U.S. farmers begin 2018 soybean harvest

Producers in Louisiana lead the nation

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

Combines are beginning to roll through U.S. soybean fields.

American farmers have harvested about 6 percent of the 2018 soybean crop, the USDA’s latest Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin says. That number is up from 4 percent at this time last year.

Producers in Louisiana are the furthest along.

Farmers in the state have completed about 51 percent of their soybean harvest. That figure is up from 42 percent last week.

Wisconsin and Ohio soybean farmers have harvested 1 percent of their respective soybean acres. Growers in Michigan and Kansas are yet to harvest any soybeans.

The USDA ranked 67 percent of the U.S. soybean crop as in good to excellent condition.

Corn

Almost all U.S. producers have started this year’s corn harvest.

Farmers have combined about 9 percent of the total corn crop, the USDA says. That number is up from 5 percent last week.

Growers in North Carolina and Texas are the furthest along.

Farmers in each state have harvested about 66 percent of their corn acres, the USDA says.

Producers in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, North Dakota, Minnesota and Michigan have just begun their corn harvest. Each state reported 1 percent of harvested corn crops.

Growers in Colorado are the only ones who haven’t started corn harvest yet, the USDA reports.

The USDA ranked 68 percent of the 2018 corn crop as in good to excellent condition.

Wheat

As corn and soybean farmers harvest crops, winter wheat producers are busy with planting.

U.S. winter wheat growers have planted about 13 percent of the 2018 crop, the USDA says. That number is up from 5 percent last week.

Farmers in Washington have made the most planting progress.

Growers in the state have seeded about 47 percent of their winter wheat acres, which is up from 29 percent last week and the highest in the country.

Growers in California have planted 2 percent of their winter wheat crops.

Producers in Ohio, North Carolina, Montana, Missouri, Illinois and Arkansas haven’t planted any winter wheat yet.

Spring wheat producers are wrapping up the 2018 harvest.

Farmers have combined about 97 percent of spring wheat acres, the USDA says. That number is up from 93 percent last week.

Growers in South Dakota and Minnesota have finished their respective harvests.

Producers in Montana have harvested 94 percent of their spring wheat, which is the lowest among the six documented states.

Suitable fieldwork days

Farmers in California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico experienced seven suitable fieldwork days for the week ending Sept. 16.

Farmers in Maryland (1.5), Delaware and Connecticut (2), and Pennsylvania (2.5) had the fewest number of suitable fieldwork days during the same week.

Weekly precipitation levels

The next Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin will be released Sept. 25.