USDA Weekly Crop Progress

OMAHA (DTN) -- U.S. farmers fell further behind in the race to plant corn, soybeans and spring wheat last week, according to USDA NASS' weekly Crop Progress report on Monday.

As of Sunday, an estimated 30% of the nation's corn was planted, up only 7 percentage points from the previous week, well behind 59% at the same time last year and 36 percentage points behind the five-year average of 66%. That was further behind normal than the previous week when corn planting was 23 percentage points behind the average pace.

It's also lowest percentage of corn planted by May 12 since 28% in 2013 and 27% in 1993, noted DTN Lead Analyst Todd Hultman.

Corn emergence was also slow with an estimated 10% of the crop emerged as of Sunday, behind 25% last year and 19 percentage points behind the five-year average of 29%.

Soybean planting progress also fell further behind the average pace. As of Sunday, an estimated 9% of the crop was planted, up only 3 percentage points from the previous week, down from last year's 32% and 20 percentage points behind the five-year average of 29%. In last week's report, soybean planting was 8 percentage points behind average.

Meanwhile, spring wheat growers made some headway in closing the gap between 2019 planting progress and the five-year average, though progress remained well behind normal. NASS estimated that 45% of spring wheat was planted as of Sunday, 22 percentage points behind the five-year average of 67%. That was slightly closer to the five-year average than the previous week when planting was 27 percentage points behind normal.

"Significant spring wheat planting progress was made the past week from Montana to Minnesota," Hultman said.

Winter wheat was 42% headed as of Sunday, near last year's 43% but still 12 percentage points behind the five-year average of 54%.

USDA said 64% of winter wheat was rated in good-to-excellent condition last week, the same breakdown as was seen two weeks ago and still the highest good-to-excellent rating in nine years, Hultman said.

"Fifty-six percent of Kansas wheat and 74% of Montana's wheat are rated good to excellent," Hultman said. "Ohio, Michigan and Illinois have poor-to-very poor ratings above 20%."

Sorghum was 24% planted, compared to 32% last year and a five-year average of 33%. Oats were 62% planted as of May 12, compared to 70% last year and an average of 83%. Oats emerged were at 43%, compared to 46% last year and an average of 64%.

Cotton planting was 26% complete, compared to 34% last year and an average of 32%. Rice was 55% planted, compared to 81% last year and an average of 82%. Forty-two percent of rice was emerged, compared to 59% last year and an average of 63%.

Hultman also noted that USDA's measure of surplus topsoil moistures remains high in the eastern Midwest. Illinois is at 77%, Indiana at 60% and Ohio at 76%.

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	30	23	59	60
Corn Emerged	10	6	25	29
Soybeans Planted	9	6	32	29
Winter Wheat Headed	42	29	43	54
Spring Wheat Planted	45	22	54	67
Spring Wheat Emerged	10	4	13	34
Cotton Planted	26	18	34	32
Sorghum Planted	24	22	32	33
Barley Planted	59	37	59	72
Barley Emerged	25	12	20	42
Oats Planted	62	50	70	83
Oats Emerged	43	36	46	64
Rice Planted	55	48	81	82
Rice Emerged	42	35	59	63

**

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	28	49	15	2	6	28	52	12	14	22	28	29	7

**

National Soil Moisture Condition - 48 States
(VS = Very Short; SH = Short; AD = Adequate; SR = Surplus)
	This Week				Last Week				Last Year
	VS	SH	AD	SR	VS	SH	AD	SR	VS	SH	AD	SR
Topsoil Moisture	1	6	59	34	1	6	61	32	10	21	60	9
Subsoil Moisture	1	6	63	30	1	6	65	28	9	22	61	8

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

Follow him on Twitter @AGrederDTN

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