US crop conditions and planting progress improved again over the previous week, as the seven days ending Sunday brought an ideal mix of rain and dry days.
The pace of planting for most US crops was ahead of the five-year average the week ending 11 May, with corn, soybean and spring wheat planting eachadvancing 18 percentage point or more from the previous week, according to US Department of Agriculture (USDA) data. The week brought multiple dry days suitable for field work for most of the US corn belt, with limited rain reported west of the Mississippi river.
US corn planting pulled 6 percentage points ahead of the five-year average to 62pc completion during the week while soybean planning reached 48pc complete, 11 percentage points ahead of the five-year average. Planting of both crops was propelled as Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Nebraska each planted more than 15pc of their anticipated crop acres during the week.
US spring wheat planting reached 66pc complete as of 11 May, 17 percentage points ahead of the five-year average, according to USDA data. Planting reached 98pc complete in South Dakota, about three weeks ahead of normal, where failed winter wheat crops enabled producers to plant into empty fields earlier than normal. In Minnesota and North Dakota planting advanced 37 percentage points and 23 percentage points, respectively, from the prior week to put the planting pace in both states more than 20 percentage points ahead of the five-year average.
The week ahead is likely to bring another period of rapid planting for the southern corn belt, as Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri are currently projected to receive minimal precipitation prior to 15 May, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) projections. An inch or more of rain is projected for Montana through Minnesota, starting 14 May and persisting though 20 May. Pockets of precipitation are expected for east of the Mississippi during the week ahead, but many areas are projected to receive a tenth of an inch of rain or less, allowing for opportunities to make additional planting progress.
US winter wheat posts another week of improvement
US winter wheat crop conditions reached their highest level for the week since 2019 as of 11 May, as many key states continued to post improvements.
US winter wheat rated in good to excellent condition reached 54pc of the crop as of 11 May, up 13 percentage points from the five-year average. The four largest US winter wheat states posted improvements during the week as parts of Kansas, Texas, Colorado, and Montana all received an inch or more of precipitation over the week ending 11 May, according to NOAA data.
In Kansas, 48pc of the crop was rated in good-to-excellent condition as of 11 May, 16 percentage points ahead of the five-year average. Texas's winter wheat crop was rated 42pc in good-to-excellent condition, 15 percentage points ahead of the five-year average. Colorado's winter wheat crop was rated 56pc in good-to-excellent condition, 24 percentage points ahead of the five-year average. Montana's winter wheat crop was rated 83pc in good-to-excellent condition, 38 percentage points ahead of the five-year average.
The week ahead is expected to be drier for the southern portion of the high plains, with only limited rain expected for eastern Kansas by 18 May. Montana, Wyoming, and South Dakota are expected to receive more rain during the week ahead, with large portions of those states projected to receive an inch or more, according to NOAA.
With the rain received so far, a dry week ahead is not likely to set back the progress made by the US winter wheat crop, and the week ahead will likely see continued improvements to the final quality and size of the crop.
