Jun 25, 2024
2024 U.S. Corn 69% GD/EX Down 3%, Soy 67% GD/EX Down 3%
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
Corn - The condition of the 2024 U.S. corn crop declined 3% last week to 69% rated good/excellent. Five states indicated improved conditions last week and 13 states indicated lower conditions. Most of the improvements were found in the western areas while most of the declines were found in the northern, eastern, and southern areas. The top five rated corn states are: Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Missouri, and Michigan. The five lowest rated corn states are: North Carolina, Colorado, Texas, Illinois, and a tie between Indiana and Kentucky.
The corn condition declined last week for two different reasons - hot and dry weather in the eastern Corn Belt and excessive rainfall and localized flooding in the northwestern Corn Belt.
Soybeans - The condition of the 2024 U.S. soybean crop declined 3% last week to 67% rated good/excellent. Three states indicated improved conditions last week, 14 states indicated lower conditions, and 1 was unchanged. Most of the improvements were found in the southern locations while most of the declines were found across the Corn Belt. The top five rated soybean states are: Louisiana, Nebraska, Iowa, Arkansas, and Mississippi. The five lowest rated soybean states are: North Carolina, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, and a tie between North Dakota and Ohio.
Soybeans have also been impacted by the adverse weather, maybe even more so than corn. Small-stature soybeans are less capable of surviving flooded conditions or saturated soils and there will inevitably be increased root diseases in the saturated areas.
Soil Moisture - The nation's topsoil moisture declined last week with 7 states indicating improved soil moisture and 11 states indicating lower soil moisture. Most of the improvements (if you can call saturated conditions an improvement) were found in the northern states while most of the declines were found elsewhere in the Corn Belt. The five states with the highest soil moisture are: Minnesota, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Iowa, and a tie between Michigan and North Dakota. The five states with the lowest soil moisture are: North Carolina, Ohio, Indiana, Mississippi, and Illinois.
The recent weather pattern has been consistent, too much rainfall in parts of the northwestern Corn Belt and too little rainfall in parts of the eastern and southern Corn Belt. The wettest areas are Minnesota with 54% surplus soil moisture, Wisconsin with 47%, South Dakota with 25%, Michigan with 22%, Iowa with 17%, Nebraska with 17%, and North Dakota with 14%.
Even with the surplus moisture in the northwestern Corn Belt, the nationwide topsoil moisture is now rated just slightly higher than the 22-year average.