In this week’s Crop Progress & Condition report, USDA shows corn planting progress nationwide picked up six points to now stand at 14 percent complete which is three points ahead of the five-year average. Planting activity in the I-80 Corridor finally got established across the belt with Illinois moving up to 18 percent completion - a full seven points ahead of its average pace. Nebraska and Iowa both reached the 10 percent mark.
Soybean planting registers at nine percent complete across the country this week compared to an average pace of four percent by this time of the year. As in the corn, Illinois leads the progress in the I-80 Corridor with 15 percent of its beans in the ground - nine points ahead of its six point average. Indiana comes in second in the region with eight percent planted.
Cotton planting is now 12 percent complete nationwide this week which is now one point ahead of the average pace. Of the top five producing states, Texas bumped up to 18 percent while Alabama moved up to six. Among the other states, Arizona is now a third done with 33 percent of its acreage now planted.
Grain sorghum planting across the nation only moved upward by three points from last week - ending up at 18 percent completion. Of the major producing states in the Plains, Texas has now reached 63 percent and Oklahoma is up to 15 percent while the other Plains states haven’t officially started yet.
Spring wheat planting is still lagging badly nationwide as it only edged slightly higher to five percent completion this week. That is seven percentage points behind the five-year average pace of 12 percent. Washington state reports 48 percent of its acres planted, but even that trails its average pace of 62 percent. Idaho only increased its seeded acreage by one percent where it stands at 26 percent - 22 points behind where it normally would be by now. South Dakota would typically be a fourth done by this date on the calendar but, instead, it only has a paltry four percent in the ground as of Sunday.
Winter wheat condition nationwide slid another point dragging it down to only 26 percent good to excellent which places it in a tie with 1989 for the worst such rating since records began. In the Plains, Oklahoma dropped like a rock again - falling another seven points from a week ago to only six percent good to excellent. Texas and Kansas both report only 14 percent.
In the topsoil moisture deficit report (generally considered to measure the top four inches of soil representing the seed planting and sprouting zone), Oklahoma surpassed Kansas for the top spot with 79 percent of its acres now rated as short to very short while Kansas moves into the second spot with 76 percent. One of the biggest declines in topsoil moisture availability was in Colorado where 14 percent of its acres were added to the short to very short categories since a week ago.
In the subsoil moisture deficit report (considered to measure deep soil moisture down to a few feet where the crop roots would extend downward), New Mexico takes sole possession of the driest position with 82 percent of its acres rated short to very short. Kansas is not far behind with 80 percent and Nebraska reports 79 percent.
USDA Crop Progress 230424.pdf
