May 13 Crop Progress & Condition - NE - IA - US

NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending May 12, 2019, there were 2.7 days suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 0 percent very short, 4 short, 79 adequate, and 17 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 0 percent very short, 2 short, 84 adequate, and 14 surplus.

Field Crops Report:
Corn planted was 46 percent, well behind 68 last year and 72 for the five-year average. Emerged was 9 percent, behind 23 last year and 26 average.

Soybeans planted was 20 percent, behind 37 last year and 32 average. Emerged was 1 percent, near 4 last year and 2 average.

Winter wheat condition rated 1 percent very poor, 3 poor, 29 fair, 58 good, and 9 excellent. Winter wheat headed was 2 percent, near 1 last year, but behind 12 average.

Sorghum planted was 8 percent, behind 15 both last year and average.

Oats planted was 83 percent, near 87 last year, and behind 94 average. Emerged was 48 percent, behind 67 last year, and well behind 83 average.

Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 3 poor, 18 fair, 69 good, and 9 excellent.



IOWA CROP PROGRESS & CONDITION

Fieldwork activities were limited as rain across the State held Iowa farmers to just 1.9 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending May 12, 2019, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Iowa farmers remain hopeful for warmer conditions as below normal temperatures continued to slow crop emergence across the State.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 0 percent very short, 1 percent short, 67 percent adequate and 32 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 0 percent very short, 1 percent short, 66 percent adequate and 33 percent surplus.

Statewide, just 48 percent of the expected corn crop has been planted, 4 days behind last year and just over a week behind the five-year average. This is the smallest percent of corn planted by May 12 since 2013 when just 15 percent of the expected crop had been planted. It is the fifth time in 40 years that less than half the expected crop has been planted by May 12. West central Iowa has the highest percentage of corn planted at 67 percent, while northeast Iowa has the lowest percent of corn planted at 24 percent. Five percent of the crop has emerged, 5 days behind last year and over a week behind average.

Thirteen percent of the expected soybean crop has been planted, 6 days behind both last year and average. Just 1 percent of the crop has emerged, 2 days behind average.

Ninety-one percent of the expected oat crop has been planted, 1 day ahead of last year but 4 days behind average. Fifty-five percent of the crop has emerged, 2 days ahead of last year but a week behind average.

The first hay condition rating of the season was 1 percent very poor, 6 percent poor, 31 percent fair, 54 percent good and 8 percent excellent. Recent rains helped green up pastures, but growth remained slow due to below normal temperatures across the State.

Pasture Condition rated 61 percent good to excellent, equal to last week. Rain this past week resulted in muddy feedlots again.



USDA Weekly Crop Progress - Farmers Fall Further Behind in Race to Plant

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.  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.

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.

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.

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%.