Major Corn States' Acres Nearing 90 Percent Planted As Combines Wait On Wheat To Mature.

May 27, 2020

Corn planting is nearing completion in the 18 major corn producing states with many areas now showing better than 90 percent complete. Overall, the latest USDA national crop progress report indicates 88 percent has been planted, an 8 percent increase from last week and slightly ahead of the 5-year average of 82 percent.

Nebraska and Iowa farmers have planted 97 percent of their corn crop while Illinois farmers have 89 percent planted.

Sixty-four percent of the corn crop has emerged, and 70 percent of the crop is rated good to excellent.

In the 18 major soybean states, 65 percent has been planted, which is 10 points ahead of the 5-year average.

Cotton farmers have planted 53 percent of their crop, right at the 5-year average.

In the six major grain sorghum states 39 percent has been planted, one point ahead of the average.

With combines starting to roll through the winter wheat crop in southern Texas, 54 percent of the national winter wheat crop is rated 54 percent in the good to excellent category this week, a 2-point improvement from last week.

Oklahoma continues to lead the way for regional winter wheat conditions as 60 percent Is rated good to excellent this week, a 7-point improvement from last week.

The nation’s pasture and range conditions have deteriorated this week as 50 percent is rated good to excellent, a three percent drop from last week as the drought is impacting conditions in the west.

To view the national crop progress report, click here.

For Oklahoma winter wheat headed reached 95 percent, down 1 point from the previous year and down 3 points from normal.

Oklahoma corn producers have planted 79 percent of the crop, up 18 points from the previous year and up 1 point from normal.

Sorghum planted reached 15 percent, up 1 point from the previous year but down 21 points from normal.

Soybeans planted reached 55 percent in Oklahoma, up 24 points from the previous year and up 22 points from normal.

Cotton planted reached 11 percent, down 9 points from the previous year and down 21 points from normal.

Oklahoma pasture and range conditions are rated 56 percent good to excellent, 35 percent fair and 9 percent poor.

To view the Oklahoma crop progress report, click here.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.