About 3 percent of the U.S. corn crop is in this stage, the USDA reports
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
Some U.S. corn has entered its next growth stage.
About 3 percent of the national corn crop is in the dough stage, the USDA said in its July 13 Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin. That number is the same as last year at this time and the five-year average.
American farmers planted 92.7 million acres of corn in 2021, meaning corn has entered the dough stage in about 2.78 million acres.
For context, Michigan farmers planted about 2.25 million acres of corn this year, the USDA said in its June 30 acreage report.
Of the 18 documented states in the USDA’s July 13 report, corn in Texas is furthest along.
About 61 percent of corn in the state is in the dough stage. Corn in North Carolina (22 percent) and Tennessee (19 percent) are the only other states with more than 10 percent of corn in the dough stage.
Multiple states including Minnesota, Ohio and Michigan are reporting no corn in the dough stage.
American soybean plants continue to set pods.
About 10 percent U.S. soybean acres have set pods, the USDA reports. That number is up from 3 percent the previous week.
Growers reported planting 87.6 million acres of soybeans in 2021, meaning 8.76 million acres of soybeans have set pods.
The USDA surveyed 18 soybean-producing states.
Of those, soybeans in Louisiana, with 58 percent setting pods, is the furthest along.
Rounding out the top three are Arkansas (37 percent) and Mississippi (33 percent).
Both Dakotas are reporting 1 percent of the state’s soybeans setting pods.
The USDA will release its next Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin on July 20.