LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kentucky experienced above normal temperatures and below normal rainfall over the past week. Precipitation for the week totaled 0.74 inches, 0.30 inches below normal. Temperatures averaged 62 degrees for the week, 4 degrees above normal. Topsoil moisture was rated 1 percent short, 73 percent adequate, and 26 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture was rated 1 percent short, 76 percent adequate, and 23 percent surplus. Days suitable for fieldwork averaged 4.0 out of a possible seven.
Primary activities for this week included corn and soybean planting along with continued tobacco transplant seeding. While several regions battled persistent precipitation, others received weather conducive to progress in the fields. Corn planting is well ahead of last year at this time, but slightly below the five year average. Soybean planting is ahead of both last year and the five year average at this juncture. Ninety two percent of tobacco transplants have been seeded. The average height of transplants were reported as 38 percent less than 2 inches, 48 percent 2-4 inches, and 14 percent larger than 4 inches.
The average height of winter wheat was 23 inches, up from 18 inches last week. The average height of alfalfa was 9 inches, compared to 8 inches the previous week. There has been a shortage of hay as pastures were adversely affected by the extremely wet winter and spring. Hay supply was reported as 22 percent very short, 40 percent short, 35 percent adequate, and 3 percent surplus. Strawberry condition was rated as 1 percent very poor, 2 percent poor, 24 percent fair, 60 percent good, and 13 percent excellent.
— USDA, NASS, Kentucky Field Office
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