USDA Weekly Crop Progress Report - Corn Rated 73% Good to Excellent, Soybeans 69% Good to Excellent as of Aug. 3

OMAHA (DTN) -- The U.S. corn crop's good-to-excellent condition rating remained steady last week while soybeans' good-to-excellent rating decreased by 1 point, according to USDA NASS's weekly Crop Progress report released on Monday.

A continued active weather pattern will bring scattered storms and rising temperatures to the Corn Belt this week before a weekend cold front brings beneficial rainfall to the western Corn Belt while heavy rain threatens cotton in the Southeast, according to DTN Meteorologist Teresa Wells.

CORN

-- Crop development: Corn silking was pegged at 88%, 2 percentage points ahead of last year's 86% and 1 percentage point below the five-year average of 89%. Corn in the dough stage was estimated at 42%, 2 points behind of last year's 44% but 2 points ahead of the five-year average of 40%. Corn dented was estimated at 6%, equal to last year and the five-year average.

-- Crop condition: NASS estimated that 73% of the crop was in good-to-excellent condition, unchanged from the previous week and 6 points ahead of last year's 67%. Seven percent of the crop was rated very poor to poor, unchanged from the previous week and still below 10% last year. "Illinois saw a 2-point decline in good-to-excellent ratings, as well as a 1-point increase to the percent of the crop rated poor to very poor," said DTN Lead Analyst Rhett Montgomery.

SOYBEANS

-- Crop development: Soybeans blooming were pegged at 85%, equal to last year and 1 point below the five-year average of 86%. Soybeans setting pods were estimated at 58%, 1 point ahead of last year's 57% and equal to the five-year average.

-- Crop condition: NASS estimated that 69% of soybeans were in good-to-excellent condition, down 1 percentage point from 70% the previous week and ahead 1 percentage point to last year's 68%. Seven percent of soybeans were rated very poor to poor, up 1 percentage point from 6% the previous week and 1 percentage point below last year's 8%. "Iowa, again, saw a 2-point weekly decline in good-to-excellent ratings, but remains very strongly rated in general at 80% good to excellent," Montgomery said.

WINTER WHEAT

-- Harvest progress: Harvest moved ahead another 6 percentage points last week to reach 86% complete nationwide as of Sunday. That was 1 point ahead to both last year and the five-year average pace of 87%. Kansas' and Illinois winter wheat are both 100% harvested. Harvest in Montana was 30% complete, with Idaho and Washington 33% and 54% complete, respectively.

SPRING WHEAT

-- Crop development: 95% of spring wheat was headed, 2 points behind last year's pace of 97% and 3 points behind the five-year average of 98%.

-- Harvest progress: Spring wheat harvest jumped ahead 4 percentage points last week to reach 5% complete as of Sunday. That was equal to last year's pace and 4 points behind the five-year average of 9%.

-- Crop condition: NASS estimated that 48% of the crop was in good-to-excellent condition nationwide, down 1 percentage point from 49% the previous week and 26 points below last year's 74% good-to-excellent rating. Minnesota was rated 85% good to excellent. "Montana and Washington crops continue to be overall poorly rated with just 5% of the Montana crop rated as good to excellent," Montgomery said.

THE WEEK AHEAD IN WEATHER

An active weather pattern will bring scattered showers and storms to the Corn Belt this week with temperatures rising into the upper 80s and 90s before a weekend cold front brings cooler temperatures and over an inch of rain to the western Corn Belt, according to DTN Meteorologist Teresa Wells.

"We'll be seeing a fairly active pattern continue for the Corn Belt this week," Well said. "Isolated showers are favored during the first half of this week before a system from the Northern Plains drifts east into the western Midwest by Wednesday, providing scattered showers and storms. Temperatures will also be on the rise towards the second half of the week with high temperatures getting back into the upper 80s and 90s. Luckily, the heat shouldn't last too long as a cold front will bring temperatures closer to average by the upcoming weekend. The cold front is also expected to bring another round of scattered showers to the western Corn Belt. By this upcoming Sunday, portions of the Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa and western Wisconsin could see over one inch of rain, keeping conditions relatively favorable for corn and soybeans. Farther to the east, towards Indiana and Ohio, showers will be more isolated this week with only 0.25-0.5 inch forecast.

"Looking farther south, an area of high pressure will expand into the Southern Plains this week, lending to drier conditions for West Texas, but the majority of the heat will confine itself to the Four Corners region. High pressure in the Southern Plains will push the storm track farther north with isolated showers and storms favoring Nebraska and Kansas. A stalled front along the Gulf coast will lend to heavy rainfall in the Southeast this week, unfavorable for reproductive or filling cotton. Parts of Georgia and South Carolina could see nearly 3-4 inches of rain over the next seven days."

National Crop Progress Summary
	This	Last	Last	5-Year
	Week	Week	Year	Avg.
Corn Silking	88	76	86	89
Corn Dough	42	26	44	40
Corn Dented	6	NA	6	6
Soybeans Blooming	85	76	85	86
Soybeans Setting Pods	58	41	57	58
Winter Wheat Harvested	86	80	87	87
Spring Wheat Headed	95	92	97	98
Spring Wheat Harvested	5	1	5	9
Cotton Squaring	87	80	90	89
Cotton Setting Bolls	55	44	59	58
Cotton Bolls Opening	5	NA	7	6
Sorghum Headed	51	39	61	56
Sorghum Coloring	23	21	25	24
Oats Harvested	41	29	45	46
Barley Headed	90	80	96	98
Barley Harvested	5	1	6	10
Rice Headed	75	63	79	67
Rice Harvested	6	NA	6	5
Peanuts Pegging	92	87	91	90

**

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	2	5	20	53	20		2	5	20	53	20		3	7	23	51	16
Soybeans	2	5	24	54	15		1	5	25	54	13		2	6	24	54	14
Spring Wheat	4	13	35	43	5		4	14	33	44	5		1	3	22	63	11
Rice	-	2	20	55	23		-	3	20	57	20		1	2	17	63	17
Oats	8	10	24	49	9		7	10	25	48	10		6	5	22	56	11
Barley	2	14	42	39	3		1	14	43	39	3		-	6	22	66	6
Cotton	5	10	30	45	10		7	7	31	44	11		12	15	28	37	8
Peanuts	-	3	24	62	11		1	4	27	57	11		1	4	24	61	10
Sorghum	2	6	26	48	18		3	5	26	49	17		7	11	35	40	7