U.S. spring wheat beginning to head

South Dakota’s crop is the furthest along

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

U.S. spring wheat is starting to head in the crop’s primary production states.

About 9 percent of the national spring wheat crop has headed, the USDA’s June 19 Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin report says. That number is down from 14 percent recorded at this time last year.

On a state level, South Dakota’s spring wheat is the furthest along. The crop is 48 percent headed, which represents a 32 percent increase from last week.

The spring wheat in North Dakota is 2 percent headed, which is the lowest recorded progress of the six states documented.

The USDA ranked 64 percent of the U.S. spring wheat crop as good.

American producers continue to harvest their winter wheat crops.

Farmers have combined about 27 percent of the national winter wheat acres, the USDA says. That figure is up from 14 percent last week.

Growers in Arkansas have completed 90 percent of their winter wheat harvest. That progress represents an increase from 39 percent last week and is the highest among the 18 states recorded.

The USDA ranked 30 percent of the national winter wheat crop as good.

Soybeans

U.S. soybeans are almost completely emerged.

About 90 percent of American soybeans are up, the USDA reports, which is up from 83 percent last week.

Louisiana and North Carolina’s soybean crops are 99 and 66 percent emerged, respectively. Those figures represent the highest and lowest reported emergence in the U.S.

The USDA ranked 58 percent of the U.S. soybean crop as good.

Corn

The U.S. corn crop is almost totally emerged.

Approximately 98 percent of the 2018 crop is up, the USDA says. That number represents an increase of 4 percent from last week.

All of the corn in Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska and North Carolina is out of the ground. Pennsylvania’s corn is 83 percent emerged, which is the lowest in the U.S.

The USDA ranked 59 percent of the American corn crop as good.

Suitable fieldwork days

The states with the most suitable fieldwork days for the week ending June 17 were:

California, Nevada, Utah, Rhode Island and Connecticut – 7

Colorado – 6.8

Arizona and Oregon – 6.7

During that week, the states with the fewest suitable fieldwork days were:

Minnesota – 3.8

Ohio – 4

Indiana – 4.3

Weekly precipitation levels

The next Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin will be released on June 26.