USDA Weekly Crop Progress     04/20 15:46

   Crop Progress: Corn 11% Planted, Soybeans 12% Planted, Winter Wheat Rated 
30% Good to Excellent as of April 19

   Corn was 11% planted, soybeans were 12% planted and winter wheat was rated 
30% good to excellent as of Sunday, April 19, according to USDA NASS' weekly 
Crop Progress report released on Monday.

EllaMae Reiff
DTN Content Editor

   This article was originally published at 3:04 p.m. CDT on Monday, April 20. 
It was last updated with additional information at 3:46 p.m. CDT on Monday, 
April 20.

   **

   OMAHA (DTN) -- The winter wheat crop's good-to-excellent condition rating 
continued to decline last week, falling 4 percentage points nationwide amid 
building drought, limited rainfall, frosts and freezes, according to USDA 
NASS's weekly Crop Progress report released on Monday.

   A familiar weather pattern is setting up again this week, with another round 
of showers and thunderstorms expected along a front stretching from Texas to 
the Great Lakes, while colder air and even some snow will push through the 
Northern Plains and Canadian Prairies, according to DTN Ag Meteorologist John 
Baranick.

   CORN

   -- Planting progress: 11% of corn was planted nationwide as of Sunday, equal 
to last year and ahead of the five-year average of 9%. Tennessee was the 
furthest ahead of average at 64% complete as of Sunday, 40 points ahead of its 
average pace of 24%. That was followed by Kentucky at 48%, 30 points ahead of 
the average pace of 18%. Illinois and Indiana were both ahead of their averages 
at 13% and 14% planted, respectively.

   -- Crop development: 4% of corn had emerged as of Sunday, 2 points ahead of 
last year and the five-year average of 2%.

   SOYBEANS

   -- Planting progress: An estimated 12% of intended soybean acreage was 
planted as of Sunday, 5 points ahead of last year at this time and 7 points 
ahead of the five-year average of 7%. Illinois' soybeans are 20% planted, 11 
points ahead of last year and 13 points ahead of the five-year average of 7%. 
Indiana was also ahead of average at 19% planted, 16 points ahead of last 
year's pace and the five-year average.

   WINTER WHEAT

   -- Crop condition: An estimated 33% of winter wheat was rated poor to very 
poor as of April 19, up 12 percentage points from 21% a year ago, according to 
NASS.

   -- Crop development: 20% of winter wheat was headed nationwide as of Sunday. 
That's 6 percentage points ahead of last year's 14% and 8 percentage points 
ahead of the five-year average of 12%. Top winter-wheat-producer Kansas' crop 
was 15% headed, 10 points ahead of last year at this time and 13 points ahead 
of the five-year average.

   SPRING WHEAT

   -- Planting progress: 12% of the crop was planted nationwide as of April 19, 
4 percentage points behind last year's pace of 16% but equal to the five-year 
average. Washington was the furthest ahead of the average at 65% planted as of 
Sunday, 12 points ahead of its average pace of 53%.

   -- Crop development: 2% of spring wheat was emerged as of Sunday, equal to 
last year and the five-year average.

   THE WEEK AHEAD IN WEATHER

   Another round of active weather is on the way this week, bringing showers 
and thunderstorms from central and eastern Texas into the Great Lakes, while 
colder temperatures and even some snowfall return to northern areas, according 
to DTN Ag Meteorologist John Baranick.

   "The same corridor that has been getting the rainfall, from central and 
eastern Texas up through the Great Lakes looks like it will get another round 
of showers and thunderstorms along a front passing through on Thursday into 
Friday," Baranick said. "These areas may have had some damage due to severe 
weather over the last week and could get some more later this week as well. The 
main system pushing that cold front will move through the Northern Plains and 
Canadian Prairies with a mix of rain and snow. Some areas in Montana, the 
Dakotas, but especially the Canadian Prairies could see some heavy snowfall. 
That will continue to support colder temperatures across the north moving back 
in later this week and possibly spreading through the Plains and into the Upper 
Midwest as well.

   "Hard red winter wheat took a beating from frosts and freezes this weekend, 
adding to the stress from the building drought and limited rainfall over the 
last several months. This week, it looks like most of those areas will be 
bypassed again. If there is any good news, there is at least a chance for 
precipitation to move in with a system on Sunday. The current track has the 
system moving through the Central Plains with good precipitation on the north 
side of it in Nebraska. The Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles are not currently 
expected to see much precipitation, though. That system will bring down some of 
the cold air from the north and could mean another round of frosts, further 
hurting wheat.

   "In the Delta and Southeast, a front that went through this past weekend 
brought some waning showers, but many areas in Georgia, South Carolina, and 
Florida missed out completely. Drier conditions this week will again be 
concerning for the building drought for cotton, peanuts, and other crops. The 
front that moves through the Corn Belt later this week will move through the 
region and may have a tendency to stall. We could see some pockets of heavier 
rain, but it's not guaranteed. Overall, the prospects are still looking poor in 
this part of the country."

   **

   To view weekly crop progress reports issued by National Ag Statistics 
Service offices in individual states, visit http://www.nass.usda.gov/. Look for 
the U.S. map in the "Find Data and Reports by" section and choose the state you 
wish to view in the drop-down menu. Then look for that state's "Crop Progress & 
Condition" report.

   **

   Editor's Note: How are your crops looking? Are they better, worse or right 
on track with USDA NASS' observations this week? Send us your comments, and 
we'll include them in next week's Crop Progress report story. You can email 
comments to talk@dtn.com. Please include the location of where you farm.

   **

National Crop Progress Summary
                                        This     Last     Last     5-Year
                                        Week     Week     Year     Avg.
Corn Planted                            11       5        11       9
Corn Emerged                            4        NA       2        2
Soybeans Planted                        12       6        7        5
Winter Wheat Headed                     20       11       14       12
Spring Wheat Planted                    12       6        16       12
Spring Wheat Emerged                    2        NA       2        2
Cotton Planted                          11       7        10       10
Sorghum Planted                         15       13       17       16
Oats Planted                            44       36       51       45
Oats Emerged                            27       24       30       30
Barley Planted                          24       13       24       20
Barley Emerged                          6        NA       3        2
Rice Planted                            56       42       46       40
Rice Emerged                            34       23       27       22
Sugarbeets Planted                      12       9        20       18
Peanuts Planted                         4        1        3        2

   **

National Crop Condition Summary
(VP=Very Poor; P=Poor; F=Fair; G=Good; E=Excellent)
                    This Week           Last Week           Last Year
                    VP  P   F   G   E   VP  P   F   G   E   VP  P   F   G   E
Winter Wheat        12  21  37  25  5   12  20  34  29  5   6   15  34  38  7

   EllaMae Reiff can be reached at ellamae.reiff@dtn.com

   Follow her on social platform X @ellareiff




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