The latest USDA weekly Crop Progress Report, released Monday, showed corn and soybean conditions continuing to slip over last year’s pace, while crop development staying ahead of the last year. As fall wheat harvest wrapped up, attention turns to spring wheat, which progressed 21 points in the top six states.

Corn

  • 57% rated good-to-excellent, down 3 points from last week and 14 points from last year (71%).
  • Dough stage at 86%, ahead of last year and the five-year average (81% and 82%, respectively).
  • Dented at 45%, ahead of last year and the five-year average (42% and 41%, respectively).
  • 6% mature, steady with last year’s pace and the five-year average.
  • North Dakota led state-by-state declines, with its poor-to-very-poor rating up 10 points.

Soybeans

  • 60% rated good-to-excellent, trailing last year’s conditions (69%) and the lowest for this week in August in the past three years.
  • Pod-setting at 91%, ahead of last year and the five-year average (both 88%).
  • Dropping leaves at 6%, ahead of last year and the five-year average (both 4%).
  • Similar to corn, North Dakota led state declines, adding 8 points to the poor-to-very-poor category.

Spring Wheat

  • 51% rated good-to-excellent nationally, down 1 point from last week, with ratings steady or improved everywhere but North Dakota, where good-to-excellent fell 5 points.
  • Harvest progressed 21 points in a single week to reach 62%, well ahead of both last year and the five-year average (51%, 52%, respectively).
  • South Dakota leads the way with 91% harvested.
  • Pasture and Range
  • 21% rated good-to-excellent, down 1 point from last week and 16 points from last year (37%).

Looking ahead, a more active weather pattern is expected to bring scattered showers across the Plains and western Midwest this week, with heavier rain later in the week helping fill grains and prep soils ahead of winter wheat planting.

Read more commentary from DTN and the full USDA Crop Progress Report here.