WASHINGTON, DC, US — Though US producers made good progress in seeding spring crops last week, the slow start to the season meant corn, soybeans and spring wheat plantings were about half the average pace from the 2017-21 crop years. At the same time, recent rains have improved winter wheat conditions in the Great Plains, though much of the central and southern Plains remain in drought.

The US Department of Agriculture on May 9 released its Crop Progress report reflecting progress on farms as of a day earlier.

On May 8, corn planting in the 18 states that planted 92% of US corn acreage in 2021 was 22% completed, jumping from 14% a week earlier but trailing 64% a year earlier and 50% as the recent five-year average. Completion was 14% in Iowa (7% a week ago, 63% as the recent average), 39% in Nebraska (28%, 57%), 11% in South Dakota (3%, 32%), 9% in Minnesota (0%, 48%), 7% in Wisconsin (1%, 29%), 15% in Illinois (7%, 58%), 11% in Indiana (6%, 39%) and 5% in Ohio (3%, 27%). 

The USDA also noted corn emergence by May 8 was 5%, compared with 3% a week earlier, 18% a year earlier and 15% as the recent average emergence for the date.

Seeding of the US soybean crop at 12% completed on May 8 was up four percentage points from a week earlier, half of 24% as the average progress for the date from the past five years, and well behind 39% planted a year earlier. By state, soybean planting completion was 7% in Iowa (3% a week earlier, 34% as the recent average), 16% in Kansas (11%, 14%), 28% in Nebraska (19%, 29%), 5% in South Dakota (1%, 12%), 5% in North Dakota (0%, 6%), 2% in Minnesota (0%, 25%), 6% in Wisconsin, (3%, 15%), 11% in Illinois (5%, 30%), 7% in Indiana (3%, 24%), 4% in Ohio (2%, 14%) and 8% in Michigan (3%, 17%).

The first soybean plants emerged in the week ended May 8, reaching 3% of the crop and compared with 9% a year earlier and 4% as the recent five-year average.

Spring wheat planting in the six primary US production states, estimated at about 27% completed on May 8, remained well behind the five-year average, 47%, and far behind the progress of a year earlier, 67%. Completion was 8% in North Dakota (5% a week earlier, 37% as the recent average), 63% in South Dakota (48%, 69%), 50% in Montana (31%, 44%), 2% in Minnesota (1%, 50%), 72% in Idaho (57%, 80%) and 86% in Washington (75%, 84%).

The USDA also said the US spring wheat crop was 9% emerged compared with 5% a week earlier, 27% a year earlier, and 15% as the 2017-21 average for the date. 

Winter wheat conditions were improved in most of the primary hard red winter wheat production states. Good-to-excellent conditions on May 8 were 28% in Kansas (25% a week earlier), 20% in Oklahoma (17%), 7% in Texas (8%), 11% in Colorado (12%), 33% in Nebraska (25%), 30% in South Dakota (25%) and 13% in Montana (12%).