Oct 08, 2019
U.S. Crops Could be Impacted by Freezing Temperatures
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
2019 U.S. Corn Crop - The weather last week was more of the same - too wet in the north-central and northwestern Corn Belt and continued hot and dry in the southern Corn Belt, the mid-south, and the southeast. There is finally a forecast of temperatures cold enough for freezing temperatures and maybe snow later this week. For many areas in the northwestern Corn Belt, the potential freeze is 10-20 days later than normal, but some of the crop development is also 10-20 days later than normal.
It looks there will be a season ending freeze later this week in many areas of the western and northwestern Corn Belt. If is likely to cause some damage to the later developing corn, how much remains to be seen.
The 2019 U.S. corn crop is 93% dented compared to 100% last year and 99% average. The corn is 58% mature compared to 92% last year and 85% average and the corn is 15% harvested compared to 33% last year and 27% average.
Any potential damage from the cold temperatures will be where the temperatures are the coldest and the corn is the most delayed in development. In North Dakota, the corn is 22% mature (average is 53%), South Dakota is 32% mature (average is 80%), Minnesota is 39% mature (average is 83%), Iowa is 52% mature (average is 88%), and Nebraska corn is 74% mature (average is 85%). So, if you look at North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa, the corn is 36% to 53% delayed in maturity.
2019 U.S. Soybean Crop - A killing frost is expected in the western and northwestern Corn Belt later this week and it will probably cause some damage to the later developing soybeans. Both the wet and cold conditions in the north-central and northwestern areas and the hot and dry conditions in the southern and southeastern areas are not helpful for the soybeans. The persistent wet conditions could lead to quality issues and a trimming of the yields. The hot and dry conditions in the southern areas would end the growing season prematurely especially for the later planted soybeans.
The U.S. soybean crop is 72% dropping leaves compared to 90% last year and 87% average. The soybeans are 14% harvested compared to 31% last year and 34% average.
A season ending frost later this week would negatively impact some of the later developing soybeans in the northwestern Corn Belt. In Iowa 68% of the soybeans are dropping leaves (average is 89%), South Dakota is 78% (average is 96%), Minnesota is 80% (average is 95%), Nebraska is 86% (average is 93%), and North Dakota is 92% (average is 97%).
The soybeans in the northwestern Corn Belt are not as much delayed as the corn, but there still could be some damage if there was a season ending freeze later this week, how much remains to be seen.