May 20 Crop Progress & Condition Report - NE - IA - US

NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending May 19, 2019, there were 5.0 days suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 0 percent very short, 5 short, 80 adequate, and 15 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 0 percent very short, 4 short, 81 adequate, and 15 surplus.

Field Crops Report:
Corn planted was 70 percent, behind 86 both last year and for the five-year average. Emerged was 27 percent, well behind 49 both last year and average.

Soybeans planted was 40 percent, well behind 64 last year, and behind 54 average. Emerged was 7 percent, behind 22 last year and 14 average.

Winter wheat condition rated 1 percent very poor, 4 poor, 26 fair, 57 good, and 12 excellent. Winter wheat headed was 8 percent, near 4 last year, but behind 27 average.

Sorghum planted was 18 percent, behind 29 last year and 28 average.

Oats planted was 90 percent, near 94 last year, and behind 97 average. Emerged was 67 percent, behind 84 last year, and well behind 91 average.

Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 2 poor, 19 fair, 68 good, and 10 excellent.



IOWA CROP PROGRESS & CONDITION REPORT

Iowa farmers worked hard to make planting progress with drier conditions during the early part of the week ending May 19, 2019, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. However, heavy rain fell late in the week which limited farmers to 2.7 days suitable for fieldwork statewide.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 0 percent very short, 0 percent short, 59 percent adequate and 41 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 0 percent very short, 1 percent short, 58 percent adequate and 41 percent surplus.

Iowa corn growers have 70 percent of the expected crop planted, 5 days behind last year and 9 days behind the 5-year average. This is the smallest percent of corn planted by May 19 since 1995 when just 53 percent of the expected crop had been planted. Even with limited days suitable for fieldwork, farmers in the northern districts and east central Iowa managed to plant at least a quarter of their expected corn crop this past week. Northeast Iowa planted the highest percentage of corn as they planted 43 percent of their expected crop. Twenty percent of the crop has emerged, over a week behind last year and average.

Twenty-seven percent of the expected soybean crop has been planted, 8 days behind last year and 9 days behind average. Three percent of the crop has emerged, 6 days behind average.

Nearly all the expected oat crop has been planted with 76 percent emerged, 2 days behind last year and 1 week behind average.

There were scattered reports for the first cutting of alfalfa hay. Hay condition rated 62 percent good to excellent.

Pasture condition improved slightly to 63 percent good to excellent. Warmer temperatures early in the week helped pastures grow, allowing cattle farmers to move more cattle out to graze.



Corn Planting Only 49% Complete Nationwide

Farmers across the country took advantage of the short period of drier weather last week to make up for lost time in getting seed in the ground. But, as of Sunday, May 19, only about the half of the nation's corn crop and less than a quarter of the soybean crop was planted, according to USDA NASS' weekly Crop Progress report on Monday.

An estimated 49% of U.S. corn was planted as of Sunday, a jump of 19 percentage points from 30% the previous week, but still well behind 78% at the same time last year and 31 percentage points behind the five-year average of 80%. That was a slight improvement from last week's report when corn planting was 36 percentage points behind the average pace.

Corn emergence continued to be sluggish with an estimated 19% of the crop emerged as of Sunday, behind 47% last year and 30 percentage points behind the five-year average of 49%. In last week's report, emergence was 19 percentage points behind the average.

Soybean planting progress fell further behind its average pace. As of Sunday, an estimated 19% of the crop was planted, up 10 percentage points from the previous week, behind last year's 53% and 28 percentage points behind the five-year average of 47%. In last week's report, soybean planting was 20 percentage points behind average.

Meanwhile, spring wheat growers continued to close the gap between 2019 planting progress and the five-year average. NASS estimated that 70% of spring wheat was planted as of Sunday, 10 percentage points behind the five-year average of 80%. That was closer to the average pace than the previous week when planting was 22 percentage points behind normal.  Spring wheat emerged, at 26%, was 25 percentage points behind the five-year average of 51%.

Winter wheat was 54% headed as of Sunday, behind last year's 59% and 12 percentage points behind the five-year average of 66%. USDA estimated that 66% of winter wheat was in good-to-excellent condition, up 2 percentage points from 64% the previous week.

Sorghum was 26% planted, compared to 38% last year and a five-year average of 38%. Oats were 77% planted as of May 19, compared to 84% last year and an average of 90%. Oats emerged were at 53%, compared to 64% last year and an average of 76%.

Cotton planting was 44% complete, compared to 50% last year and an average of 45%. Rice was 73% planted, compared to 92% last year and an average of 90%. Fifty-two percent of rice was emerged, compared to 72% last year and an average of 75%.