Kentucky experienced well above normal temperatures and below normal rainfall over the past week. Precipitation for the week totaled 0.33 inches, 0.43 inches below normal. Temperatures averaged 62 degrees for the week, 10 degrees above normal. Topsoil moisture was rated 28 percent very short, 49 percent short, 22 percent adequate, and 1 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture was rated 32 percent very short, 47 percent short, 21 percent adequate, and 0 percent surplus. Days suitable for fieldwork averaged 5.7 out of a possible seven.
Primary activities for this week included stripping tobacco, seeding winter wheat, and harvesting corn and soybeans. Although there was some precipitation by the end of the week, the state remains very dry and abnormally warm. Fieldwork is moving at a steady pace, as corn is now 94 percent harvested. The bean harvest is rolling along at 80 percent complete. Currently, tobacco is 49 percent stripped. The condition of housed tobacco is 5 percent very poor, 7 percent poor, 23 percent fair, 57 percent good, and 8 percent excellent. Winter wheat remains in mostly good condition despite the dry weather. There has been difficulty planting, as the ground has been very hard. That which has been planted needs rain to improve emergence.
Pasture ground continues to suffer from the recent drought in most of the state. Growth has been stymied and farmers continue to supplement with hay. Only 32 percent of feed is coming from pasture grazing at this juncture. Some farmers are being forced to reduce herds as a last resort. The quality of hay made is rated as 2 percent very poor, 6 percent poor, 26 percent fair, 55 percent good, and 11 percent excellent. A few areas did receive a small bit of rain recently and reported improvement, however this optimism was not widespread.
Categories: Kentucky, Crops