too early. Patience and discipline are needed to ensure forage recovery and long term productivity. However, producers may finally be able to plan production offensively compared to being always on the defense.


"Cattle and beef markets have continued strong on continued tight supplies. Calf and stocker prices have holding close to spring highs on good summer grazing demand, which may be extended a bit with the recent rains." 

Dr. Peel adds that "Cull cow prices in April are about 9 percent higher than this time last year on reduced cow slaughter. Total cow slaughter is down 7.3 percent for the year to date compared to one year ago, with a 1.9 percent increase in dairy cow slaughter partially offsetting a 17.5 percent year over year decrease in beef cow slaughter. Reduced heifer and cow slaughter in 2015 suggests that herd expansion is continuing."

To read Dr. Peel's full analysis, click here.

Banks Flooding on Washita River, Flood Control Dams Fully Functional

Upper Washita Conservation District in Roger Mills County reports flooding along the Washita River. The district reports flood control structures are functioning as designed-trapping large volumes of water and slowing it as it makes its way downstream.


Over six inches of rain from April 12-17 has challenged the region's drought damaged soil. According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), one inch of rain is equal to about 27,154 gallons of water per acre. Extremely dry soil is highly erodible and absorbs water much slower than healthy soil.


Roger Mills County is home to 143 flood control structures. In total, Oklahoma's conservation districts operate and maintain 2,107 flood control structures across the state. Prior to their construction beginning in the 1950s, many parts of Oklahoma flooded regularly.


Oklahoma's flood control structures provide $82 million in annual benefits which include flood water impoundment, water supply, recreation, wildlife habitat and firefighting. 

Pork Checkoff Announces Annual Pork Management Conference in June

The Pork Checkoff will host the 2015 Pork Management Conference, Your Pork Industry Investment, June 16-19 in New Orleans.


This annual conference brings together experts from across the industry to speak on current business trends and challenges that help pork producers gain important insight and financial sophistication to manage their operation.


"The Pork Management Conference combines the latest production trends and business information with opportunities for pork producers to interact with knowledgeable financial professionals dedicated to helping them succeed," said James Coates, chair of the Checkoff's Producer and State Services Committee and a pork producer from Franklin, Ky. "Each attendee will come away from this three-day conference armed with tools they can use immediately to improve their farm."
 

Click here to read more about the conference and how to register for the 2015 Pork Management Conference.

The future use of antibiotics in livestock production as a herd health management tool is changing. Producers will start to see how the government is addressing antibiotic resistance in this country and those changes will effect livestock producers. Kansas State University Professor in Clinical Studies and Veterinarian Dr. Mike Apley said there is a concern over statements made by the White House on antibiotic resistance as a human health issue and animal agriculture has been targeted to some level as a contributor.


Last year the President's Council of Science and Technology released their PCAST report and it realized there could be a lot of resistance selection from use in humans, but there could be a component from animals. Apley said they are wanting to put together an Advisory panel along with evaluating the amount of antibiotics used. They also want to remove medically important antibiotics from growth promotion uses, which is already ready scheduled to happen in December 2016. The council also wants to find more ways to reduce antibiotics use in agriculture today.


"About 97 percent of the antibiotics that are sold for use in food animals right now are over the counter," Apley said. 


I featured Apley on the Beef Buzz feature. Click or tap here to read more have the opportunity to listen to the Beef Buzz feature.
  

Award winning broadcast journalist Jerry Bohnen has spent years learning and understanding how to cover the energy business here in the southern plains- Click here to subscribe to his daily update of top Energy News.

OPSU Crops Team Places Second in Nation

The Oklahoma Panhandle State University (OPSU) Crops Judging Team placed second in the nation at the National Crops Judging Contest held in Moline, Ill. during the 2015 NACTA (North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture) Judging Conference held earlier this month. The crop judging competition is an intensive examination of students' agronomic skills and knowledge designed around the Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) program of the American Society of Agronomy (ASA). The four-part contest is made up of a math test, general knowledge test, plant and seed identification, and lab practical. OPSU Crops Judging Coach and Agronomy department Head, Dr. Curtis Bensch, states of the contest, "It is one of the best measures of an all-around professional agronomist." NACTA's first president Ewart B. Knight commented, "It is our responsibility as educators to prepare our students for the kind of life they will enter upon graduation- big, rough, demanding and fast moving" and that accurately describes the contest.


Fifteen universities participated in the contest (eight of them "land grant" universities). Craig Bohl, an OPSU junior in agronomy, powered the team to the second place finish. Bohl finished sixth overall as individual with other team members Ryan Bryant, Willem Pretorius, and Kelby Ross following close behind. Bryant was eighth high overall individual, Pretorius was 10th and Ross placed 14th. Bohl also earned individual honors placing third in the general knowledge exam, fourth in the lab practical, and fifth in plant and seed identification. Jacob Murphy and Preston Ungles also represented OPSU with strong individual performances.  

Click here to read more about the OPSU crops team.   

This N That- HJR 1012 Right to Farm on Senate Agenda Today, Nine Day Keeps Things Mild and Wheat Field Tours Begin

The Ballot Initiative, HJR 1012, is on the Senate Agenda today and supporters of Right to Farm are expecting a final vote today.  These has been an amendment filed on the measure which would turn it into a County Option proposal- where county citizens could submit a petition and vote on a measure that would do what the original bill would do on a statewide basis.   

Assuming that county option is defeated- and the Bill as submitted by the Senate Rules Committee is approved- it will still move back to the House because of additional language added regarding mineral rights.  We were told last week that it is likely that State Rep Scott Biggs- the House author, would ask for a Conference Committee with the Senate to hammer out the differences.  

On the vote today- supporters believe they have the votes on the floor to pass the measure.  Here's the full agenda for the Senate for this Tuesday, April 21. 

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We continue with this mild and wet weather pattern across Oklahoma- with rain chances this week and after a few clear days- another chance of rainfall in the latter part of next week.

The combination of rainfall plus mild temperatures is very good news for the Oklahoma winter wheat and canola crops- as it allows both crops to take full advantage of the April rains to date.   

Courtesy of our friend Jed Castles- here is the Nine Day Forecast this AM for central and western Oklahoma:

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Today is the first day of wheat field tours- and you might find mud at these first sites- Colony, Sentinel and Bessie.    

You can go to our calendar page and see the full list on a date and location basis in the April and May section of our Ag Calendar.