Eastern Cornbelt:
Scattered showers were reported in Indiana and Ohio as the week progressed, but generally favorable weather conditions allowed growers to move quickly on the corn and soybean harvest. Most of the heavier showers were tracking from central Indiana across northern Ohio at midweek, with highs topping out in the mid-70s.
The corn harvest as of Oct. 3 had progressed to 41 percent complete in Illinois, 26 percent in Indiana, and 11 percent in Ohio, with good or excellent ratings assigned to 70-77 percent of the regional crop. The soybean harvest was reported at 32 percent complete in Illinois, 28 percent in Indiana, and 22 percent in Ohio, with 68-72 percent of the acreage rated as good or excellent.
Growers were also busy planting winter wheat in early October, with progress as of Oct. 3 estimated at 24-25 percent complete in Indiana and Ohio, compared with 12 percent in Illinois.
Western Cornbelt:
While central Missouri experienced cloudy and cool conditions for the bulk of the week, Nebraska and Iowa enjoyed mostly clear, sunny weather, with temperatures climbing from the upper-70s to the mid-80s as the week progressed.
Those conditions benefited harvest activities in the region. Missouri growers had fully 52 percent of the corn in the bin by Oct. 3, compared with 19-21 percent in Iowa and Nebraska, while the soybean harvest had progressed by that date to 40 percent complete in Iowa, 34 percent in Nebraska, and 11 percent in Missouri. USDA rated 68-72 percent of Nebraska’s corn and soybeans as good or excellent, along with 60-65 percent of the acreage in Iowa and Missouri.
Missouri’s rice harvest was 54 percent complete by Oct. 3, while cotton growers in the state had 2 percent of the crop picked with 65 percent of the acreage rated as good or excellent. Nebraska’s sorghum harvest was 21 percent complete, with 48 percent of the crop rated as good or excellent.
Southern Plains:
Favorable weather helped growers move swiftly to harvest corn, soybeans, cotton, and sorghum in the Southern Plains in early October. Highs in the 70s were reported across Oklahoma and Kansas at midweek, with temperatures expected to reach the 80s and possibly 90s by the weekend.
Highs in the 90s were also reported in western and central Texas as the week progressed. Sources in central Texas said wet weather slowed the cotton harvest during the last days of September, but harvesters were rolling again this week. The cotton harvest as of Oct. 3 was 23 percent complete in Texas, with good or excellent ratings assigned to 57 percent of the acreage in Texas and Kansas, compared with 70 percent in Oklahoma.
The corn harvest was 86 percent complete in Texas, 51 percent in Kansas, and 22 percent in Colorado, with 50-61 percent of the regional crop rated as good or excellent. Kansas growers also had 10 percent of the sunflowers and 14 percent of the soybean crop harvested by Oct. 3, with 58 percent of the soybean crop rated as good or excellent.
The sorghum harvest had progressed to 84 percent complete in Texas, 19-21 percent in Kansas and Oklahoma, and 14 percent in Colorado, with good or excellent ratings assigned to 30 percent of the acreage in Oklahoma and 56-63 percent in the rest of the region.
Sources continued to report some preplant wheat applications taking place in the region. Wheat planting as of Oct. 3 was estimated at 77 percent complete in Colorado, 47 percent in Texas, 42 percent in Kansas, and 37 percent in Oklahoma.
South Central:
Temperatures and humidity were slowly building across the South Central region during the week. Conditions were described as “comfortable” at midweek, with highs in the low-80s across Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas. By the weekend, however, temperatures in the 90s were likely, along with high humidity.
Forecasts warned of potentially strong thunderstorms in the Tennessee Valley at midweek, with reports of 40-60 mph winds, large hail, and up to 2-4 inches of rain in some locations.
The harvest of corn, soybeans, cotton, and rice continued across the region in early October. Growers in Tennessee and Kentucky had 50-57 percent of the corn in the bin by Oct. 3, with 80 percent of the acreage rated as good or excellent. The regional rice harvest had progressed to 96-99 percent complete in Louisiana and Texas, 77 percent in Mississippi, and 72 percent in Arkansas.
The cotton harvest was estimated at 13-14 percent complete in Louisiana and Mississippi, compared with 7 percent in Arkansas and 1 percent in Tennessee. USDA placed fully 86 percent of the Arkansas cotton crop in the good or excellent categories, along with 64-67 percent of the acreage in Tennessee and Mississippi, and 56 percent in Louisiana.
The soybean harvest was also well underway, with progress as of Oct. 3 estimated at 59 percent complete in Louisiana, 46 percent in Mississippi, 33 percent in Arkansas, 25 percent in Kentucky, and 15 percent in Tennessee. Good or excellent ratings were assigned to 87 percent of the acreage in Louisiana, 63 percent in Arkansas, and 75-78 percent in the rest of the region.
Southeast:
Sources reported rounds of heavy showers in parts of Alabama, Georgia, and the Florida Panhandle during the week, with flooding reported in some locations. A flash flood watch was posted at midweek in areas of Alabama and Georgia, with reports of gusty winds and an elevated risk of tornadoes.
Warm, humid weather was reported across Virginia and Carolinas at midweek, while highs in southern Florida pushed up into the high-80s and low-90s.
The wet weather slowed harvest activities across the region, but progress was advancing on corn, soybeans, cotton, and peanuts in early October. North Carolina growers had 86 percent of the corn and 10 percent of the soybeans in the bin by Oct. 3, with good or excellent ratings assigned to fully 81 percent of the corn and 62 percent of the soybeans.
The regional cotton harvest was 3-5 percent complete by Oct. 3, with 78-80 percent of the acreage in Alabama, South Carolina, and Virginia rated as good or excellent, compared with 58-60 percent in Georgia and North Carolina.
The peanut harvest had progressed to 35-36 percent complete in Virginia and Florida, 20 percent in Alabama and South Carolina, and 14-17 percent in North Carolina and Georgia, with good or excellent ratings assigned to 62 percent of the acreage in Florida, 68 percent in Georgia, 72 percent in North Carolina, 80 percent in Alabama, 88 percent in Virginia, and fully 96 percent in South Carolina.