Corn planting behind 2017 rates

U.S. producers have only planted 5 percent of the 2018 corn crop so far

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

U.S. farmers have planted 10 percent less corn so far this spring compared to this time last year.

Producers have seeded 5 percent of the 2018 corn crop, the USDA’s Apr. 22 Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin says. That number is down from 15 percent at this time in 2017.

Texas farmers lead the nation, having planted 65 percent of their 2018 corn crop.

Farmers in Iowa, the country’s largest corn-producing state, have yet to plant any corn, the report says.

Soybeans
Soybean planting is still in early stages, the USDA says.

Only 2 percent of the 2018 soybean crop is in the ground. That number is down 3 percent from last year.

Flickr/United Soybean Board photo

Farmers in Arkansas (21 percent completed), Louisiana (26 percent completed) and Mississippi (30 percent completed) have the most beans planted.

Wheat
The amount of U.S. winter wheat heading is almost 50 percent lower than this time last year.

About 13 percent of the total U.S. winter wheat crop has headed, the USDA’s report says.

That number is down from 30 percent in 2017.

In Texas, 56 percent of the winter wheat crop has headed, which is the highest percentage in the country.

The USDA ranked 32 percent of the U.S. winter wheat crop as fair.

Farmers are in the early stages of spring wheat planting but are behind their 2017 progress.

Vladimir Vitek/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Only 3 percent of the total 2018 spring wheat crop is in the ground, the USDA reports. That number is down from 21 percent recorded at this time last year.

Growers in Idaho and Washington lead the U.S. in spring wheat planting with 40 and 39 percent completed, respectively.

Suitable fieldwork days

The states with the most suitable fieldwork days for the week ending Apr. 22 were:

Arizona – 7

California – 6.8

Florida – 6.6

The states with the fewest suitable fieldwork days were:

Minnesota – 0

Wisconsin – 0.3

New York – 1

Weekly precipitation levels

The next Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin will be released on Tues., May 2.

Top photo: standret/iStock/Getty Images Plus