Aug 31, 2021
U.S. Corn Unchanged at 60% Gd/Ex, Soy Unchanged at 56% Gd/Ex
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
Corn - The condition of the 2021 U.S. corn crop was unchanged last week at 60% rated good to excellent. Seven states indicated that the corn condition had improved last week, and 11 states indicated that the corn condition declined last week. Most of the improvements were found in the northern Corn Belt while most of the declines were found in the eastern and southern Corn Belt. The top five rated corn states are: Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Michigan, and Ohio. The five lowest rated corn states are: North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Kansas, and Kentucky.
The improved rainfall over the past week helped to stabilize the corn condition. While there were some improvements in the corn condition in the western Corn Belt, there were also some declines in the corn condition in the eastern Corn Belt. With the improved moisture, the nationwide corn condition probably will not change very much going forward.
Soybeans - The condition of the 2021 U.S. soybean crop held steady last week at 56% rated good to excellent. Eight states indicated that the soybean condition had improved last week, 8 states indicated that the soybean condition declined last week, and 2 states were unchanged. Most of the improvements were found in the northern Corn Belt while most of the declines were found in the eastern and southern areas. The top five rated soybean states are: Indiana, Louisiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Mississippi. The five lowest rated soybean states are: North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Kansas, and Missouri.
The later maturing soybeans benefited from the additional moisture last week, but the earlier maturing soybeans were too far along in their development to benefit very much from the rainfall.
Soil Moisture - The nation's topsoil moisture increased last week with 9 states indicating improved soil moisture and 9 states indicating lower soil moisture. Most of the improvements were found in the northern locations while most of the declines were found in the eastern and southern locations. The five states with the highest soil moisture are: Mississippi, Wisconsin, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Illinois. The five states with the lowest soil moisture are: South Dakota, North Dakota, Kansas, Arkansas, and Minnesota.
With most of last week's rainfall focused across the northern Corn Belt, a couple new states such as Kansas and Kentucky are in the group of the driest states. Soil moisture in the mid-South and the Delta will increase significantly due to Hurricane Ida. I have been tracking the crop-weighted topsoil moisture in the U.S. for 20 years and the soil moisture usually reaches its low point about the third week of August, and that is what happened again this year.