Market Impact Weather

OMAHA (DTN) -- Heat and dryness threatening corn pollination in the Midwest, and continued drought in the Northern Plains and Canadian Prairies, are the key weather items for the commodity trade's attention Tuesday.

HEAT STRESSES MIDWEST CROPS

The DTN ag weather forecast calls for stressful heat and dryness in much of the western Midwest this week. This combination will increase stress to corn and soybeans, especially pollinating corn. The U.S. corn crop is only half-finished with the pollination phase, according to the latest USDA weekly crop progress report. Corn and soybean ratings are the lowest for this point in the season since the hot and dry year of 2012. Hot temperatures will increase stress to reproductive crops over central and south Illinois and south Indiana during the next three to five days. Some crop losses can be expected. Rainfall chances are greatest in a swath of the northern Midwest, from northern Iowa and Wisconsin into Michigan.

VERY HOT IN SOUTHERN PLAINS

In the Southern Plains, hot to very hot temperatures and only isolated shower activity increase stress to reproductive crops during the next five days. Scattered showers and cooler temperatures should ease stress to crops for a time early in the six- to 10-day period, but additional episodes of heat are likely after that.

CONTINUED NORTHERN PLAINS HEAT AND DROUGHT

In the Northern Plains, episodes of heat and limited rainfall are expected to continue with significant crop stress. Major losses to spring wheat have already occurred. Pollinating corn is now being affected with significant losses likely. The most affected areas will likely be Montana, western and central North Dakota and South Dakota.

LIMITED PRAIRIES RAIN

In the Canadian Prairies, showers during the next five days are expected to occur in northern and eastern areas, bypassing a very-dry sector of the central and south-central portion of the region, primarily in Saskatchewan. Cooler temperatures will, for a time, ease stress to crops. However, hotter weather may return at times during the six- to 10-day period.

LIGHT UKRAINE SHOWERS

Ukraine and southern Russia will have a few scattered thundershowers and variable temperatures this week. Crop conditions look generally favorable.

DRY WEEK FOR NORTHEASTERN CHINA

Northeastern China will see generally below-normal rainfall and near- to above-normal temperatures over the next week. This will likely cause some stress to crops, particularly soybeans in Heilongjiang province.

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

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