Sep 01, 2020

2020 U.S. Corn Crop Declines 2% G/E, Soybeans Decline 3% G/E

Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.

Corn - The condition of the 2020 U.S. corn crop declined 2% last week to 62% rated good to excellent. Two states indicated that the corn condition improved last week, 14 states indicated that the corn condition declined, and 2 were unchanged. The two states that improved were Kentucky and Missouri while most of the other states declined. The top five rated corn states are: Kentucky, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, and Tennessee. The five lowest rated corn states are: Colorado, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Texas.

The hot and dry weather last week took a toll on the corn especially in areas where there was already significant moisture stress. The only improvements were found in the mid-South where they received a lot of moisture from the hurricane. There are antidotal reports from the field that corn in the dryer areas has been pushed very quickly to maturity.

Soybeans - The condition of the 2020 U.S. soybean crop declined 3% last week to 66% rated good to excellent. Three states indicated that the soybean condition improved last week, 14 states indicated that the soybean condition declined, and 1 was unchanged. The three states that improved were Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee while almost all the rest of the states declined. The top five rated soybean states are: Wisconsin, Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois, and Tennessee. The five lowest rated soybean states are: Iowa, Ohio, Minnesota, Kansas, and North Carolina.

The only improved soybeans were once again in the mid-south which received a lot of rain from the hurricane. The record temperatures and dry weather last week pushed many of the moisture stressed soybeans closer to maturity. A quick maturing of soybeans probably means that the last pod set at the top of the plant will not fill completely.

Soil Moisture - The nation's soil moisture declined again last week with 9 states reporting improved soil moisture and 9 states reporting lower soil moisture. Most of the improvements were found in the southern and northern locations while most of the declines were found in the western and central locations. The five states with the highest soil moisture are: Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Minnesota. The five states with the lowest soil moisture are: Iowa, Nebraska Ohio, Kansas, and Illinois.

It is no surprise that the soil moisture declined last week giver the record high temperatures and lack of rainfall. The soil moisture would have declined even more were it not for the hugh amount of rainfall from the hurricane. The soil moisture peaked at the end of July and it has been declining since to the point now where it is dryer than the long term average. The forecast is calling for cooler temperatures, but only scattered showers in the dryer areas, which will probably not be enough to prevent further drying.