Corn planting up by 22 percent in one week

U.S. growers have planted 39 percent of the total 2018 corn crop

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

U.S. corn producers have planted almost 40 percent of this year’s corn crop.

Farmers have seeded 39 percent of the national corn crop, the USDA’s May 8 Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin says. That number is up from 17 percent last week, and only 6 percent behind corn planting at this time last year.

Corn planting has ramped up in some of the Corn Belt states.

Producers in Illinois have 74 percent of their corn crop in the ground, the USDA’s report says. That number is up from 32 percent last week and puts them ahead of corn planting at this time in 2017.

Indiana farmers have seeded 42 percent of the state corn crop. That number is up 32 percent from last week.

Two states are tied for the lead in corn planting.

Farmers in Texas and North Carolina have each planted 81 percent of their respective corn acres.

And 8 percent of the U.S. corn crop has emerged, the USDA says.

Soybeans

U.S. soybean planting progress increased by 10 percent in one week.

Growers have planted 15 percent of the national soybean crop. That number is up from 5 percent last week.

Producers in Arkansas (40 percent completed), Louisiana (64 percent completed) and Mississippi (53 percent completed), continue to lead the nation in soybean planting.

Wheat

The percentage of U.S. winter wheat that’s headed is still behind last year’s crop.

USDA reports 33 percent of the winter wheat crop has headed. That number is up from 19 percent last week but remains 16 percent behind last year’s progress.

In Arkansas, 82 percent of the winter wheat crop has headed, which is the highest of the 18 documented states.

The USDA ranked 29 percent of the winter wheat crop as fair. That number is down 1 percent from last week.

Growers also continue to seed the 2018 spring wheat crop.

Farmers have planted 30 percent of national spring wheat acres, the USDA says. That number is up from 10 percent last week but is 21 percent behind 2017’s progress at this time.

Growers in Washington have planted 83 percent of their spring wheat, which is the highest of the six recorded states.

USDA reports 4 percent of the spring wheat crop has emerged.

Suitable fieldwork days

The states with the most suitable fieldwork days for the week ending May 6 were:

California, Nevada and Arizona – 7

Oregon, New Mexico and Florida – 6.8

Georgia – 6.6

The states with the fewest suitable fieldwork days were:

Maine and Vermont – 2

Iowa – 2.9

Wisconsin – 3.5

Weekly precipitation levels

The next Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin will be released on Tues., May 15.