Crop Conditions
We spoke with three weather experts this week to gauge when the best time is to press “start” on planting, what to expect this growing season and how you can use weather as a chess piece in your marketing plans.
USDA’s first Crop Progress Report of the year showed only 27% of the nation’s winter wheat crop is rated “good,” far below the trade’s expectations. The numbers show the battle against drought is brutal in winter wheat.
“We just finished the in-depth testing with retailers on this product, and as has been our process, their feedback and really helped drive the improvements and new features we are offering,” Kevin Krieg says.
Colorado farmer Brian Brooks thinks 80% of the dryland winter wheat in his area may not survive, as some acres didn’t even sprout. Prevent plant for spring may be his only option without moisture in the coming weeks.
AgResource Company released the latest soybean crop production estimate for Brazil, showing a crop size of 119.5 MMT. A recent crop tour shows the weather took a major toll on the crop in the Southern portion.
Make adjustments to your combine now to get more yield out of the field before more corn goes down and molds set in.
According to USDA’s latest Crop Progress report, 60% of the U.S. corn crop is rated good to excellent, unchanged from last week. Illinois corn conditions continue to improve each week.
The National Weather Service shows isolated areas of Iowa saw more than 20 inches of rain during the month of August. But with much of the summer and month being dry for northeast Iowa, the change was a sudden switch.
100 mph winds were clocked in Oelwein, Iowa, which is located northeast of Waterloo. Chip Flory says driving through the damage, he describes fields and infrastructure damaged in northeast Iowa on Tuesday.
Scouts saw drought damage instead of derecho devastation in eastern and north-central portions of Iowa on the Pro Farmer Crop Tour this year. Minnesota was much the same, with fields showing clear signs of stress.
Pro Farmer scouts pegged the Indiana average yield estimate at 193.48 bu. per acre on Tuesday, just slightly below USDA’s prediction of 194 bu. per acre.
The latest Crop Progress report put the corn crop this week at 62% good to excellent, a two-point drop in a week. Soybean conditions dropped 3% across the country, now sitting at 57% rated good to excellent.
As scouts set out on the 2021 Pro Farmer Crop Tour Monday they got a soggy start, a good sign for soybeans in August. While Ohio did not disappoint, South Dakota showed scars from the drought with a mature crop.
Drought conditions continue to plague portions of the Western Corn Belt, but in the East, it’s a much different story with Ohio farmers potentially sitting on an above average crop.
On August 17, Pro Farmer scouts will be walking Illinois corn and soybean fields checking crop conditions and making annual yield projections.
Drought is deepening in Nebraska, but corn and soybean crops are hanging tough so far.
From corn fields flattened to grain bins ripped to shreds, the scene was stark after the derecho ravaged the heartland on August 10, 2020. One year later, crop potential is promising, but rebuilding is still underway.
During August, markets watchers will debate the possibilities of national yields. USDA’s gauge of crop conditions are posted every week, Pro Farmer says the condition ratings aren’t the best indication of yield.
July proved to be a scorcher in the West, but the weather story flipped to start August, with much of the eastern half of the country enjoying cooler and dryer air during the first few days of the month.
USDA shows only 9% of the spring wheat crop is rated good to excellent. 66% is rated poor to very poor. USDA Meteorologist Brad Rippey says you have to go back to 1988 to find a spring wheat crop rated this poor.
July rains calmed some concern about the corn crop this year, but between crop conditions, weather issues and other factors stirring in the markets, analysts say soybeans may still have a bullish story this summer.
As smoke covers much of the Midwest, it’s providing a layer of protection from high heat in areas like eastern North Dakota. One agronomist says some of the crops in the central and western parts are already fried.
In soybeans, look for white mold issues this week. Initial symptoms generally develop in the R3 to R6 production stages.
Farmers across South Dakota and eastern Iowa are breathing a sigh of relief into the weekend. That’s after rains hit parched crops, relieving some major crop stress for now.
Bean planting populations of 190,000 to 220,000 in washed out areas can help keep weeds from taking over.
USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says unfavorable weather means everything from barley to spring and durum wheat are getting scorched this year. Crop condition ratings continue to tumble as dryness and heat persist.
As June closed on a wetter note for portions of the Midwest, three agricultural meteorologists forecast July, indicating continued rains for the corn crop in some areas, but drastic drought areas growing even drier.
Wet weather forecasts across the Midwest caused commodity prices to tank Tuesday, with soybean oil and corn hitting the daily limits lower. Much of the Midwest is forecast to receive rain at key pollination time.
Rains continue to fall across portions of the Midwest this week, a sign one ag meteorologist says could mean Midwestern drought conditions have peaked. However, the news isn’t as promising for the northern Corn Belt.
Areas of the Corn Belt in need of moisture are finally seeing rain this week, but it came with severe crop damage to portions of Iowa after hail wiped out some farm fields this week.