Market Impact Weather

OMAHA (DTN) -- Improving conditions for Midwest fieldwork, and very little drought relief from weekend showers in the Southern Plains, are the key weather items for the commodity trade's attention Monday.

IMPROVING MIDWEST CONDITIONS

The DTN ag weather forecast calls for more seasonal conditions in the Midwest over the next week to 10 days. This trend includes milder and more seasonal temperatures. The impact will be to improve prospects for spring fieldwork. Warmest conditions will be in the western sector of the region, which will be especially beneficial following record cold during the first half of April.

MINIMAL SOUTHERN PLAINS RAIN

Southern Plains wheat areas in general received very little beneficial precipitation during the past weekend. This week offers only light additional precipitation. Drought stress continues with lower wheat production from the region likely.

SLOW PROGRESS IN NORTHERN PLAINS

Northern Plains' fieldwork remains stranded in many areas by low soil temperatures. Much of the spring wheat crop has not yet been planted. Some improvement in conditions is expected during the next seven days.

DELTA DELAYS

In the Delta, wet conditions this week will cause some delay in planting. However, episodes of dry weather between rain events allow planting progress to average near normal levels. Cooler-than-normal weather this week will slow crop development.

DRIER TREND IN BRAZIL

Brazil's central crop areas have seen a round of dry conditions over the past five days. Soil moisture is generally favorable for the second-crop (safrinha) corn. However, south-central states of Parana and Sao Paulo bear watching for possible stress as a result of consistent dryness in the past 30 days.

WEEKEND CHINA RAIN IN CHINA

In central China, moderate to heavy rains occurred during the weekend in key growing areas of south and east Henan province, through Shandong and southern Hebei. This will support favorable development of winter wheat and rapeseed and improve soil moisture for future plantings of corn, soybeans, cotton and groundnuts in the area.

Bryce Anderson can be reached at bryce.anderson@dtn.com

(ES/)

Copyright 2018 DTN/The Progressive Farmer. All rights reserved.