LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kentucky experienced below normal temperatures and above normal rainfall over the past week. Precipitation for the week totaled 1.65 inches, 0.55 inches above normal. Temperatures averaged 68 degrees for the week, 2 degrees below normal. Topsoil moisture was rated 1 percent very short, 6 percent short, 78 percent adequate, and 15 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture was rated 1 percent very short, 8 percent short, 80 percent adequate, and 11 percent surplus. Days suitable for fieldwork averaged 3.8 out of a possible seven.
Primary activities for this week included planting corn and soybeans, setting tobacco, and cutting hay. Fieldwork activities were disrupted at times this past week as heavy rain covered most of the state. With that said, farmers continue to show strong planting progress and are taking advantage of breaks in the weather. This evident progress includes acres replanted due to past flooding. Corn planting is nearly complete with 85 percent of the crop emerged. The corn crop remains in mostly good condition. The average height of corn is 12 inches. Soybean planting remains ahead of where it is historically at this juncture with 57 percent of the crop emerged. Like corn, the soybean crop is in mostly good condition. Tobacco condition is mostly good with 68 percent of the crop set.
Wheat condition remains mostly good with 41 percent of the crop in the coloring stage. There have been reports of wheat lodging and yields will be adversely affected in those cases. Pasture condition is good and has benefitted from recent rain. Some hay has over matured as unstable weather disrupts cutting.
— USDA, NASS, Kentucky Field Office
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