February Weather and Crop Report

I got my February Weather and Crop report today.  I was not overly surprised that 81% of the winter wheat crop in Illinois was reported good or excellent.  This is not a real surprise.  It is easy to have wheat looking good at this time of year if planting was timely and it is not too wet.  Timing of fertilizer application and fungicide applications will make or break the wheat.  Don't forget the sulfur.

Temperatures were 3 degrees above average in the south and graded to 5 degrees above average to the north.  No real surprise there either.  Precipitation was below average.  16% of the state is reporting short soil moisture.  Western Illinois is shortest with 35% reporting short.  18% of those reporting say West Southwest is short.  The three septic tank investigations I did in the past week were in Bond, Montgomery and Christian County.  Judging from what I saw, we are adequate.  I have not seen short in my area, but I trust that some of those in Western Illinois really are short.  I am not sure how this is interpreted anyway at this time of year.

USDA is forecasting a bumper crop based on what?  Large acreage?  It looks like the moisture reports might temper that forecast a bit.