USDA’s weekly progress report as of June 17 continues to portray robust crops. In the 18 reporting states, 98 percent of the corn and 90 percent of the soybeans have emerged – 1 percentage point and 9 points ahead of average for this time of year.
With the exception of Kansas’s drought-plagued crops, corn and soybean condition is ahead of last year:
| Good/excellent |
Corn |
Soybeans |
|
2018 |
2017 |
2018 |
2017 |
| Iowa |
84 |
78 |
80 |
74 |
| Kansas |
57 |
61 |
56 |
67 |
| Nebraska |
86 |
78 |
82 |
72 |
| South Dakota |
66 |
49 |
61 |
48 |
| 18 States |
78 |
67 |
73 |
67 |
Likewise, the bottom categories claim a smaller percent of the crop in most cases – and particularly in South Dakota.
| Poor/very poor |
Corn |
Soybeans |
|
2018 |
2017 |
2018 |
2017 |
| Iowa |
3 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
| Kansas |
6 |
7 |
6 |
3 |
| Nebraska |
1 |
4 |
2 |
5 |
| South Dakota |
2 |
17 |
4 |
16 |
| 18 States |
4 |
8 |
5 |
7 |
Grain Sorghum
Eighty-nine percent of sorghum is planted in the 11 states and 18 percent has headed, 1 point ahead of average. All the states in our service region are ahead of average for planting, though the Kansas crop is 2 points behind in heading.
USDA rates the Kansas crop 61 percent in the top categories and 4 in the bottom; Nebraska and South Dakota each have 85 percent in the top categories and zero and 1 percent, respectively, in the bottom categories.
Sunflowers
Sunflower planting is 7 percent ahead of average in the four reported states, at 83 percent complete, with South Dakota also 7 points ahead, at 75 percent complete.
Spring wheat
Spring wheat in the six reported states is 97 percent emerged and 9 percent headed. That represents 2 points ahead of average for emergence and 3 points behind for heading.
USDA rates the overall crop 78 percent good/excellent and 3 percent poor/very poor, against 41 percent and 27 percent respectively last year. South Dakota’s crop is rated 52 percent in the top categories and 11 percent in the bottom. Last year’s numbers for South Dakota were flipped, at just 13 percent and 64 percent.
Winter wheat
In the 18 states, harvest has progressed to 27 percent from 14 a week ago. This compares with 26 percent last year and 19 percent on average.
The condition ratings continue to show almost half (46 percent) of the Kansas crop poor/very poor and 18 percent good/excellent. For the 18 states those figures are 33 and 39 percent, respectively.
Kansas wheat harvest soared from 2 percent finished last week to 23 percent this week as farmers raced to get it out of the heat and wind. It was 19 percent complete this week last year and the average is 11 percent.
This year’s Wheat Quality Council’s winter wheat tour estimate the Kansas crop at 243.3 million bushels, the state’s lowest wheat production since 1989, and a hefty 90-plus million under last year’s crop. Their yield estimate is 37 bu./acre, well under last year’s 48-bu. yield.
On the positive side, the Kansas Wheat Tour reported exceptional protein and good test weights, though yields are highly variable – with one stop on the tour reporting 36 to 75 bu./acre.
Crop Insurance
Clearly, winter wheat is a crop for which there will be claims in some areas this year. Our crop insurance experts remind: Call your crop insurance officer as soon as you detect a loss, keep records by section and don’t commingle old-crop and new-crop before having measurements taken.
