Just like a freight train chugging headlong towards its destination, the major U.S. crops continue to move towards fall harvest in decent shape. This week’s USDA Crop Progress Report shows the crops to be on or ahead of schedule and looking good with little change from last week.
In the 18 major corn growing states, 39 percent of the crop has entered the dough stage, 6 points ahead of the 5-year average.
The corn crop continued to be rated 72 percent in the good to excellent category, 21 percent fair and 7 percent poor to very poor.
Approximately 63 percent of the U.S. soybean crop has set pods, well ahead of the 50 percent norm for this time of year.
The soybean crop condition has improved one notch from last week and is now rated 73 percent good to excellent, 21 percent fair and 6 percent poor to very poor.
The U.S. cotton crop continues to mature on schedule as 59 percent has set on bolls, compared to 58 percent for the 5-year average.
The cotton crop is showing some slight drought stress as only 45 percent is rated good to excellent this week compared to 49 percent last week, 39 percent is fair, and 16 percent is poor to very poor.
Fifty-five percent of the U.S. grain sorghum crop is headed out this week, just one percent off the norm with Texas leading the way at 84 percent headed out and in fact harvest of that crop in Texas has now started.
The grain sorghum crop is rated slightly better this week at 55 percent good to excellent (53 percent last week), 35 percent fair and 10 percent poor to very poor.
Winter wheat harvest is at 85 percent, just three points behind the average for this time of year.
There is no change in the pasture and range conditions this week as 36 percent are in the good to excellent category, 34 percent fair and 30 percent poor to very poor.
Interesting to note that 100 percent of the pastures in Rhode Island and Connecticut are rated poor or very poor this week. It is rare to see that high of percentage in any category.
To view the national crop progress report, click here.
In Oklahoma corn dough stage reached 33 percent, up 3 points from the previous year but down 2 points from normal.
The Oklahoma corn crop is rated 64 percent good to excellent, 28 percent fair and 8 percent poor to very poor.
Grain sorghum headed reached 45 percent, up 17 points from the previous year but down 1 point from normal. Sorghum coloring reached 15 percent, up 10 points from the previous year but down 4 points from normal.
The Oklahoma grain sorghum crop is rated 44 percent good, 40 percent fair and 16 percent poor to very poor.
Soybeans blooming reached 44 percent, up 15 points from the previous year and up 2 points from normal. Soybeans setting pods reached 10 percent, up 1 point from the previous year but down 6 points from normal.
The Oklahoma soybean crop is rated 62 percent good to excellent, 37 percent fair and only 1 percent is poor.
Cotton setting bolls reached 36 percent, unchanged from the previous year and unchanged from normal.
Among our neighboring states, the Oklahoma cotton crop is rated ahead of everyone but Arkansas at 69 percent good to excellent, 27 percent fair and only 4 percent in the poor category.
The third cutting of alfalfa hay reached 65 percent, up 3 points from the previous year and up 15 points from normal. The second cutting of other hay reached 37 percent, down 8 points from the previous year and down 11 points from normal.
Oklahoma pasture and range conditions remain virtually unchanged from last week and are rated 41 percent good to excellent, 45 percent fair and 14 percent poor to very poor.
To view the Oklahoma crop progress report, click here.
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