Sep 21, 2016
2016 U.S. Crop Conditions Hold Steady (Again)
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
With the U.S. corn crop 53% mature and the soybean crop 46% dropping leaves, this will be the last week that I will comment on the crop ratings. From this point forward, the crop conditions really don't mean very much.
Corn - The condition of the 2016 U.S. corn crop remained unchanged last week at 74% rated good to excellent. Six states indicated that the corn condition had improved last week, 8 states indicated that the corn condition had declined last week, and 4 states indicated no change. Most of the improvements were found in the northern Corn Belt, while most of the declines were found in the central and southern Corn Belt. The top five rated corn states are: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, and North Dakota. The five lowest rated corn states are: Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, and Michigan.
The corn crop has had a remarkable run this year with the percentage of the crop rated good to excellent essentially unchanged all growing season.
Soybeans - The condition of the 2016 U.S. soybean crop held steady last week at 73% rated good to excellent. Nine states indicated that the soybean condition had improved last week, 6 states indicated that the soybean condition had declined last week, and 3 states indicated no change. There was not a definitive pattern to the crop rating changes this week. The top five rated soybean states are: Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Tennessee, and Illinois. The five lowest rated soybean states are: Louisiana, Arkansas, Ohio, South Dakota, and North Carolina.
After a slight drop in the crop ratings during July, the soybeans rebounded due to the ample moisture during August and the soybeans also finished essentially unchanged for the entire growing season.
Soil Moisture - The nationwide soil moisture increased last week with 11 states indicating that the soil moisture improved last week and 6 states indicating that the soil moisture declined last week. Most of the improvements were found across the Corn Belt while most of the declines were found in the southern Corn Belt and Delta. The top five rated states for soil moisture are: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, and Louisiana. The five states with the lowest soil moisture are: Tennessee, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Dakota, and Nebraska.
The lowest soil moisture of the summer was recorded during the first week of July and since then it has been improving, especially during the month of August.
| 2016 U.S. State Rankings | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corn | Soybeans | ||||||
| Weeks in Top Five | Weeks in Bottom Five | Weeks in Top Five | Weeks in Bottom Five | ||||
| Wisconsin | 16 | Ohio | 14 | Wisconsin | 16 | Arkansas | 16 |
| Minnesota | 16 | S. Dakota | 14 | Iowa | 16 | Michigan | 12 |
| Iowa | 14 | Michigan | 14 | Minnesota | 15 | S. Dakota | 12 |
| Colorado | 12 | Penn. | 11 | Tennessee | 15 | Kansas | 11 |
| Illinois | 10 | Texas | 11 | Illinois | 9 | Ohio | 9 |
| N. Dakota | 7 | Kansas | 7 | Nebraska | 6 | Missouri | 7 |
| Tennessee | 3 | Missouri | 4 | N. Dakota | 2 | N. Carolina | 5 |
| Nebraska | 3 | N. Carolina | 3 | Kentucky | 2 | Louisiana | 5 |
| Penn. | 2 | Kentucky | 2 | S. Dakota | 1 | Mississippi | 3 |
| Missouri | 1 | Indiana | 2 | Kentucky | 1 | ||
| Illinois | 1 | ||||||