The U.S. Crop Watch producers are very happy with their corn and soybean fields at this early stage, though the main Corn Belt could remain dry through early June, potentially concerning for some locations.
The Crop Watch corn field in North Dakota was nearly 70% planted as of Friday, but those acres represent a small portion of the producer's planned corn for the season. He has sown a small patch of corn in another field as of Monday.
Thursday is the final day for the North Dakota producer to plant corn and be fully eligible for crop insurance, though he might plant a few days after that deadline on fields where fertilizer was spread.
Fields in the area are finally becoming fit for planting and the producer reports a decent amount of activity over the last few days. But it is not necessarily full steam ahead since there are backups on fertilizer and machinery availability, meaning fertilizer is not being spread quickly enough.
The North Dakota producer thinks he can get in up to 70% of his planned corn acres depending on this week's rains, which could cap his corn acres at 50% if heavy enough. Upward of 1 inch of rain is possible over the next five days.
The producer's plans for soybeans are still mostly intact, and the final planting day is June 10. At least 10% of his soybean acres will likely be too wet for planting, but he is scrapping plans for spring wheat in favor of soybeans, so his bean acres could be up slightly from original plans.
HIGH MARKS
Each week the Crop Watch producers will assign condition scores to their fields using a scale of 1 to 5. The ratings are similar to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's system where 1 is very poor, 3 is average and 5 is excellent, but the Crop Watch condition scores do not incorporate yield assumptions. Yield ratings will come later in the season.
Over nine fields, corn conditions average 4.5 this week, slightly better than the nine-field average of 4.42 at the end of May last year. Neither score included North Dakota or Ohio, but this year's includes a 4.75 in drought-stricken Kansas, which received a much-needed 1.9 inches of rain over the last week.
Seven producers offered soybean conditions, which averaged 4.21, better than a six-field score of 4.0 in late May 2022. The lowest bean score is 3 in eastern Iowa, as the May 5 seeded field was replanted on Saturday due to heavy winds followed by rain in the prior week, though the producer is not too concerned.
Bean scores were not yet available in Minnesota, Kansas, North Dakota or Ohio.
Crop Watch producers offered few complaints with their current crops, though expected widespread dryness over the next two weeks could start increasing nervousness. Most of the producers, especially in the production-heavy I-states, said they could probably make it two weeks on the moisture they have.
Source: www.marketscreener.com/quote/future/CORN-FUTURES-ZC-CBE--16213/news/Crop-Watch-Strong-early-season-conditions-N-Dakota-corn-partly-seeded-Braun-43917941/
Photo Credit: Kinze Manufacturing
Categories: North Dakota, Crops, Corn