A flooded cornfield.
Credit: Succesful Farming
DES MOINES, Iowa — While all of the corn crop is still not planted, the first U.S. soybean crop condition rating of the year is sharply below a year ago’s rating.
Today’s grading of the soybean crop’s condition is the lowest initial rating of the year since 1992, when it hit 52%.
CORN
In its Crop Progress Report Monday, the USDA pegged U.S. corn planting at 96% complete, behind the 100% five-year average.
The planting rate is below what the trade had expected.
In its report, the USDA pegged the corn crop as in 56% good/excellent condition, below last week’s 59% rating.
As of Sunday, Ohio’s corn crop was rated 39% good, excellent; Indiana 43%, Illinois 47%, Iowa 62%, and Nebraska 77%.
Also, 89% of the U.S. corn has emerged vs. a 99% five-year average.
SOYBEANS
In its report, the USDA pegged the U.S. soybean planting completion rate at 85% vs. a 97% five-year average.
The nation’s crop is rated as 54% good/excellent vs. […]
It seems weird, but I have no pears and no cherries on my trees this year. It is the first year since 1991 that we have no pears. I wish I knew why. No blossoms appeared at all on the pear tree, the same with the cherries. We did get a lot of rain though, and other crops are doing ok, especially lettuce and kale, which we are already eating. It is definitely a strange year, even though I appreciate not having to water the gardens.