Aug 19, 2015
U.S. Crop Conditions Little Changed this Week
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
Corn - The condition of the 2015 U.S. corn crop declined 1% last week to 69% rated good to excellent. Four states indicated that the corn condition had improved last week and 9 states indicated that the corn condition had declined last week with 5 states unchanged. Most of the improvements were found in the western Corn Belt while most of the declines were found in the eastern and northern Corn Belt. The top five rated corn states are: Minnesota, Tennessee, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Iowa. The five states with the lowest rated corn are: North Carolina, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois.
The condition of the corn crop has changed very little over the last five weeks when normally it declines on a weekly basis this time of the year. There is no doubt that the "garden spot" this year is Minnesota with 88% of the corn rated good to excellent.
Soybeans - The condition of the 2015 U.S. soybean crop held steady last week at 63% rated good to excellent. Nine states indicated that the soybean condition had improved last week and 7 states indicated that the soybean condition had declined last week with 2 states unchanged. Most of the improvements were found in the eastern and southern locations while most of the declines were found in the northern locations. The top five rated soybean states are: Minnesota, Tennessee, Iowa, Wisconsin, and South Dakota. The five states with the lowest rated soybeans are: Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, and North Carolina.
The condition of the soybean crop has also "defied gravity" so to speak by changing very little over the last two months when it too normally declines on a weekly basis during the summer months. Minnesota is also the top ranked soybean state as well.
Soil Moisture - The nation's topsoil got dryer again last week for the seventh week in a row. There were no states that indicated that the topsoil got wetter last week and 18 states indicated that the topsoil got dryer last week. The five states with the wettest topsoil are: Missouri, Kentucky, Iowa, Indiana, and Illinois. The five states with the driest topsoil are: Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Arkansas, and Wisconsin.
While the topsoil in all the states dried out somewhat last week, rainfall over the last two days has been generous in the western Corn Belt with spotty showers in the eastern Corn Belt. The forecast is calling for more rainfall this week and my guess is that the topsoil moisture might hold steady or decline slightly this week.