Top 5 Things to Watch

By DTN Staff

OMAHA (DTN) -- Here are the Top 5 things the DTN Newsroom is tracking for the week of May 21. Watch for coverage of these and other topics through the week on our subscription platforms as well as on DTNPF.com.

1. Ag Summit Series: Our second DTN Ag Summit Series virtual event is May 23 at 8:30 a.m. CDT. You'll hear crop updates from farmers across the country, as well as learn the latest crop, fertilizer, weather and markets updates from DTN's formidable staff of reporters and analysts. Registration allows you to both watch the event live as well as view rebroadcasts if you missed a session, and you can share those rebroadcasts with others in your operation. But first, you must register, here: https://whova.com/….

2. Will wheat stay bearish?: Wheat markets continue to take an anti-fundamentals drop. Tough to swallow following the 2023 Wheat Quality Council Hard Winter Wheat tour, which put expected wheat yields near lows not seen since President John F. Kennedy proclaimed, "Ich bin ein Berliner." That would be 1963, for those keeping score. Prices have many exclaiming "Was zur Holle," though our analysts note the current drop is due to speculator selloffs in the futures market. We'll be keeping tabs on all that through the week. For our wrap-up coverage of last week's wheat tour see here: https://www.dtnpf.com/….

3. Continued drought reduction: We continue to watch the colors lighten on the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor map, and now also turn lighter on the latest Climate Prediction Center's U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook map, thanks to continued precipitation systems the past few weeks. (See https://www.dtnpf.com/…) DTN Ag Meteorologist John Baranick notes that just over 20% of the Lower 48 states are currently in drought, the lowest level of drought conditions since June 2020. This week a ridge in the West moves east, and the weak trough behind it should bring showers to the High Plains, perhaps bringing even further drought reduction. Showers could stymie planting a little in the Dakotas, but overall crop progress should keep progressing.

4. Soybean head scratcher: Beans also have a lot of us scratching "die Kopfe." We'll watch for signs of any changes in the bean complex this week. For Lead Analyst Todd Hultman's latest thoughts on soy markets, see his Todd's Take column here: https://www.dtnpf.com/….

5. Herbicide deadlines loom: Early planted beans are running into a conflict with dicamba postemergence application rules in many states. The latest rules outlaw post application when beans reach V4 or June 12, whichever comes first. Many early planted fields will likely hit the size limit well ahead of the cutoff date. Watch for the details from DTN Crops Editor Jason Jenkins this week.

Be sure and watch for the latest news at www.dtnpf.com, and follow and like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/dtnprogressivefarmer.

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