Eastern Cornbelt:
Ideal harvest weather was reported in the Eastern Cornbelt in mid-September, with highs reported in the mid-70s to low-80s. Although spotty thunderstorms moved through parts of northern Illinois and northern Indiana on Sept. 14, conditions were generally dry and favorable for fieldwork.
Growers had 1-2 percent of the regional corn crop in the bin by Sept. 12, USDA reported, with good or excellent ratings assigned to 62 percent of the acreage in Illinois, 69 percent in Indiana, and 70 percent in Ohio. Similar ratings were reported for soybeans, with 61 percent of the crop in Illinois, 67 percent in Indiana, and 70 percent in Ohio rated as good or excellent.
Western Cornbelt:
Highs in the upper-80s to mid-90s were reported in central and eastern Nebraska during the week, accelerating crop maturation as the harvest starts to get underway. Slightly cooler weather was expected in Nebraska and Iowa as the week progressed, with potentially heavy showers in parts of eastern Nebraska by the weekend.
Highs in the 80s were reported across Missouri for much of the week, with strong thunderstorms developing in a few areas on Sept. 14. Sources said cooler weather was on tap for the coming week in many areas of the state.
Missouri growers had 7 percent of the corn crop harvested by Sept. 12, compared with just 1 percent in Nebraska. USDA placed 66-69 percent of Nebraska’s corn and soybeans in the good or excellent categories on that date, along with 61-64 percent of the acreage in Missouri and 59-62 percent in Iowa.
Missouri’s cotton crop was fully 75 percent good or excellent on Sept. 12, while the state’s rice crop was 66 percent good or excellent and 17 percent harvested on that date. The sorghum harvest was just starting in Nebraska, with 2 percent of the crop in the bin and 48 percent of the acreage rated as good or excellent at mid-month.
Southern Plains:
Summer weather lingered in Kansas and Oklahoma in mid-September, with temperatures climbing to the mid- to upper-80s in many locations.
Hot weather was also reported in northern Texas, while parts of southern Texas were lashed with high winds and heavy rain on Sept. 14 as Hurricane Nicholas made landfall as a Category 1 storm. The storm reportedly put a temporary stop to barge and truck loading in Houston on that date, but sources said they expected a rapid return to operations during the week.
The harvest of corn, cotton, and sorghum was on in the region. The corn harvest as of Sept. 12 was 63 percent complete in Texas, 11 percent in Kansas, and 1 percent in Colorado, with 53-61 percent of the regional crop rated as good or excellent. The Kansas soybean crop was 59 percent good or excellent on that date.
Just 11 percent of the Texas cotton crop was picked by Sept. 12, with good or excellent ratings assigned to 58 percent of the acreage in Texas, 47 percent in Kansas, and 78 percent in Oklahoma. The regional sorghum harvest ranged from 69 percent complete in Texas to just 1 percent in Kansas, with 56-69 percent of the regional crop rated as good or excellent.
South Central:
Parts of Louisiana and Mississippi were hit with heavy rain from Hurricane Nicholas at midweek, which initially made landfall as a Category 1 storm in southern Texas early on Sept. 14. Rainfall totals of 4-8 inches were expected across much of southeastern Louisiana as the storm slowly plodded to the east.
Several flash flood warnings were also issued for parts of western Kentucky at midweek, with reports of up to six inches of rainfall over 12 hours in some locations. Weekend precipitation was on tap for parts of Arkansas and Middle Tennessee as well.
The harvest of corn, rice, and cotton was well underway in the South Central region in mid-September, with excellent crop conditions reported. Growers in Tennessee and Kentucky had 15 percent of the corn in the bin by Sept. 12, with fully 79-81 percent of the acreage rated as good or excellent.
The rice harvest had progressed to 33 percent complete in Arkansas, 50 percent in Mississippi, and 89 percent in Louisiana and Texas by Sept. 12, with good or excellent ratings assigned to 66 percent of the acreage in Arkansas, 74 percent in Texas, 78 percent in Mississippi, and 85 percent in Louisiana. Cotton rated as good or excellent totaled 64 percent of the acreage in Tennessee, 68 percent in Louisiana, 70 percent in Mississippi, and 89 percent in Arkansas.
Soybean conditions were also described in favorable terms in the region, with good or excellent ratings assigned to 65 percent of the crop in Arkansas, 85 percent in Louisiana, and 75-79 percent of the acreage in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Kentucky.
Southeast:
Tropical Storm Nicholas brought heavy showers to parts of Georgia, Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle as the week progressed. Five or more inches of rain in coastal areas of Alabama prompted flash flood watches in Mobile, Baldwin, Washington, and Escambia counties at midweek.
Forecasters were watching another tropical disturbance that was expected to bring strong winds and heavy rainfall to coastal areas of North Carolina late in the week. Parts of the Mid-Atlantic were also under flash flood warnings at midweek after severe thunderstorms pounded Frederick County, Maryland, on Sept. 14.
The harvest of corn and peanuts was underway in the Southeast, with favorable crops conditions reported. North Carolina growers had 49 percent of the corn harvested by Sept. 12, with good or excellent ratings assigned to fully 81 percent of the corn and 64 percent of North Carolina’s soybean crop. “We’ll probably be at an all-time high on corn yields,” said one Carolina contact at midweek.
The peanut harvest was 13 percent complete in Florida and just starting in Alabama, Georgia, Virginia, and the Carolinas as of Sept. 12. Peanut conditions were exceptional, with good or excellent ratings assigned to 74 percent of the acreage in Florida, 76 percent in North Carolina, 79 percent in Georgia, 88 percent in Virginia, 89 percent in Alabama, and fully 98 percent in South Carolina.
The regional cotton crop was also in good shape, with 86 percent of Virginia’s crop rated as good or excellent, compared with 83 percent in Alabama and South Carolina, 69 percent in Georgia, and 63 percent in North Carolina.