USDA Crop Progress Report - Crop Development Behind Average, but Conditions Hold Mostly Steady Week Ended July 17

OMAHA (DTN) -- U.S. corn and soybean development remained behind the five-year average last week, while conditions for both crops held mostly steady, USDA NASS reported in its weekly Crop Progress on Monday.

CORN

-- Crop development: 37% of corn was silking as of Sunday, July 18, according to NASS. That is 15 percentage points behind last year's 52% and 11 percentage points behind the five-year average of 48%. Corn in the dough stage was estimated at 6%, 1 percentage point behind both last year and the five-year average of 7%.

-- Crop condition: 64% of corn was rated in good-to-excellent condition, unchanged from the previous week. The current rating remains 1 percentage point below last year's rating at this time. "Lower crop ratings in Pennsylvania, Kansas, South Dakota and Missouri were offset by modest gains in Illinois and Minnesota," said DTN Lead Analyst Todd Hultman.

SOYBEANS

-- Crop development: 48% of soybeans were blooming, 7 percentage points behind the five-year average of 55%. Fourteen percent of soybeans were setting pods, 5 percentage points behind the five-year average of 19%.

-- Crop condition: 61% of soybeans were rated in good-to-excellent condition, down 1 percentage points from 63% the previous week but up from 50% at this time a year ago. "Lower crop ratings in North Dakota, Kansas and Indiana slightly outweighed improvements in North Carolina and Arkansas," Hultman said.

WINTER WHEAT

-- Harvest progress: 70% of the crop was harvested as of Sunday, just 1 percentage point behind last year and the five-year average of 71%. "Soft red winter wheat states Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Arkansas are all 95% to 100% done," said DTN Senior Analyst Dana Mantini. "Kansas is 99% harvested, while Nebraska is 60% done. Oregon, Washington and Montana are the slowest at 2%, 3% and 8% harvested, respectively."

SPRING WHEAT

-- Crop development: 68% of the crop was headed, 22 percentage points behind the five-year average of 90%. "Key states North Dakota is 63% headed versus a 91% average, Montana is 63% versus the average of 79%, and Minnesota is just 71% headed compared to the average of 99%," Mantini said.

-- Crop condition: 71% of the crop was rated in good-to-excellent condition, up 1 percentage points from 70% the previous week and well above last year's rating of 11%. "Minnesota's spring wheat crop is rated 71% good to excellent, up 2 points; North Dakota is still 80% good to excellent (down 2); Washington's crop is an amazing 97% good to excellent, and Montana is now 50% good to excellent," Mantini said.

THE WEEK AHEAD IN WEATHER

"An upper-level ridge of high pressure has spread through most of North America's primary crop areas and will continue to hold for the next several weeks," said DTN Ag Meteorologist John Baranick. "This typically produces hot and dry conditions.

"But the ridge isn't without its weaknesses. A couple of small disturbances and ripples through the ridge will produce a couple of precipitation events this week. One is currently going through the East and Southeast. That will continue in the Southeast for the next week with daily showers and thunderstorms. Another is moving along the U.S.-Canada border with heavier rain north in Canada than south in the States.

"We'll see another disturbance bring showers to northern areas late this week and weekend as well. But, overall, precipitation will be insufficient to combat the heat under the ridge, and soil moisture is expected to decline over this week and next week for most areas. The Central and Southern Plains will be especially hit hard with the heat and lack of showers in areas that have been dealing with drought since last year."