USDA Crop Progress Report - Corn 61% Harvested, Soybeans 80% Harvested Week Ended Oct. 23

OMAHA (DTN) -- Chilly but mostly dry weather allowed corn and soybean farmers to pull further ahead of the average pace in harvesting their crops last week, USDA NASS reported in its weekly Crop Progress report on Monday. However, widespread precipitation forecast this week could slow some of that progress.

CORN

-- Harvest progress: 61% of corn was harvested as of Sunday, Oct. 23, up 16 percentage points from the previous week. This year's harvest progress is now 3 percentage points behind last year's 64% but 9 percentage point ahead of the five-year average of 52%.

-- Crop development: Corn mature was estimated at 97%, even with the five-year average.

SOYBEANS

-- Harvest progress: 80% of the crop was harvested as of Sunday, up 17 percentage points from the previous week. That is now 9 percentage points ahead of last year's 71% and 13 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 67%.

WINTER WHEAT

-- Planting progress: 79% of winter wheat was planted as of Sunday, even with last year and 1 percentage point ahead of the average pace of 78%.

-- Crop development: 49% of winter wheat was emerged as of Sunday, 7 percentage points behind the five-year average of 56%.

WEEK AHEAD IN WEATHER

"Last week might have been a good week to get out into the fields if you didn't mind the cold, but this week is going to be much more difficult," said DTN Ag Meteorologist John Baranick. "An early week system has already brought lots of wind to the Plains and Upper Midwest. Dust storms in Colorado and Kansas along with some wildfires on Sunday likely have led to poorer conditions for emerging wheat. Rain has skipped over a large portion of hard red winter wheat territory as well, leaving it dry.

"However, the storm system is picking up some tropical moisture and has really increased its rainfall coverage and intensity over the southeastern Plains into the southwestern Midwest here on Monday. That system will slowly work east through the country through Wednesday with more bouts of rain from Texas up through the Midwest. The rainfall will hit some winter wheat territory in the Plains and most of it in the Midwest. Another storm will leave the Rockies and get out into the Plains on Thursday. The focus for showers there will be from Kansas and Colorado down to Texas for late this week and points eastward into the Delta and Southeast this weekend.

"A spot that did particularly well was the Pacific Northwest. It may have been a bit chilly, but widespread rains from the system this weekend likely improved conditions for wheat, even if it didn't necessarily show up in the conditions. A few more rounds of showers will move through this week, which will help to ease the dryness and drought ongoing in that region."