U.S. Corn Improves 4% to 55% Gd/EX, Soy Improves 1% to 51%

The condition of the 2023 U.S. corn crop improved 4% last week and it is now rated 55% good/excellent. Ten states indicated that the corn condition improved last week, 6 indicated that the condition declined, and 2 were unchanged. Most of the improvements were found in the central and southern areas while most of the declines were found in the northern areas. The top five rated corn states are: North Carolina, Colorado, Tennessee, North Dakota, Texas. The five lowest rated corn states are: Missouri, Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

Rainfall last week helped the corn crop improve a little more than expected. The soil moisture declined in some of the northern states and that is where the rainfall is needed the most.

The condition of the 2023 U.S. soybean crop improved 1% last week and it is now rated 51% good/excellent. Twelve states indicated that the soybean condition improved last week, 5 indicated that the condition declined, and 1 was unchanged. Most of the improvements were found in the central and southern areas while most of the declines were found in the northern areas. The top five rated soybean states are: Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas. The five lowest rated soybean states are: Missouri, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, and North Dakota.

The soybean crop improved less than expected, which might be a troubling sign for the crop whose growth had been slowed down by dry weather during June.

The nation’s topsoil moisture improved last week with 14 states indicating improved topsoil moisture, 3 states indicating lower topsoil moisture, and 1 unchanged. Most of the improvements were found in the across the country areas while most of the declines were found in the northern areas. The five states with the highest topsoil moisture are: Mississippi, Arkansas, North Carolina, Ohio, and a tie between Kentucky and Tennessee. The five states with the lowest topsoil moisture are: Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, and Nebraska.

Recent rainfall has become more regular across the Midwest. In last week’s Drought Monitor, the percentage of the U.S. corn crop in drought declined 3% to 67%. The percentage of the U.S. soybean crop in drought declined 3% to 60%. If the current forecast verifies, the percentage of the corn and soybean crops in drought will likely decline slightly again in next Thursday’s Drought Monitor.

Tags: soil moisture, corn, condition, rainfall, soybean, crop, U.S.