Nebraska Agricultural Summary: For the week ending November 30, 2008, above normal temperatures, along with no measurable precipitation, allowed harvest to finish in most areas, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Nebraska Field Office. Corn harvest made good progress and is nine days behind average. Sorghum harvest is nearly complete but over two weeks behind the average. Most cattle are in harvested fields or dry lots.

Weather Summary: Temperatures averaged three degrees above normal across the state. Temperatures varied from highs in the mid 60’s in the west to lows near single digits in the central part of the state. Only traces of precipitation were reported in several districts.

Soil Moisture Week Ending November 30, 2008

Topsoil

Surplus - 2%, Adequate - 77%, Short to Very Short 21%

Subsoil

Surplus - 3%, Adequate - 77%, Short to Very Short 20%

Field Crops Report: Corn harvested was 91 percent complete, well behind last year’s 100 and nine days behind the 98 average.

Sorghum harvest was 94 percent complete, sixteen days behind last year and the average of 100.

Winter wheat conditions rated 0 percent very poor, 2 poor, 21 fair, 63 good, and 14 excellent, well above last year’s 55 percent good or excellent rating.

Iowa Agricultural Summary: The 2008 harvest season is nearing it’s close as we enter December. Application of fall fertilizer advanced to 43 percent complete despite poor ground conditions in many areas. Progress is far behind last year’s 76 percent and trails the 66 percent average for this date.

There were 5.1 days suitable for fieldwork during the week, compared with 5.4 days the previous week. Topsoil moisture is rated 1 percent very short, 3 percent short, 77 percent adequate, and 19 percent surplus across the state. Subsoil moisture is rated 1 percent very short, 5 percent short, 80 percent adequate, and 14 percent surplus.

Grain movement from farm to elevator is rated 30 percent no movement, 41 percent light, 26 percent moderate, and 3 percent heavy. Off-farm grain storage availability is rated 14 percent short, 79 percent adequate, and 7 percent surplus. On-farm storage availability is rated 22 percent short, 74 percent adequate, and 4 percent surplus.

Field Crops Report: The corn harvest advanced to 94 percent complete. Normally, only 1 percent of the acreage remains unharvested by this date. Harvest is nearly complete in the Northwest and North-central districts, but still lags in the South-central district where nearly 20 percent of the crop is stilling standing. In the East-central district, 13 percent of the corn acreage is still in the field.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report:

Availability of hay and roughage for livestock feed rated 10 percent short, 85 percent adequate, and 5 percent surplus with a rated quality of 9 percent poor, 50 percent fair, and 41 percent good. Grazing of stubble ground rated 42 percent none, 29 percent limited, 25 percent moderate, and 4 percent extensive.

IOWA PRELIMINARY WEATHER SUMMARY

Provided by Harry Hillaker, State Climatologist

Dry weather prevailed across Iowa until the weekend when snow, along with some rain, fell statewide. Greatest snow fell from Des Moines northeastward to Charles City where 4 to 5 inch amounts were common. Only a few flurries occurred in far northwest Iowa. Weekly precipitation totals varied from only a trace at Sioux Center, Sheldon and Sibley to 0.80 inches at Columbia in Marion County. The statewide average precipitation was 0.25 inches while normal for the week is 0.43 inches. Temperatures generally were a few degrees above normal throughout the week with daytime temperatures frequently climbing into the 40’s. Temperature extremes for the week varied from lows of 11 degrees at Spencer on Tuesday (25th) morning and at Elkader on Saturday (29th) morning to highs of 54 degrees at Red Oak and Shenandoah on Wednesday (26th) afternoon. Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged 2.0 degrees above normal. Soil temperatures at the four inch depth were averaging right at freezing over the north and west and in the mid 30’s south and east as of Sunday (30th).