Winter wheat worsens dramatically in four weeks | Food and Environment Reporting Network

The winter wheat crop, dried by intense drought in the central and southern Plains, deteriorated starkly in the past four weeks, putting the harvest into doubt, USDA data indicate. Some 44 percent of the crop is in poor or very poor condition, according to the weekly Crop Progress report. That’s 2 points more than a week ago and 11 points more than April 20. Some 34 percent of the crop rated as good or excellent then. Now, it’s 29 percent. In Kansas, 59 percent of the crop is poor or very poor; in Oklahoma, it’s 78 percent.

Winter wheat was in its poorest condition in 18 years, said AgriMoney, “fueling concerns that rains slated for this week may come too late to foster a recovery in yield potential.”

Based on May 1 conditions, USDA forecast a winter wheat crop of 1.4 billion bushels, smallest in eight years. Winter wheat accounts for three-fourths of the U.S. wheat crop.

Farmers planted 14 percent, or 12.8 million acres, of the corn crop last week despite chilly and rainy weather, pushing the U.S. total to 73 percent complete, said USDA. The five-year average is 76 percent planted by May 18. One-third of the soybean crop was planted, up 13 points in a week and near the average of 38 percent. Field work is behind normal in the upper Midwest. Corn and soybean emergence is behind normal.