May 14 Crop Progress & Condition Report - NE - IA - US

NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending May 13, 2018, there were 5.1 days suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 3 percent very short, 22 short, 71 adequate, and 4 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 4 percent very short, 25 short, 70 adequate, and 1 surplus.

Field Crops Report:
Corn planted was 72 percent, near 74 last year and 70 for the five-year average. Emerged was 26 percent, near 28 last year and 25 average.

Soybeans planted was 41 percent, ahead of 34 last year and 29 average. Emerged was 5 percent, near 3 last year and 2 average.

Winter wheat condition rated 1 percent very poor, 6 poor, 29 fair, 54 good, and 10 excellent. Winter wheat headed was 1 percent, well behind 28 average, and behind 15 average.

Sorghum planted was 17 percent, near 13 last year and 14 average.

Oats planted was 88 percent, behind 98 last year and 96 average. Emerged was 71 percent, well behind 92 last year, and behind 83 average.

Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 3 percent very poor, 9 poor, 38 fair, 47 good, and 3 excellent.



IOWA CROP PROGRESS & CONDITION REPORT

Iowa farmers were held to 3.8 days suitable for fieldwork after storms left measurable rainfall across much of the State during the week ending May 13, 2018, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 2 percent very short, 6 percent short, 69 percent adequate and 23 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 4 percent very short, 10 percent short, 69 percent adequate and 17 percent surplus. Intermittent rain interrupted fieldwork and planting activities in portions of the State, but recent rains have failed to relieve the dry soil conditions in the southern one-third of the State.

Iowa growers have planted 65 percent of the expected corn crop, 4 days ahead of last year. While the southern two-thirds of the state already has 79 percent or more of the corn crop planted, north central has almost three-quarters of the crop left to be planted. Twenty-six percent of the crop has emerged.

Soybean growers have 33 percent of the expected crop in the ground, led by farmers in southeast Iowa who have planted almost two-thirds of their expected crop. Five percent of the crop has emerged.

Ninety-two percent of the expected oat crop has been planted, 1 week behind last year and 3 days behind the five-year average. Sixty-one percent of the crop has emerged, 6 days behind last year, and 5 days behind the average.

Rain and warm temperatures have benefited hay acreage and pasture conditions statewide. The first hay condition rating of the season was 4 percent very poor, 5 percent poor, 34 percent fair, 45 percent good and 12 percent excellent.

Pasture condition rated 49 percent good to excellent, an increase of 9 percentage points from the previous week. Cattle and sheep are grazing on permanent pastures in many areas and farmers are waiting for drier conditions to take their first cutting of hay for the year.



Corn Planting Almost Catches Up to Average Pace

Farmers continued to put the pedal to the metal last week, pushing planting progress ahead another 23 percentage points and nearly catching up to the five-year average pace, according to the USDA National Ag Statistics Service weekly Crop Progress report released Monday.

NASS estimated that 62% of corn was planted as of Sunday, May 13, up from 39% the previous week. Last week's planting progress lagged the five-year average pace of 63% by only 1 percentage point. Corn emergence, at 28% Sunday, moved to slightly ahead of the average pace of 27%.

Farmers made the most progress in Minnesota where planting jumped a whopping 31 percentage points from 9% the previous week to 40% complete as of Sunday. South Dakota was the furthest behind last week with 21% of corn planted, 40 percentage points behind the five-year average of 61%. Illinois and Indiana were the furthest ahead of average with Illinois' corn crop 90% planted, 20 percentage points ahead of average, and Indiana's crop 73% planted, 21 percentage points ahead of average.

Meanwhile, soybean planting moved further ahead of the average pace. Thirty-five percent of the crop was planted as of Sunday, according to NASS, 9 percentage points ahead of the average of 26%. Ten percent of soybeans were emerged, ahead of 7% last year and also ahead of the average of 6%.

Winter wheat was 45% headed, behind last year's 61% and also behind the average of 53%. Winter wheat condition improved again slightly last week to 36% good to excellent, up 2 percentage points from the previous week's rating of 34% good to excellent.

Spring wheat was 58% planted as of Sunday, behind the average pace of 67%. Fourteen percent of the crop was emerged, well behind the five-year average of 36%.

Cotton was 36% planted as of Sunday, compared to 20% last week, 31% last year and a 31% average. Rice was 83% planted, compared to 68% last week, 82% last year and 80% on average. Sixty-one percent of the crop was emerged, compared to 44% last week, 72% last year and a 63% average.

Sorghum was 32% planted as of Sunday, compared to 29% last week, 32% last year and a 33% average.

Barley was 62% planted, behind the average pace 74%. Twenty-one percent of the crop was emerged as of Sunday, compared to an average of 45%. Oats were 72% planted, compared to 56% last week, 89% last year and a 84% average. Forty-eight percent of oats were emerged, compared to 34% last week, 70% last year and a 66% average.