The nation’s corn and soybean crops took a slight summer hit in the latest USDA Crop Progress Report, but the crops continue to perform well.
The U.S. corn crop is rated this week at 69 percent good to excellent (71 percent last week), 23 percent fair and 8 percent poor to very poor.
The best-looking corn crops are in Iowa, Kentucky, and South Dakota. The corn is struggling in Texas, Colorado, Kansas and Ohio.
The corn has entered the silk stage in about one-third of the states, which is about average for this time of year.
The soybean crop is rated at 68 percent in the good to excellent category this week, down 3 points from last week, 25 percent is rated fair and 7 percent is rated poor to very poor.
Louisiana and Wisconsin have the most acres rated in the good to excellent category with 89 percent and 83 percent respectfully.
About half the soybean crop is blooming, slightly ahead of the 5-year average of 40 percent.
Unfortunately, the U.S. cotton and grain sorghum crops are not keeping up with the corn and soybeans. The cotton crop is rated 44 percent in the good to excellent category this week (43 percent last week), 30 percent is fair, and 26 percent is poor to very poor.
Only 18 percent of the cotton crop has set bolls, down 3 percent from the 5-year average for this time of year.
The grain sorghum crop is rated 46 percent good to excellent this week (48 percent last week), 38 percent is fair, and 16 percent is poor to very poor.
About 27 percent of the sorghum crop is headed, down 1 percent from the 5-year average.
Winter wheat harvest is 68 percent complete across the country, 2 points ahead of the 5-year average.
The nation’s pasture and range conditions are showing summer stress as only 36 percent is rated good to excellent this week (41 percent last week), 34 percent is rate fair and 30 percent is poor to very poor.
The west and Rocky Mountain states of California, New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming all have substantial acres in the poor to very category.
The Oklahoma cotton crop is in great shape as 70 percent is rated good to excellent this week, 24 is considered fair and 6 percent is poor to very poor.
Cotton setting bolls reached 1 percent, up 1 point from the previous year but down 5 points from normal.
The Oklahoma grain sorghum crop is really struggling as only 27 percent rated good to excellent, 37 percent is fair, and 36 percent is rated poor to very poor.
Sorghum headed reached 10 percent, down 4 points from the previous year and down 11 points from normal.
The third cutting of alfalfa hay reached 20 percent, up 1 point from the previous year and up 1 point from normal. The first cutting of other hay reached 85 percent, down 8 points from the previous year and down 5 points from normal.
Oklahoma pasture and range conditions are rated 43 percent good to excellent this week, 33 percent fair and 24 percent is poor to very poor.
In Kansas, the corn crop condition is rated 53 percent good to excellent, 34 percent fair and 13 percent poor to very poor.
Corn silking was 47 percent, ahead of 31 percent last year, and near the 46 percent average.
The Kansas soybean crop is rated 59 percent good to excellent, 34 percent is fair and 7 percent poor to very poor.
Soybeans blooming was 43 percent, well ahead of 13 percent last year, and ahead of the 28 percent average.
The Kansas grain sorghum crop is rated 49 percent good to excellent, 40 percent fair and 11 percent poor to very poor.
Grain sorghum headed was 9 percent, near the 6 percent level both last year and average.
Kansas pasture and range conditions are rated 41 percent good to excellent, 37 percent fair and 22 percent poor to very poor.
In Texas, the cotton conditions continued to struggle as only 23 percent is rated good to excellent, 36 percent is fair and a whopping 46 percent is considered poor to very poor.
Cotton was blooming in the Trans-Pecos, Coastal Bend and the Lower Valley. Irrigation was in full swing in South Texas and the Lower Valley.
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