Following rain from Isaac and a strong cold front last Friday (September 7), Arkansas’ drought-shriveled hay meadows and pastures are showing a slight improvement, according to this week’s crop report from the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Pasture and range in good or fair condition improved from 28 percent in last week’s report to 32 percent this week. The amount listed as poor or very poor improved from 72 percent last week to 68 percent this week.

With last week’s temperatures hovering near the 100-degree mark, heat put a crimp in cattle producers’ plans to start winter grasses.

“The past rains have really greened up Boone County summer grasses, but we are really hurting on cool-season permanent pastures,” said Mike McClintock, Boone County Extension agent. “They are mostly gone!”

Wet fields and lodged crops slowed the harvest some last week. Corn was 96 percent harvested, up from 91 percent the previous week, but both figures well ahead of the 60 percent five-year average. Extension agents in Jackson and Pulaski counties reported a small amount more rice and corn lodging with Friday’s storms.

Cotton was 2 percent harvested, up from 1 percent last week. Sixty-six percent of the crop was rated good or excellent.

Rice was 59 percent harvested, up from 44 percent last week, and well ahead of the 26 percent five-year average. Seventy percent of the rice was rated as good or excellent.

Sorghum was 92 percent harvested, up from 85 percent last week and soybeans were 22 percent harvested, up from 16 percent last week.

For more information about crop production, contact your county Extension office, or visit www.uaex.edu.