Kentucky farm report for week ending November 5, 2023

Tuesday, November 7, 2023

Kentucky experienced below normal temperatures and precipitation over the past week. Precipitation for the week totaled .52 inches, 0.26 inches below normal. Temperatures averaged 46 degrees for the week, 6 degrees below normal.

Soil Moisture

Topsoil moisture was rated 6% very short, 38% short, 54% adequate, and 2% surplus. Subsoil moisture was rated 11% very short, 40% short, 48% adequate, and 1% surplus.

Fieldwork

Days suitable for fieldwork averaged 5.6 out of a possible seven. Primary activities for this week included stripping tobacco, planting winter wheat, and harvesting corn and soybeans.

Crops

Western and central parts of the state saw rainfall early in the week, easing some of the concerns with drought. However, overall precipitation for the state as a whole remains below average for the week. Frost was reported in many counties. Harvest continues to move steadily, with soybeans at 70% harvested and corn at 89% harvested. Yields are varied across the state. Stripping of tobacco has also continued as normal at 55% complete. The condition of currently housed tobacco has deteriorated from the previous week. Conditions were reported at 1% very poor, 41% poor, 37% fair, and 21% good.

Pasture and Hay

Despite receiving much needed rainfall pasture conditions did not improve much. Lack of timely rains has limited growth for cool season grasses. Reports show very poor at 11%, poor at 22%, fair at 37%, good at 28%, and excellent at 2%. Due to temperatures remaining mild through the week, farmers were able to still utilize pastures as a source as feed. Forty-five percent of feed was reported to come from pasture and range this week. The quality of hay being made was mostly fair or good, with 82% of hay being reported in those two categories.