USDA Crop Progress - Corn Harvest 47% Complete, Soybean Harvest 67% Finished as of Oct. 13

OMAHA (DTN) -- The U.S. corn and soybean harvests sped up and pulled further ahead of the five-year averages last week thanks to dry weather across most of the country, USDA NASS reported in its weekly Crop Progress report on Tuesday. The report, normally released on Mondays, was delayed this week due to the holiday.

The dry conditions were detrimental to the winter wheat crop, though, with both planting and emergency running behind last year and the average pace, NASS reported.

CORN

-- Crop development: Corn mature was pegged at 94%, 1 point ahead of last year's 93% and 6 points ahead of the five-year average of 89%.

-- Harvest progress: Corn harvest jumped ahead 17 percentage points nationally to reach 47% complete as of Sunday. That was 5 points ahead of last year's 42% and 8 points ahead of the five-year average of 39%. Ohio was the furthest ahead of normal, with 34% of its harvest complete, 16 points ahead of the state's five-year average of 18%. That was followed by Missouri, at 73% complete, which was 15 points ahead of its five-year average of 58%. Texas' harvest, at 98% complete, was 14 points ahead of the five-year average of 84%. Iowa's harvest, at 45% complete; Kansas' harvest, at 77% finished; and Michigan's harvest, at 31% complete, were all 13 percentage points ahead of those states' five-year averages. Wisconsin's harvest, at 26% complete, was 12 points ahead of its five-year average. Indiana's harvest, at 44% complete, was 11 points ahead of its five-year average of 33%. Nebraska's harvest, at 45% complete, was 10 points ahead of average.

-- Crop condition: NASS estimated that 64% of corn still in fields was in good-to-excellent condition, unchanged from the previous week but above last year's 53%. Twelve percent of the crop was rated very poor to poor, down 1 point from the previous week and below 18% last year.

SOYBEANS

-- Crop development: Soybeans dropping leaves were pegged at 95%, 1 point behind last year's 96% but 3 points ahead of the five-year average of 92%.

-- Harvest progress: The soybean harvest maintained a steady pace last week, moving ahead by 20 percentage points to reach 67% completion as of Sunday. That was 10 points ahead of last year's 57% and 16 points ahead of the five-year average of 51%. Wisconsin's harvest was the furthest ahead of normal, at 83% complete as of Sunday, 40 percentage points ahead of the state's five-year average of 43%. Michigan's harvest was also well ahead of normal at 66% complete, 31 points ahead of the state's average of 35%. Tennessee's harvest was 23 points ahead of normal, Iowa was 22 points ahead of normal, Minnesota was 20 points ahead of normal and Ohio was 19 points ahead of normal.

WINTER WHEAT

-- Planting progress: Winter wheat planting moved ahead 13 points last week to reach 64% complete nationwide as of Sunday, 1 point behind last year and 2 points behind the five-year average of 66%. Oklahoma was the furthest behind normal at 43% planted, 17 points behind the state's five-year average of 60%.

-- Crop development: An estimated 35% of winter wheat had emerged as of Sunday, 1 point behind last year's 36% and 3 points behind the five-year average of 38%.

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THE WEEK AHEAD IN WEATHER

Most of the U.S. will see dry weather this coming week, which should continue to benefit corn and soybean harvest, according to DTN Ag Meteorologist John Baranick. However, rain forecast for the weekend in the southwestern Plains through the Southern Plains could help the emerging winter wheat crop.

"Dry weather last week should have allowed for some good progress on fieldwork, though it has led to lots of decreasing soil moisture across the country," Baranick said. "We did see a front move into the Great Lakes with showers over the past weekend with showers that continued early this week, but it will dry out. Cold temperatures moving into the country will lead to frosts across a vast area this week but should not be much of a factor for crops at this point in the season.

"It will be largely dry this week, as well, though with increasing temperatures in the Plains, we will see a front moving in on Friday, and that could lead to some areas of showers there. The front gets stuck in the southwestern Plains over the weekend, and an upper-level low pressure center in the Four Corners area will allow for showers to continue through the weekend. Some areas could see some good rainfall from western Kansas to Colorado down through western Texas, which would be helpful for winter wheat establishment. Otherwise, dry conditions will continue."

National Crop Progress Summary
	This	Last	Last	5-Year
	Week	Week	Year	Avg.
Corn Mature	94	87	93	89
Corn Harvested	47	30	42	39
Soybeans Dropping Leaves	95	90	96	92
Soybeans Harvested	67	47	57	51
Winter Wheat Planted	64	51	65	66
Winter Wheat Emerged	35	25	36	38
Cotton Bolls Opening	88	82	86	86
Cotton Harvested	34	26	31	30
Sorghum Mature	89	80	89	87
Sorghum Harvested	53	43	50	50
Rice Harvested	91	86	86	86

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National Crop Condition Summary
(VP=Very Poor; P=Poor; F=Fair; G=Good; E=Excellent)
	This Week						Last Week						Last Year
	VP	P	F	G	E		VP	P	F	G	E		VP	P	F	G	E
Corn	4	8	24	49	15		5	8	23	49	15		6	12	29	43	10
Sorghum	9	15	32	37	7		9	15	31	37	8		11	16	31	33	9
Cotton	11	23	32	29	5		14	21	36	26	3		23	20	27	25	5