The second crop progress report from USDA is still pretty brief, but showed some promising news in increasing soil moisture in the Northern plains of the US.
The report though starts with corn planting. Which nationwide doubled week to week from 2% to 4% complete. Of course Texas has the most corn planted at 57%, but that was up just 2% week to week. Kansas has 8% of the states corn planted. Which is equal to the five year average and 3% ahead of last year. Nebraska corn planting has yet to hit 1%. That is typical for this time of year and stands even with the five year average. Illinois leads the big I states in corn planting at 5%.
All the sorghum planting in the US has occurred in Texas with 49% of the states crop already planted. That takes the national sorghum planting progress to 14%. That is 3% behind the five year average and 4% behind the same time in 2020.
Winter wheat is heading out in the Southern states which mounts to about 5% of the entire crop nationwide. Texas edges Arkansas out for the biggest portion of the crop headed out at 26%. Arkansas is 12% headed out in the winter wheat crop. Both states are behind their five year averages and year ago levels.
The national winter wheat condition rating is 53% good to excellent. That is unchanged from a week ago. Nebraska winter wheat is 43% good to excellent. Kansas winter wheat is rated 54% good to excellent. Washington appears to lead the country with a winter wheat crop rated 74% good to excellent.
Topsoil moisture in the Midwest appears to be stable with Kansas rated 83% adequate to surplus and Nebraska rated 80% adequate to surplus. Northern states like North Dakota improved slightly week to week, but are still dry with a topsoil moisture rating of 17% adequate to surplus. South Dakota topsoil moisture is rated 40% adequate to surplus.
Subsoil moisture is a similar story with Nebraska rated 67% adequate to surplus. Kansas subsoil moisture is rated 76% adequate to surplus. Northern states like North Dakota has a subsoil moisture rating of 20% adequate to surplus.
View the USDA report here:
Clay Patton has a recap of the full report you can listen to here:
