Aug 12, 2020
2020 U.S. Corn Condition down Slightly, Strong Winds Impact Crop
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
In Monday's Crop Progress Report, the corn crop was rated 71% good to excellent which is down 1% from the prior week. That was before powerful storms swept across the Midwest on Monday afternoon. Very strong winds were recorded from eastern Nebraska to Indiana and it looks like Iowa was the hardest hit.
A numerous corn fields were reported to have been flattened and there were many grain storage facilities damaged or destroyed. The total damage to the corn and the storage facilities is still being assessed. In the hardest hit corn fields, yields will be negatively impacted. On the other hand, the storm brought some beneficial rains to the very dry areas of western Iowa.
The weather last week was cool and dry for most of the week with hotter temperatures returning over the weekend. The most frequent rains earlier last week were across the southern and eastern Corn Belt. Over the weekend and on Monday, there were scattered rains across some of the northern areas including western Iowa where it was very welcomed. The cooler temperatures during most of the week helped to extend the soil moisture in areas that may have been short on moisture.
The forecast for this week is calling for rain chances across much of the Corn Belt. After a period of cooler temperatures last week and a brief warmup over the weekend, the forecast is now calling for a return of more seasonable temperatures.
The most important dry area is now the western half of Iowa. Last Thursday's U.S. Drought Monitor indicated that 79% of Iowa was abnormally dry and that 6% was in extreme drought. The extreme drought is located in west-central Iowa and that is up from 0% the prior week. Iowa is the most important grain producing state in the country with 14.5% of the 2020 U.S. corn and soybean acreage (15.2% of the U.S. corn acreage and 11.2% of the U.S. soybean acreage). There were rains in western Iowa on Monday, so that should help the situation at least temporarily.
The 2020 U.S. corn crop is rated 71% good to excellent, which down 1% from last week. The corn is 97% silking compared to 87% last year and 95% average. The corn is 59% dough compared to 34% last year and 52% average and the corn is 11% dented compared to 6% last year and 12% average.