Cooler weather, rain slow North Dakota small grain harvest; spring wheat in good condition

A week of rain and cooler temperatures has continued to hinder small grain harvest in North Dakota.

The U.S. Agriculture Department says in its latest weekly crop report that there were 3 ½ days suitable for fieldwork in the past week. It says row crops needed the rain but it was starting to negatively affect unharvested small grain crops.

Only 21 percent of the state's staple spring wheat crop has been harvested. That's behind 49 percent at the same time last year and the five-year average of 60 percent. Seventy-seven percent of the crop is rated in good to excellent condition.

Pasture and range conditions are rated 3 percent poor, 13 percent fair, 62 percent good and 22 percent excellent.