Ag Weather Forum

The latest weekly state crop reports are out and really don't offer much in the way of any surprises.

With better weather in the southern US last week corn planting picked up. Although progress still lags the normal it is not as far behind as it was a couple of weeks ago. With more rain in the forecast during the next 7 days along with a turn to some cooler weather next week we would except to see slower progress on the remaining corn planting as well as early soybean planting.

Corn planting progress in the Ohio River Valley and southern Midwest is beginning to fall further behind normal as progress usually picks at this time of the year. With a wet weather pattern expected to continue followed by cooler temperatures next week we would expect to see progress continuing to fall further behind normal. The opposite is the case in the northwest Midwest where dry soils have allowed producers to accomplish a lot of pre planting fieldwork with producers in Minnesota just waiting for soil temperatures to warm enough to support corn germination.

The dry weather in the northwest Midwest extends back into the northern Plains. This has allowed producers to plant spring wheat at a rapid pace with over 40 percent planted in South Dakota. In Minnesota planting progress is the second fastest in the last 10 years. We continue to not be overly concerned about the dry weather in this area looking at it as an opportunity to get crops in early with the expectations that the wet weather to the south will eventually move northward into the region as we head further into spring.

Finally the southern plains winter wheat belt which has been experiencing some falling crop ratings is expected to see a moderate to heavy rain event during the latter half of the week including the dry areas of Kansas. This should set the crop up quite nicely as it moves through the jointing stage of development and on into the critical heading stage. Some colder weather next week bears watching but at this time we are not looking for it to be damaging to the crop.

Mike

(ES/SK/AG)

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