Crop Conditions
According to USDA’s crop progress report, 81% of corn and 91% of soybeans have been harvested so far.
The shift to El Nino brings several changes to the upcoming winter.
Harvest progress on soybeans nearly doubled from last week and corn progress is ahead of the five-year average.
Ken Ferrie expects yields to climb as Illinois farmers start harvesting more of their May-planted corn. Looking ahead, he says farmers will see some challenges from herbicide carryover in 2024.
We have gradually resigned ourselves to Brazil being the leader, but last year they also took the top spot for corn exports, a tougher fact to swallow. There is more going on for the 2023-2024 growing season in Brazil.
One idea that has gained traction is USDA surveys may not be as accurate as current technology, especially satellite imagery, especially since the number of satellites has ballooned and the price has dropped.
Nebraska, Minnesota and Iowa corn projections fall below USDA’s August estimates. Soybeans are on par in all scouted states, including Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and South Dakota.
Lack of moisture and high-heat days have Iowa locals concerned about cannibalized stalks, while Illinois considers impacts of wildfire smoke and overnight temps.
Sudden death or their time to go? Soybeans dry up in Iowa as Minnesota corn faces burn up to the first leaf below ears.
This time last year, more than 36% of South Dakota was covered in drought. This year, that number dropped to 14%. Dry conditions did improve in the east, but some fear early season dryness could play out in coming weeks.
As scouts made their way through eastern Nebraska, the state’s extreme-to-exceptional drought conditions (15%) were obvious in corn. Scouts on the eastern leg saw more of a mixed bag for corn, including disease.
A fast-moving storm flattened crops on June 29, but the rain gave much needed relief to area crops and hope to farmers struggling to stay optimistic. Pro Farmer Crop Tour provides insights on how those crops look now.
First thing Tuesday, Pro Farmer Tour scouts saw Nebraska irrigated corn with 208 to 250 bu. yields. But a lot could change as they head into dryland corn. In the eastern Corn Belt, scouts are evaluating Indiana crops.
A heat dome will consume the Plains and Mississippi Valley into the South this week with “oppressive and dangerous conditions” expected at least through midweek, the National Weather Service reported early Monday.
Brad Nelson and Tim Gregerson farm on opposing legs of the 2023 ProFarmer Crop Tour. They share a field preview with AgriTalk Host Chip Flory, and their crop conditions couldn’t be farther from the same.
What’s often called the “white combine” is hammering western Kansas this year, an ugly reality for an area that’s finally receiving rain after nearly five years of drought.
Missouri Farmer Discovers Startling Reality of Drought: Entire Cornfields Never Pollinated This Year
Drought is creating a dreary outlook for Missouri farmers, but it wasn’t until mid-July that some realized just how bad it was. Farmers in pockets of severe drought now say they have widespread pollination problems.
Crop condition ratings seemed to be in a free fall in early summer, but July’s rains and cooler temperatures sparked a rebound. The heat this week means crop conditions could be set to take another hit.
Arizona is breaking records for consecutive days with temperatures 110 degrees or above. Yuma County, Arizona farmer John Boelts says he always plans for high heat in July and grow crops like cotton instead of lettuce.
With heat forecast to top 100 degrees in places, combined with the expectation for little to no rain, crop conditions could deteriorate and the biggest risk in the western and central Corn Belt.
19 months after an EF4 tornado tore through the town, the deadliest in Kentucky’s history, the Mayfield community faced massive flooding this week after nearly 12 inches of rain fell in 24 hours, setting a new record.
The National Drought Mitigation Center estimates 67% of corn and 60% of soybeans are still considered to be in drought, a slight improvement from last week when drought covered 70% of corn and 63% of soybeans.
Flattened corn can often recover, stand and produce decent yields. Soybeans can shake off a storm and flourish, but beware spider mites in the next 10 days if temperatures stay 85-plus degrees with low humidity.
Farmers across the Texas High Plains received a deluge of rainfall right at planting, and while the moisture was needed, the sudden switch prevented some farmers from planting their intended cotton acres this year.
USDA released a few big surprises in the June acreage report, including a spike in corn acres and a large reduction in soybean acres. The agency also forecasts grain stocks below trade expectations.
Hurricane-force winds swept from northern Missouri and Iowa all the way east to Illinois and Indiana. The derecho brought wind gusts up to 100 mph, flattening cornfields, but it also drenched soils with crucial rains.
Even with rains sweeping the Northern Corn Belt last weekend, the latest drought monitor shows drought continues to spread across Illinois with D2 (Severe Drought) taking a 28-point jump in a week.
Despite weekend rains sweeping the northern Corn Belt, corn and soybean conditions sit at the second-lowest level in history. Sizable declines hit key areas of the Corn Belt as corn enters a critical time for production.
Corn prices sunk as forecasts turned more optimistic for the weekend rains in the northern Corn Belt. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says the rains aren’t enough to change the potential production problems in Illinois.
Drought is deepening across the Midwest with 64% of the corn crop and 57% of the soybean crop across the U.S. now covered in drought, a sizable jump in just a week after NASS showed a historic drop in condition ratings.