Each December, the Wisconsin Ag Statistics Service issues a final crop report highlighting the trends of the past growing season. The agency noted that 2022 started with below average temperatures and many parts of the state still covered in snow. Topsoil moisture was rated 29 percent surplus on April 3, 2022 compared to just 4 percent surplus a year earlier. The cool, wet spring weather meant crops were planted behind normal, and there were few days available for fieldwork until mid-May. Days suitable for fieldwork averaged 1.2 in April 2022 compared to 4.3 days in April 2021. Spring tillage was only 8 percent complete on April 24, 11 days behind the 5-year average. Generally warm and dry weather throughout the summer helped crop development catch up from the slow spring.
Statewide topsoil moisture was rated at least 70 percent adequate or better throughout the season, although there were pockets of dry areas in north-central, west-central and southern Wisconsin. By September 4 winter wheat harvest was 99 percent complete, a few days behind the 5-year average. Oat harvest wrapped up in late September with 98 percent complete by September 25. Soybean harvest was virtually complete by mid-November but there was still over 10 percent of corn for grain still in the field as of November 27. A warm, dry fall led to favorable conditions for post-harvest activities such as tillage and manure application.
The average temperature for June through September was 65.6 degrees, compared to 67.3 degrees in 2021 and a normal of 65.3 degrees. April had below normal temperatures while May through September all had above normal temperatures. March was 1.0 degrees below normal. October was 0.4 degrees above normal and November was 2.0 degrees above normal. The statewide precipitation total for April through September was 21.50 inches, compared to 21.17 inches the previous year and a normal of 23.36 inches. May, June, July and September had below normal precipitation while April and August had above normal precipitation. June precipitation was 1.67 inches below normal while August precipitation was 0.99 inches above normal.
CORN - Corn planting got off to a late start with only 1 percent being planted by May 1, almost 2 weeks behind the 5- year average. By June 5, almost 90 percent of corn acres were planted, 1 day ahead of the average. The first crop condition rating of the season showed 84 percent good to excellent. Conditions declined through the month of June, but then remained fairly constant with the percentage of good to excellent mostly in the upper 70s for the remainder of the season. Forty-four percent of corn acres were in or beyond dough stage by August 14, even with the average. Harvest for silage began in mid-August. On September 18, corn silage harvest was almost a week behind the 5-year average with 20 percent complete, but by October 30 silage harvest was 97 percent complete, 5 days ahead of the average. Corn for grain harvest got off to a slow start with only 7 percent harvested by October 9, almost a week behind average. Just over half of the corn for grain was harvested by November 6. As November came to a close, harvest for grain was still on-going at only 87 percent complete.
SOYBEANS - By May 1, only 3 percent of Wisconsin soybean acres had been planted, 3 days behind the 5-year average. By June 5, eighty-six percent were planted, 5 days ahead of the average. Soybeans reached 89 percent emerged on June 19, 4 days ahead of normal. The first soybean crop condition rating of the season showed 81 percent rated in good to excellent condition as of June 5. Soybean condition spent most of the season in the 70’s for good to excellent rating. Soybeans began setting pods in early July. As of July 24, twenty-six percent of soybeans were setting pods, 2 days behind the average. Harvest began in late September. By October 2, eleven percent of acres were harvested, 3 days behind average. Warm, dry conditions helped the harvest progress quickly, and by October 30, eighty-six percent of soybeans were harvested, over a week ahead of average. Harvest was nearly complete by November 13 with 97 percent harvested, over 2 weeks ahead of normal.
OATS - A cool, wet spring meant oat seeding and emergence began well behind normal. By April 17 only 4 percent of the 2022 oat crop was planted, 10 days behind the 5-year average. As of July 3, ninety-seven percent of oats were emerged, 1 week behind the average. Ninety-five percent of the oat crop was heading or beyond by July 24. Nearly all of the oat crop had turned color by mid-August. By September 4, ninety-one percent of oats for grain were harvested, 5 days ahead of average. Harvest was virtually complete by late September. The first oat crop condition rating of the season showed 76 percent rated in good to excellent condition as of May 22. Conditions peaked by mid-June to 85 percent rated good to excellent and this remained in the mid-80’s to upper 70’s for the rest of the season.
WINTER WHEAT - Planting for winter wheat began in late August 2021. As of October 31, planting was 97 percent complete, over 2 weeks ahead of the 5-year average. As of November 14, ninety-six percent of the crop had emerged, also over 2 weeks ahead of the average. As fall came to a close, wheat condition rated 80 percent good to excellent. The first condition report of the spring showed 61 percent good to excellent. Conditions improved throughout the spring and early summer and the percent of crop in good to excellent condition was in the 80’s throughout the summer. As of June 19, seventy-five percent of wheat was headed, even with the 5-year average. On August 14 harvest was 86 percent complete, 2 days behind the average. The final wheat condition rating of the season, on July 31, was 83 percent good to excellent.
POTATOES - Potato planting began only slightly behind the 5-year average and reached 96 percent planted by June 12, almost a week behind average. Potato conditions rated an average of 94 percent good to excellent over the growing season, compared to an average of 91 percent in 2021. Harvest activities were slightly behind normal throughout most of the summer and fall but by October 23, ninety-five percent of the potato crop was harvested, 1 day ahead of average.
HAY - As of May 15, winter freeze damage to alfalfa was rated 0 percent severe, 2 percent moderate and 10 percent light. There was reportedly no damage to the remaining 88 percent of alfalfa, 24 percentage points higher than the previous year. Alfalfa hay harvest began behind normal, but sunny weather moved harvest ahead of average for most of the year. The first cutting was 13 percent complete on May 29, two days behind the 5-year average. By July 3, the first cutting was 98 percent complete and the second cutting was 43 percent complete, 3 days ahead of average. Subsequent cuttings continued to be mostly ahead of average. All hay condition began the year on May 8 with 60 percent in good to excellent condition, 3 percentage points below average. Conditions improved throughout May with the precent in good to excellent in the high 70’s to mid-80’s through June, July and August. For the months of June, July, and August, all hay in good to excellent condition averaged 9 percentage points above normal.
PASTURES - The cold, wet spring meant pasture and range development began the year behind normal. On April 24, forty-one percent of pasture was rated good to excellent, 8 percentage points below the 5-year average. Warmer and drier weather helped to improve conditions in the usual peak grazing months of June, July, and August. The good to excellent rating peaked in mid-June at 78 percent and remained in the upper 60’s and 70’s for the remainder of the summer. Lack of precipitation in the fall months meant pasture condition declined to 56 percent good to excellent by October 23, just below the average.
Categories: Wisconsin, Crops