USDA Crop Progress - US Corn Planting Reaches 8%

OMAHA (DTN) -- Warmer, dryer weather across much of the country gave corn planting a boost last week, with farmers pushing progress slightly ahead of the average pace, USDA NASS reported in its weekly Crop Progress Report on Monday. However, that burst of planting activity may be short-lived with cooler, wetter weather forecast to return the rest of this week.

CORN

-- Planting progress: Nationwide, corn planting moved ahead 5 percentage points last week to reach 8% as of Sunday, April 16. That is 4 percentage points ahead of last year and 3 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 5%.

-- Notable states: Missouri logged the biggest jump in planting progress last week, moving ahead 23 percentage points from 7% the previous week to reach 30% as of Sunday. Illinois jumped ahead by 9 percentage points to reach 10% complete, ahead of the state average of 3%. Iowa planting reached 7%, ahead of its state average of 1%.

SOYBEANS

-- Planting progress: In its first report on soybean planting of the season, NASS estimated 4% of soybeans were planted nationwide as of Sunday, ahead of 1% for both last year and the five-year average.

-- Notable states: Illinois was 4% planted, and Iowa was 3% planted as of Sunday, said DTN Lead Analyst Todd Hultman. Kentucky and Tennessee were 7% planted each.

WINTER WHEAT

-- Crop condition: Nationwide, winter wheat was rated 27% good to excellent, unchanged from the previous week and 3 percentage points behind last year's good-to-excellent rating of 30%. That's still the lowest rating for the crop in over three decades, Hultman said. The crop in Kansas is rated 14% good to excellent, while in Washington, it is rated 45% good to excellent.

-- Crop development: 10% of winter wheat was headed nationwide as of Sunday, up 3 percentage points from the previous week and 2 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 8%.

SPRING WHEAT

-- Planting progress: 3% of the spring wheat crop was planted as of April 16, down from the five-year average of 7% for this time of year. Washington is 27% planted, and Idaho is 25% planted. Planting has not yet started in North Dakota or Minnesota.

THE WEEK AHEAD IN WEATHER

The weather this week should slow down any planting or fieldwork progress that was made last week, according to DTN Ag Meteorologist John Baranick.

"We saw a system start to kick that off over the weekend that brought some widespread precipitation to the eastern half of the country, but also snow across the north. That system continues Monday with some heavier snow across the northern Midwest, stopping any agricultural activity.

"Following behind it, a trough in the West will send a few waves of precipitation through the country this week, starting Tuesday and continuing through the weekend. Some areas of heavy rain and severe weather will continue to keep progress slow, while some areas of accumulating snow are expected across the north. Some stronger winds in the Plains sap soil moisture for areas that precipitation missed, continuing the drought stress for hard red winter wheat.

"Behind the last of the systems, cold air will flow into the middle and eastern portions of the country. That could lead to some frosty mornings in the southwestern Plains as well as the Midwest Sunday into next week. Concern is rising for the soft red winter wheat crop should frosts be substantial."