May 23, 2017
U.S. Planting Progresses at Average Pace
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
Corn - The 2017 corn planting in the U.S, is now 84% compared to 84% last year and 85% average. The most advance corn planting is in the western Corn Belt where the planting is 2-8% ahead of the average. Corn planting is slower in the eastern Corn Belt where it is 1-4% behind average. The forecast this week does not look very advantageous for planting with the possibility of numerous showers and generally cool temperatures.
I think the two "winning" states thus far this spring have been Minnesota and North Dakota. Minnesota is 94% planted (average is 86%) and North Dakota is 82% planted (average is 73%). Farmers in Minnesota have been reporting very good field conditions this spring.
I think the two "disappointing" states thus far have been Nebraska and Illinois. Nebraska is 87% planted (average is 91%) and Illinois is 89% planted (average is 90%). Nebraska received 2 inches or more of rainfall last week across most of the state with 3 inches or more in the southeastern part of the state. The wet conditions also extended into southeastern South Dakota which reported ponding and localized flooding.
Illinois has been slow in finishing the corn planting and they will need to replant some of the corn. In fact, there are reports from the eastern and southern Corn Belt that farmers are having to replant some of their corn due to ponding or soil crusting. The replanting will be slow this week given the wet forecast.
The corn emergence is now 54% compared to 58% last year and 55% average. The corn emergence is a little ahead of average in the western Corn Belt and a little behind average in the eastern Corn Belt.
Soybeans - The U.S. soybean crop is 53% planted compared to 53% last year and 52% average. The soybean emergence is 19% compared to 20% last year and 21% average. The pattern for the soybean planting is similar to corn with the western Corn Belt 2-10% ahead of the average and the eastern Corn Belt 3-10% behind the average. There will probably be some soybeans replanted as well, but it is probably too early to say for sure.
Mixed Reviews for Early Corn Crop Condition - A few states have already started to report the condition of the 2017 corn crop. Illinois is reporting that 51% of the corn is rated good to excellent, Missouri is 52% good to excellent, Iowa is 75% good to excellent and Minnesota is 83% good to excellent.
Next week we will get the first nationwide corn condition rating of the growing season. I expect the condition to come in below the first report of last year which was 72% good to excellent. The first corn rating in 2016 rated Iowa at 77% good to excellent, South Dakota at 75%, Nebraska at 72%, Illinois at 71%, and Minnesota at 71%. As a comparison, the first nationwide corn rating in 2015 indicated that 74% of the corn was good to excellent.