USDA Weekly Crop Progress

OMAHA (DTN) -- U.S. winter wheat condition improved last week, while spring wheat planting, reported for the first time this season in USDA NASS' weekly Crop Progress report on Monday, was behind the five-year average pace.

For the week ended Sunday, April 7, winter wheat was rated 60% in good-to-excellent condition, up 4 percentage points from 56% the previous week. The latest good-to-excellent rating is the highest for the crop in six years for this time of year.

Meanwhile, winter wheat in North Carolina, Ohio and Michigan was showing the most problems with poor-to-very-poor ratings of 23%, 26% and 35%, respectively.

Nationwide, 3% of winter wheat was headed as of Sunday, equal to last year and near the five-year average of 4%.

Spring wheat progress, on the other hand, was behind normal. Only 1% of the crop was planted as of Sunday, behind 2% last year and 5% for the five-year average. Planting was furthest behind in Idaho, where 3% of the crop was planted versus the average of 26%; Washington, where 11% was planted versus the average of 28%; and South Dakota, where none of the crop was planted versus the average of 14%.

In addition to spring wheat planting, NASS also reported national corn planting progress for this first time this season on Monday. As of Sunday, 2% of corn was planted, equal to both last year and the five-year average. Most corn planting took place in Texas, where 53% of the crop was planted as of Sunday, slightly ahead of the average pace of 51%.

Sorghum was 14% planted, compared to 16% last year and a 14% five-year average. Cotton planting was 6% complete, compared to 7% last year and a 5% average. Rice was 19% planted, compared to 20% last year and a 21% average.

Oats were 27% planted as of April 7, compared to 27% last year and a 32% average. Emergence was at 25%, compared to 25% last year and a 26% average.

National Crop Progress Summary
	This	Last	Last	5-Year
	Week	Week	Year	Avg.
Corn Planted	2	NA	2	2
Winter Wheat Headed	3	NA	3	4
Spring Wheat Planted	1	NA	2	5
Cotton Planted	6	4	7	5
Sorghum Planted	14	13	16	14
Barley Planted	2	NA	3	9
Oats Planted	27	25	27	32
Oats Emerged	25	25	25	26
Rice Planted	19	12	20	21
Rice Emerged	7	2	10	8

**

National Crop Condition Summary
(VP=Very Poor; P=Poor; F=Fair; G=Good; E=Excellent)
	This Week						Last Week						Last Year
	VP	P	F	G	E		VP	P	F	G	E		VP	P	F	G	E
Winter Wheat	2	7	31	48	12		2	7	35	45	11		14	21	35	26	4

Anthony Greder can be reached at anthony.greder@dtn.com

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