Bean Harvest Falls Behind Schedule, Winter Wheat Planting Continues Progress in Southern Plains

Oct 16, 2018
The USDA reported in this week’s Crop Progress report, released Monday, October 15, 2018 that the US soybean harvest is beginning to fall behind its normal pace while the corn crop is tracking just ahead of normal this week as both crops are on the cusp of full maturity nationwide.
 
Corn mature this week is at 96 percent, with a steady condition rating of 12 percent poor to very poor, 20 fair and 68 good to excellent. Corn harvested is slightly advanced compare to previous years at 39 percent complete for this week, up from 27 last year and ahead of normal by 4 points.
 
Soybean’s progress has been slowing for several weeks now, after an initial jumpstart early on as the gap steadily closed between this year’s progress compared to past years. Soybeans dropping leaves are slightly ahead of normal still at 95 percent this week with a condition rating adjusted down at the upper end by two points coming in at 11 percent poor to very poor, 23 fair and 66 percent good to excellent. Harvest is the main concern at only 38 percent complete for the week, an adjustment of just 6 points from the previous week and trailing last year’s progress by 9 points and the five-year average of 53. Most concerning of all is the lack of progress seen in the heart of soy country, Iowa, where harvest is reportedly only 19 percent complete compared to the state’s average pace of 51 percent around this time. Kansas is also slogging along at only half its normal pace, at 16 percent complete for the week compared to 33 percent on average.
 
Further South, though, cotton harvest is moving at a brisk pace, above the average of 25 this week at 32 percent complete for the year, above 2017 by 2 points. Bolls opening remains on track at 85 percent this week, near 81 last year and 83 the average with a condition rating that seems to be on the downhill trend falling this week across the US down from 42 percent good to excellent to 35 percent, 34 percent rated fair and poor to very poor conditions up from last week’s 25 percent to 31 percent this week. Recent hurricane activity on the east coast no doubt the culprit behind some of this week’s numbers, too. Georgia’s crop noted this week at over 50 percent in poor to very poor condition. North Carolina follows up with 31 percent of its crop in poor to very poor condition.
 
Regarding pasture and range conditions across the US, conditions are holding fairly steadily on a nationwide basis at 21 percent poor to very poor, 30 fair and 49 good to excellent. Oklahoma’s pasture and range conditions dropping slightly to 52 percent good to excellent for the week, Kansas up marginally to 50 percent good to excellent and Texas, up to 59 percent this week from 54 last week. States further west seeming to bare the brunt in this report yet again, namely Arizona, struggling still at 73 percent poor to very poor preceded this week by Oregon at 76 percent poor to very poor, with California at 60 percent poor to very poor this week and Colorado at 54 percent poor to very poor.
 
To review the complete USDA Crop Progress Report released Monday, October 15, 2018, click here.
 
Looking at our three-state region here in the Southern Plains - 
 
Winter wheat planted in Oklahoma reached 66 percent, up 11 points from the previous year but down 4 points from normal. Winter wheat emerged reached 50 percent, up 18 points from the previous year and up 7 points from normal. Canola planted reached 50 percent, down 30 points from the previous year. Corn mature reached 98 percent, up 1 point from the previous year. Corn harvested reached 60 percent, down 2 points from the previous year and down 13 points from normal. Sorghum mature reached 72 percent, down 13 points from the previous year. Sorghum harvested reached 43 percent, down 2 points from the previous year. Soybeans dropping leaves reached 70 percent, up 8 points from the previous year and up 19 points from normal. Soybeans harvested reached 29 percent, up 10 points from the previous year. Cotton bolls opening reached 85 percent, down 3 points from the previous year. Cotton harvested reached 12 percent, up 2 points from the previous year and up 5 points from normal.
 
Click here to review the complete Crop Progress Report for Oklahoma.
 
Meanwhile in Kansas, winter wheat planted was 62 percent, well ahead of 40 last year, but near 65 for the five-year average. Emerged was 44 percent, well ahead of 24 last year, and near 40 average. Corn harvested was 63 percent, ahead of 53 last year, but near 64 average. Soybean condition rated 4 percent very poor, 10 poor, 32 fair, 43 good, and 11 excellent. Soybeans dropping leaves was 87 percent, behind 92 last year, but near 86 average. Harvested was 16 percent, behind 32 last year and 33 average. Sorghum condition rated 3 percent very poor, 5 poor, 22 fair, 54 good, and 16 excellent. Sorghum mature was 79 percent, ahead of 73 last year, and near 77 average. Harvested was 19 percent, ahead of 12 last year, but behind 28 average. Cotton condition rated 1 percent very poor, 2 poor, 31 fair, 54 good, and 12 excellent. Cotton bolls opening was 77 percent, ahead of 70 last year and 69 average. Harvested was 2 percent, behind 7 last year, and near 5 average.
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