May 28 Crop Progress & Condition Report - NE - IA - US

NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending May 26, 2019, there were 2.2 days suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 0 percent very short, 0 short, 60 adequate, and 40 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 0 percent very short, 0 short, 72 adequate, and 28 surplus.

Field Crops Report:
Corn planted was 81 percent, behind 95 last year and 94 for the five-year average. Emerged was 50 percent, well behind 77 last year and 73 average.

Soybeans planted was 56 percent, well behind 84 last year, and behind 74 average. Emerged was 23 percent, well behind 49 last year, and behind 36 average.

Winter wheat condition rated 1 percent very poor, 3 poor, 26 fair, 59 good, and 11 excellent. Winter wheat headed was 19 percent, behind 32 last year, and well behind 50 average.

Sorghum planted was 23 percent, well behind 52 last year and 50 average.

Oats condition rated 1 percent very poor, 1 poor, 33 fair, 56 good, and 9 excellent. Oats planted was 94 percent, near 98 last year, and behind 99 average. Emerged was 78 percent, behind 92 last year and 95 average. Headed was 1 percent, behind 14 both last year and average.

Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 2 poor, 17 fair, 70 good, and 10 excellent.



IOWA CROP PROGRESS & CONDITION

Heavy rainfall and damaging storms kept Iowa farmers from making much planting progress with only 1.0 day suitable for fieldwork statewide during the week ending May 26, 2019, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. South central and southeast Iowa farmers reported less than a half day suitable for fieldwork this past week with little to no planting progress. Several comments were received about Iowa farmers investigating prevented planting options.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 0 percent very short, 0 percent short, 41 percent adequate and 59 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 0 percent very short, 1 percent short, 44 percent adequate and 55 percent surplus.

Only 6 percent of the expected corn crop was planted this past week. Iowa corn growers now have 76 percent of the expected crop planted, 10 days behind last year and 2 weeks behind the 5-year average. This is the smallest amount of corn planted by May 26 since 1995 when 75 percent of the expected crop had been planted. Forty-two percent of the crop has emerged, 9 days behind last year and 10 days behind average.

Less than one-third of the expected soybean crop has been planted, two weeks behind last year and average. This is the smallest percent of soybeans planted by May 26 since 1993 when just 23 percent of the expected crop had been planted. Eight percent of the crop has emerged, 12 days behind last year and 8 days behind average.

Eighty-seven percent of the expected oat crop has emerged, 8 days behind average.

There were reports that some alfalfa hay is ready to be cut, but wet conditions prevented Iowa farmers from entering the fields. Hay condition decreased slightly to 60 percent good to excellent.

Pasture condition improved to 64 percent good to excellent. Continued rains made feedlots muddy and stressed cattle.



Corn, Soybean Planting Slogs on in Waterlogged US Midsection

Farmers in the waterlogged midsection of the U.S. continued to slowly slog along in planting corn and soybeans last week, but made little headway in narrowing the gap between this year's progress and the five-year average, according to USDA NASS' weekly Crop Progress report released Tuesday. The report was delayed a day due to the Memorial Day holiday.

An estimated 58% of U.S. corn was planted as of Sunday, the slowest progress since at least 1980. Corn planting was up 9 percentage points from 49% the previous week but was still well behind 90% at the same time last year and 32 percentage points behind the five-year average of 90%. That was further behind average than in last week's report when corn planting was 31 percentage points behind the average pace.

Corn emergence also continued to be slow with an estimated 32% of the crop emerged as of Sunday, the lowest total for this time of year since 2008. Emergence was far behind 69% last year and 37 percentage points behind the five-year average of 69%. In last week's report, emergence was 30 percentage points behind the average.

Soybean planting progress continued to fall further behind the average pace. As of Sunday, an estimated 29% of the crop was planted, the slowest progress since 2009. Progress was up 10 percentage points from the previous week but was behind last year's 74% and 37 percentage points behind the five-year average of 66%. Soybeans emerged was 11%, 24 percentage points behind the average of 35%.

Winter wheat was 66% headed as of Sunday, behind last year's 71% and 10 percentage points behind the five-year average of 76%. USDA estimated that 61% of winter wheat was in good-to-excellent condition, down 5 percentage points from 66% the previous week.

Spring wheat growers continued to close the gap between 2019 planting progress and the five-year average last week. NASS estimated that 84% of spring wheat was planted as of Sunday, 7 percentage points behind the five-year average of 91%. That was closer to the average pace than the previous week when planting was 10 percentage points behind normal. Spring wheat emerged, at 47%, was 22 percentage points behind the five-year average of 69%.

Sorghum was 28% planted, compared to 48% last year and a five-year average of 44%. Oats were 85% planted as of May 26, compared to 93% last year and an average of 96%. Oats emerged were at 65%, compared to 80% last year and an average of 86%.

Cotton planting was 57% complete, compared to 61% last year and near the average of 58%. Rice was 84% planted, compared to 97% last year and an average of 96%. Sixty-three percent of rice was emerged, compared to 83% last year and an average of 83%.