Corn, Soybean Planting Gains Pace Across Key States

As of May 3, 38% of this year’s corn crop has been planted in the top 18 corn-growing states, according to the USDA. That’s ahead of the five-year average of 34%.

The USDA said 13% of the corn crop in 14 of the top 18 states states has emerged, which is ahead the five-year average of 9%.

As of May 3, 33% of the soybean crop in the nation’s top 18 soybean-growing states was in the ground. That’s ahead of the five-year average of 23%.

The USDA said 13% of the soybean crop in 14 of the top 18 states has emerged, which is ahead the five-year average of 5%.

The USDA reported that 49% of the winter wheat crop across 15 of the top 18 states has headed as of May 3. The five-year average is 32%.

Winter wheat condition for the week ending May 3 was as follows:

• Good/excellent: 31%
• Fair: 32%
• Poor/very poor: 37%

Last week at this time, 30% of the crop was in good/excellent condition. Last year at this time, 51% of the crop was in good/excellent condition.

In the top six spring-wheat-growing states, 32% of the spring wheat crop has been planted, trailing the five-year average of 35%.

Washington leads the six top states with 87% of its spring wheat crop planted. North Dakota has the lowest percentage planted, at 19%.

Across five of those six states, 10% of the spring wheat crop had emerged as of May 3, just ahead of the five-year average of 9%.

Across the nine top oat-growing states, 63% of planting is complete, according to the USDA. That’s on track with the five-year average.

Forty-three percent of the oat crop across the nine states has emerged, just ahead of the five-year average of 42%.