Corn in Texas leads the nation
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
The 2018 corn crop is starting to enter its next stage of development.
About 12 percent of total U.S. corn is dented, the USDA’s Aug. 5 Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin report says. That number is up from 6 percent at this time last year.
On a state level, Texas corn leads the country in terms of crop development.
About 70 percent of corn in The Lone Star State is dented, the USDA says. That number is up from 60 percent last week.
Corn in Pennsylvania is only 1 percent dented, and four (Colorado, Michigan, North Dakota and Wisconsin) of the 18 documented states have no corn in this stage.
The USDA ranked 71 percent of the corn crop as good or excellent.
Soybeans
The American soybean crop continues to set pods.
About three-quarters of U.S. soybean acres are in this stage, the USDA says.
Soybeans in Louisiana lead the nation in setting pods, with about 99 percent of the crop in this stage.
Soybean fields in Arkansas and Mississippi have set 91 and 90 percent of their pods, respectively.
Only 53 percent of soybeans in Kentucky have set pods. That number is the lowest among the 18 primary production states, the report says.
The USDA ranked 67 percent of U.S. soybean acres as good or excellent.
Wheat
American farmers continue to harvest their winter wheat crop.
Producers have combined about 90 percent of U.S. winter wheat acres.
Growers in nine states including Illinois, Indiana and Missouri have finished winter wheat harvest.
Producers in Montana have harvested 44 percent of their winter wheat, which is the lowest figure among the 18 states documented.
Growers are also harvesting their spring wheat.
Farmers have completed about 13 percent of the total spring wheat harvest, the USDA says.
South Dakota farmers have combined 52 percent of their spring wheat. That number is the highest among the six documented states.
Growers in Montana and North Dakota are 8 percent through winter wheat harvest, which is the lowest progress recorded.
The USDA ranked 74 percent of the spring wheat crop as good or excellent.
Suitable fieldwork days
Only California and Arizona recorded seven suitable fieldwork days for the week ending Aug. 5.
During that same week, the states with the fewest suitable days for fieldwork were:
Maryland – 1.5
Pennsylvania and West Virginia – 2
North Carolina – 2.4
Weekly precipitation levels
State | Precipitation (inches) | Weather Station |
Illinois | 4.81 | Springfield |
Indiana | 2.57 | Evansville |
Iowa | 1.19 | Dubuque |
Kentucky | 1.95 | Louisville |
Michigan | 0.82 | Traverse City |
Missouri | 1.00 | Saint Louis |
New York | 1.80 | Albany |
Pennsylvania | 4.73 | Allentown |
Tennessee | 2.61 | Knoxville |
The next Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin will be released Aug. 14.