Jul. 22--FARGO, N.D. -- Crop progress generally is thought to be about one or two weeks behind normal throughout the four states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Montana, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

--NORTH DAKOTA: Farmers in western North Dakota remain concerned about persistent dry conditions, accounting largely for the 49 percent of the state that shows short or very short soil moisture. The five-year average for the categories is 32 percent short or very short.

Durum wheat was the poorest-ranked crop for condition, with 25 percent in the poor and very poor categories. Otherwise, crop percentage totals in the good and excellent categories included barley, 64; durum, 29; oats, 45; canola, 64; dry beans, 69; dry peas, 62; flax, 58; potatoes, 80; soybeans, 76; sugar beets, 84; and sunflowers, 65. Pasture and range conditions were 11 percent very poor, 25 percent poor, 34 percent fair, 29 percent good and 1 percent excellent.

Only 7 percent of the state's spring wheat is turning ripe compared with 16 percent at this date last year and an average of 13 percent for the past five years. It's a similar story for barley and oats.

Meanwhile, subsoil moisture is rated 50 percent short or very short, compared with last year's 29 percent in for this date. Some producers in the west are selling cattle because of a lack of grass and forage. The "very short" area takes in much of the western third of the state, from Williston nearly to Crosby, to Dickinson and Bowman.

Farmers in the northeast and east-central parts of the state received 1.5 inches of rain the week before the report and were posting adequate moisture, with patches of surplus northeast of Devils Lake and west of Wahpeton. Areas most short on inches of annual precipitation were the southwest (2.09 inches short) and west-central (2.9 inches short).

Much of the crop spraying is done, according to the report, with farmers working on haying. First cutting of alfalfa is slightly behind last year and the five-year average. Hay crop conditions are rated 45 percent poor and very poor. Pasture and range conditions are 36 percent poor and very poor. Stock water supplies are 56 percent adequate to surplus, compared with 91 percent last year and an 80 percent five-year average.

The only crop heading ahead of normal is durum wheat.

--SOUTH DAKOTA: With temperatures consistently into the 90s in the eastern part of the state, growing degree days are catching up, but still behind for the whole season by more than 100 growing degree days, according to the agency. Topsoil moisture is dropping quickly in many areas of the state, but subsoil moisture is rated at 80 percent adequate to surplus.

Farmers in the eastern part of the state report to Agweek that they could use moisture. Corn height as of July 13 was just a bit more than 2 feet -- 14 inches less than the average for the past five years.

Growing season average precipitation remains above normal for the entire state and is slightly above normal in the Interstate 29 corridor, but in the 30-day average, the eastern third of the state is up to 2 inches below. Moisture for the season is coming into short supply, with towns such as Britton, in northeast South Dakota, 4.2 inches short of moisture from normal -- among the driest spots in the state. The northwest part of the state, in towns such as Newell and Timber Lake, were nearly 5.5 inches ahead of normal for precipitation since April 1.

Spring wheat condition is 74 percent good to excellent, while winter wheat was ranked 74 percent good to excellent. Row crop percentages in those two top categories were corn, 74 percent; soybeans, 73 percent; sunflower 70 percent; barley, 81 percent; and cattle 91 percent.

Only 12 percent of the winter wheat is ripe, compared with the 58 percent average for this date. Barley is 18 percent turning color, compared with the 52 percent average. Only 26 percent of the soybeans were blooming, up from 5 percent the second week of July but considerably below the 42 percent average for the date.

--MINNESOTA: Small grains crop progress is behind last year and the five-year average. A quarter of the state's small grains had not yet headed as of July 13.

On the positive side, statewide moisture supplies are 70 percent adequate or surplus.

Corn height was 46 inches, up from 34 inches recorded the previous week. The corn height is considerably shorter than the 72-inch average in 2007 and the 59-inch five-year average. Similarly, soybeans were 13 inches, compared with 19 inches last year and 16 inches for the average. About a third of the soybeans were blooming, compared with two-thirds in 2007 and the 45 percent average for the date.

Small grains ripening is far short of average for this date, although that percentage could catch up quickly. Spring wheat was 4 percent ripe, compared with a 22 percent average. Barley was 5 percent ripe, compare with a 28 percent average.

An estimated 71 percent of the corn and 69 percent of the soybeans are rated in good-to-excellent category.