USDA Weekly Crop Progress Report - Corn Rated 69% Good to Excellent, Soybeans 65% Good to Excellent as of Aug. 31

OMAHA (DTN) -- Corn and soybean good-to-excellent condition ratings fell at the national level last week, according to USDA NASS's weekly Crop Progress report released on Tuesday. The report is normally released on Mondays but was delayed this week due to Labor Day.

Cooler temperatures have eased crop stress across the Corn Belt, but limited rainfall and the potential for early frost continue to raise concerns, with scattered showers and a tropical depression possibly bringing more widespread moisture later, according to DTN Ag Meteorologist John Baranick.

CORN

-- Crop development: Corn in the dough stage was estimated at 90%, 1 percentage point ahead of last year's 89% but 1 percentage point behind the five-year average of 91%. Corn dented was estimated at 58%, equal to last year's pace but 2 percentage points behind the five-year average of 60%. Corn mature was pegged at 15%, 3 percentage points behind last year's 18% but 1 percentage point ahead of the five-year average of 14%.

-- Crop condition: NASS estimated that 69% of the crop was in good-to-excellent condition nationwide, down 2 points from the previous week. Nine percent of the crop was rated very poor to poor, up 1 point from the previous week but 3 points below 12% from last year. Nebraska corn was rated 76% good to excellent and Indiana was 61%, both falling 2 percentage points from the previous week. Iowa's good-to-excellent rating remains unchanged from the previous week at 84%.

SOYBEANS

-- Crop development: Soybeans setting pods were estimated at 94%, 1 point ahead of last year's 93% and equal to the five-year average. Soybeans dropping leaves were pegged at 11%, 1 point behind last year's 12% and 1 point ahead of the five-year average of 10%.

-- Crop condition: NASS estimated that 65% of soybeans were in good-to-excellent condition, down 4 points from 69% the previous week and equal to the previous year. Ten percent of soybeans were rated very poor to poor, up 2 percentage points from the previous week and equal to the previous year. Seventy-seven percent of soybeans in Iowa were rated good to excellent, while South Dakota was at 77% too, and Minnesota at 75%.

SPRING WHEAT

-- Harvest progress: Spring wheat harvest picked up speed last week, jumping ahead 19 percentage points to reach 72% complete as of Sunday. That was 5 percentage points ahead of last year's pace of 67% and 1 percentage point ahead the five-year average of 71%. South Dakota was the furthest along in harvest, reaching 91% complete with Minnesota following up at 90%.

THE WEEK AHEAD IN WEATHER

Recent temperature drops have provided some stress relief while lack of rainfall in parts of the Corn Bet continue to pose challenges, with scattered showers and potential frost threats expected later this week, according to DTN Ag Meteorologist John Baranick.

"The cooler temperatures over the last week have been helpful to reduce stress, but some areas across the southern and eastern Corn Belt needed rain and didn't get it," Baranick said.

"A pair of cold fronts will push through the country this week and they'll be bringing some scattered showers, but areas of heavy rain are going to be limited and not widespread like some folks would like to see. Temperatures behind those fronts are going to be quite chilly again this week and we might have a better chance for sneaking in a very early frost across the north. That would be about a month early if we do see it, so that is hard to do. Regardless, temperatures in the 30s will be possible from the Dakotas through Michigan and possibly into Iowa and Illinois as well.

"We'll have to watch the remnants of a tropical depression off the Pacific Coast of Mexico to move through the country this weekend and early next week that could mean more widespread rainfall, but that is a ways out there yet."

National Crop Progress Summary
	This	Last	Last	5-Year
	Week	Week	Year	Avg.
Corn Dough	90	83	89	91
Corn Dented	58	44	58	60
Corn Mature	15	7	18	14
Soybeans Setting Pods	94	89	93	94
Soybeans Dropping Leaves	11	4	12	10
Spring Wheat Harvested	72	53	67	71
Cotton Setting Bolls	90	81	94	93
Cotton Bolls Opening	28	20	35	30
Sorghum Headed	94	88	94	94
Sorghum Coloring	58	44	60	59
Sorghum Mature	28	23	29	26
Sorghum Harvested	17	16	19	19
Oats Harvested	88	80	87	89
Barley Harvested	72	56	71	75
Rice Harvested	33	25	42	27

**

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	3	6	22	50	19		2	6	21	51	20		4	8	23	50	15
Soybeans	3	7	25	51	14		2	6	23	54	15		3	7	25	52	13
Rice	1	3	20	59	17		1	3	22	55	19		1	3	19	62	15
Cotton	2	11	36	43	8		3	10	33	43	11		11	13	32	38	6
Peanuts	-	4	25	60	11		-	3	23	62	12		1	6	32	54	7
Sorghum	3	8	25	48	16		3	8	26	47	16		6	13	31	42	8