Rain improves soil, but too late for fall crops

Rain has returned to the state, increasing soil moisture, but it’s too late for the state’s soybean and grain sorghum crops.

Harvest for those two crops in south-central Kansas is about 50 percent complete, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

For soybeans, 61 percent are rated poor or very poor, with 29 percent fair, 8 percent good and 2 percent excellent.

Sorghum is 67 percent poor or very poor, with 24 percent fair, 8 percent good and just 1 percent excellent.

For livestock producers, the news also remained bad.

Range and pasture conditions had not completely recovered from drought; 51 percent was rated very poor, 29 percent poor, 17 percent fair and 3 percent good.