K-State’s Ecology and Agriculture Spatial Analysis Laboratory (EASAL) produces weekly Vegetation Condition Report maps. These maps can be a valuable tool for making crop selection and marketing decisions.
The objective of these reports is to provide users with a means of assessing the relative condition of crops and grassland. The maps can be used to assess current plant growth rates, as well as comparisons to the previous year and relative to the 25-year average. The report is used by individual farmers and ranchers, the commodities market, and political leaders for assessing factors such as production potential and drought impact across their state.
NOTE TO READERS: The maps below represent a subset of the maps available from the EASAL group. If you’d like digital copies of the entire map series please contact Nan An at nanan@ksu.edu and we can place you on our email list to receive the entire dataset each week as they are produced. The maps are normally first available on Wednesday of each week, unless there is a delay in the posting of the data by EROS Data Center where we obtain the raw data used to make the maps. These maps are provided for free as a service of the Department of Agronomy and K-State Research and Extension.
The maps in this issue of the newsletter show the current state of photosynthetic activity in Kansas, the Corn Belt, and the continental U.S., with comments from Mary Knapp, service climatologist:
Figure 1. The Vegetation Condition Report for Kansas for September 16 – 29 from K-State’s Ecology and Agriculture Spatial Analysis Laboratory shows that shows higher NDVI values across the eastern part of the state, while lower biomass activity is dominant in the west and south central portions of the state.
Figure 2. Compared to the previous year at this time for Kansas, the current Vegetation Condition Report for September 16 – 29 from K-State’s Ecology and Agriculture Spatial Analysis Laboratory shows that there is a noticeable drop in biomass production in parts of central Kansas. The most visible decrease is Butler County. On the other hand, northwest Kansas generally has higher photosynthetic activity, particularly in Sherman County.
Figure 3. Compared to the 25-year average at this time for Kansas, this year’s Vegetation Condition Report for September 16 – 29 from K-State’s Ecology and Agriculture Spatial Analysis Laboratory shows the greatest decrease in parts of south central and southeast Kansas. These areas of below-average readings are particularly visible in Pawnee and Edwards counties, and in Harvey and Butler counties. The greatest increase in photosynthetic activity is in the north central region, particularly in Cloud County.
Figure 4. The Vegetation Condition Report for the Corn Belt for September 16 – 29 from K-State’s Ecology and Agriculture Spatial Analysis Laboratory shows that photosynthetic activity continues to decline, with the highest NDVI readings in the southern and eastern portions of the region. This is particularly evident in southeastern Missouri and southeastern Kentucky. In southeastern Missouri, the corn condition at the end of September was reported at 90 percent good to excellent.
Figure 5. The comparison to last year in the Corn Belt for the period September 16 – 29 from K-State’s Ecology and Agriculture Spatial Analysis Laboratory shows, despite the splice line, that the eastern portions of the Dakotas have much higher photosynthetic activity than last year. Much of this is due to delayed development of the crops. In North Dakota, 30 percent of the corn is rated mature, while last year at this time the maturity rate was 47 percent.
Figure 6. Compared to the 25-year average at this time for the Corn Belt, this year’s Vegetation Condition Report for September 16 – 29 from K-State’s Ecology and Agriculture Spatial Analysis Laboratory shows that the greatest departure is in the Northern Plains. Crop maturity lags behind average, although it made some progress in the last week.
Figure 7. The Vegetation Condition Report for the U.S. for September 16 – 29 from K-State’s Ecology and Agriculture Spatial Analysis Laboratory shows that highest NDVI values are in the east central U.S., from eastern Missouri through West Virginia. A second area of high photosynthetic activity is visible in upper New England.
Figure 8. The U.S. comparison to last year at this time for the period September 16 – 29 from K-State’s Ecology and Agriculture Spatial Analysis Laboratory shows that much of the country has very similar photosynthetic activity. Lower NDVI values are visible in Arizona and Texas, while higher NDVI values are most noticeable in the eastern Cascades of Washington State.
Figure 9. The U.S. comparison to the 25-year average for the period September 16 – 29 from K-State’s Ecology and Agriculture Spatial Analysis Laboratory shows that biggest departures are in the center of the U.S Higher-than-average photosynthetic activity dominates the Northern Plains, while much lower-than-normal activity is predominant in Texas.
