USDA Weekly Crop Progress

Corn, Spring Wheat Planting Well Below Average Pace

(DTN photo illustration by Nick Scalise)

OMAHA (DTN) -- U.S. corn planting came in at 6% this week, remaining behind the five-year average of 12%. Spring wheat planting is 5% completed, also well behind the five-year average of 22%, according to USDA NASS' weekly Crop Progress report on Monday.

For the week ended Sunday, April 21, the nation's corn crop gained 3 percentage points from the previous week, but is 2 percentage points behind this time last year and is 6 percentage points behind the five-year average.

"There were notable gains in Tennessee, Kansas and Missouri -- a sign that planting is migrating slowly northward," DTN Lead Analyst Todd Hultman said.

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Soybeans came in at 1% planted, below the five-year average of 2%. Early activity was noticed in Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas

Spring wheat planting was up 3 percentage points from last week and 2 percentage points from this time last year. However, spring wheat planting is currently 17 percentage points below the five-year average. Outside of the Pacific Northwest, Montana was 10% planted and South Dakota was 2% planted.

Progress of the winter wheat crop came in at 9% headed as of Sunday, 6 percentage points lower than the same time last year and also behind the five-year average of 18%.

The condition of the winter wheat crop, on the other hand, increased 2 percentage points and is now at 62% good to excellent, well above this time last year when the condition was just 31% good to excellent. "The top producer, Kansas, showed winter wheat crops at 57% good-to-excellent. Ohio and Michigan continue to have the highest poor-to-very poor ratings at 26% and 22%, respectively," said Hultman.

Sorghum was 17% planted, compared to 23% last year and a 22% five-year average. Cotton planting was 9% complete, compared to 10% last year and a 9% average. Rice was 31% planted, compared to 47% last year and a 47% average. Eighteen percent of rice was emerged, compared to 20% last year and an average of 25%.

Oats were 36% planted as of April 21, compared to 31% last year and a 51% average. Emergence was at 18%, compared to 20% last year and a 25% average.

To view weekly crop progress reports issued by National Ag Statistics Service offices in individual states, visit http://www.nass.usda.gov/…. Look for the U.S. map in the "Find Data and Reports by" section and choose the state you wish to view in the drop-down menu. Then look for that state's "Crop Progress & Condition" report.

National Crop Progress Summary
This Last Last 5-Year
Week Week Year Avg.
Corn Planted 6 3 5 12
Soybeans Planted 1 NA 2 2
Winter Wheat Headed 9 6 12 18
Spring Wheat Planted 5 2 3 22
Cotton Planted 9 7 10 9
Sorghum Planted 17 16 23 22
Barley Planted 17 8 10 29
Barley Emerged 2 NA 2 7
Oats Planted 36 30 31 51
Oats Emerged 27 26 26 33
Rice Planted 31 26 47 47
Rice Emerged 18 13 20 25

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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 6 30 48 14 2 7 31 48 12 15 22 32 25 6

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