USDA reports that as of July 8, 37 percent of the corn crop was silking, more than double the average of 18 percent. And the crop is entering its critical period in better shape than last year, with 75 percent rated good/excellent and only 7 percent poor/very poor, compared with 65 percent and 10 percent last year.
The 18-state rating was within one point of the prior week, shown on the chart below.
A look at the states in our area shows:
|
Silking July 8 |
Silking average |
Good/excellent |
Poor/very poor |
| Iowa |
35
|
9
|
78
|
6
|
| Kansas |
48
|
34
|
52
|
16
|
| Nebraska |
31
|
13
|
86
|
3
|
| South Dakota |
10
|
5
|
74
|
6
|
Soybeans
Soybean progress also is well ahead of average, with 47 percent blooming and 11 percent setting pods in the 18 reported states, compared with 27 percent and 4 percent on average. Soybean condition also is quite good thus far – comparable to 2014 and 2016.
|
Blooming July 8 |
Blooming average |
Pod setting |
Pod setting average |
Good/
excellent |
Poor/
very poor |
| Iowa |
46
|
25
|
7
|
2
|
76
|
6
|
| Kansas |
38
|
15
|
5
|
1
|
51
|
11
|
| Nebraska |
50
|
34
|
1
|
2
|
83
|
4
|
| South Dakota |
30
|
31
|
1
|
2
|
68
|
8
|
Grain Sorghum
The 11-state sorghum crop is running closer to average, with 25 percent heading, two percentage points behind average. However, the Kansas crop is at 6 percent, compared with 3 percent and Nebraska has reached 13 percent, far ahead of its usual 2 percent. South Dakota is slightly behind its 8 percent average, at 5 percent.
The 11 states are rated 51 percent good/excellent, down from 53 percent last week while the bottom range is unchanged at 15 percent. All of the states where we do business are well above average, led by Nebraska’s 81 percent good/excellent, followed by South Dakota’s 80 percent and Kansas at 60 percent.
Wheat
Winter wheat harvest is 63 percent complete, 2 points ahead of average, in the 18 reported states. Kansas, at 92 percent is 7 points ahead of average; Nebraska is at 25 percent, 2 points short of average and South Dakota is at 2 percent, 5 behind average.
With 81 percent of the spring wheat headed (well ahead of the 69 percent average) in the six states, 80 percent is rated good/excellent. South Dakota’s crop falls short of that, at only 51 percent and 14 percent poor/very poor.
Pasture and Range
Pasture and range condition in the 48 states is unchanged from a week earlier at 51 percent good/excellent and lagging last year’s 54 percent. Southwestern states show the largest percentage in the poor/very poor categories. In our service area, Kansas’ ratings are the lowest with 33 percent in the top two categories and 29 percent in the bottom two.
The persistent drought is relatively stable, covering between 40% to 50% of the country for 16 weeks, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor. That trend appears likely to hold moving forward, with NOAA’s outlook for July/August/September calling for seasonally warm weather and not many regional precipitation anomalies predicted for the three-month period.
