Eastern Cornbelt:
A line of powerful thunderstorms on June 20 produced at least three tornadoes in the Chicago area and in northwestern Indiana, including one that registered as an EF-3 with sustained wind speeds of 140 mph that touched down in the Illinois communities of Naperville, Woodridge, and Darien.
The storm caused widespread damage. Another round of potentially strong thunderstorms was taking aim at southwestern and west-central Illinois late in the week, with forecasts warning of tornadoes, heavy rain, and flash flooding. Parts of northern Ohio were also bracing for a wet and stormy weekend after high temperatures and humidity late in the week.
Soybean emergence in the region had progressed to 94-95 percent by June 20, with USDA assigning good or excellent ratings to 65-65 percent of the corn and soybean acres in Illinois, 70 percent in Indiana, and 72-76 percent in Ohio.
Western Cornbelt:
The Western Cornbelt was bracing for severe thunderstorms as the week progressed. Forecasts on June 24 warned of heavy rain, large hail, and damaging winds in eastern Iowa, with rainfall totals of 3-6 inches expected in some locations.
A tornado warning was in effect on June 24 for eastern Nebraska and portions of Iowa and Missouri, with reports of severe thunderstorms battering Nebraska, and heavy rain, 60-mph wind gusts, and golf ball-sized hail in northwestern Missouri.
USDA placed fully 83 percent of Nebraska’s corn and soybeans in the good or excellent categories on June 20, along with 56-57 percent of the acreage in Iowa and Missouri. Missouri’s cotton and rice were rated as 68 percent good or excellent on that date.
Southern Plains:
High heat and humidity blanketed the Southern Plains during the last full week of June, with highs climbing to the triple digits in Kansas, Oklahoma, western Texas, and New Mexico.
Severe thunderstorms moved through parts of eastern Kansas late in the week, and a strong chance of precipitation was also in the weekend forecast for western Texas and New Mexico, along with cooler temperatures. New Mexico is in desperate need of rain, as much of the state continues to experience extreme-to-exceptional drought conditions.
Growers were wrapping up planting in the region in late June. The Kansas soybean crop was 90 percent planted by June 20, while cotton planting had progressed to 75 percent complete in Oklahoma and 96 percent in Kansas and Texas. Sorghum planting was 63 percent complete in Oklahoma by that date, compared with 85 percent in Kansas, 89 percent in Colorado, and 96 percent in Texas.
Sources continued to report fertilizer moving in the region, including sidedress applications on corn and cotton and movement on hayfields in Texas. Some early corn was also expected to be harvested in Texas in early July. USDA on June 20 rated 77 percent of the Texas corn crop as good or excellent, compared with 71 percent in Kansas and 78 percent in Colorado.
South Central:
Strong thunderstorms moved through Middle Tennessee and southern Kentucky early in the week, with high heat and humidity reported for the balance of the week. Hot, muggy conditions were also reported in Arkansas, with temperatures climbing to the mid-90s and heat index values expected to reach the triple digits by the weekend.
Over the previous weekend, Tropical Storm Claudette brought heavy rain and 25-55 mph winds to parts of Louisiana and Mississippi, with some areas of Louisiana collecting nearly a foot of precipitation.
Heavy rain and flooding in June has taken a toll on Arkansas’ crops, with the state estimating $200 million in crop losses. Some locations were hit with nearly 20 inches of rain in just two days, causing an estimated $70 million in losses to soybeans and rice, $60 million to corn, $6 million to cotton, and $1 million to wheat and sorghum.
Cotton planting had progressed to 96-100 percent complete in the region by June 20, while soybean planting was estimated at 95-97 percent complete in Louisiana and Mississippi, 93 percent in Arkansas, and 86-87 percent in Tennessee and Kentucky. Some 81-86 percent of the corn acres in Tennessee and Kentucky were rated as good or excellent on that date.
Sources reported brisk topdress movement of urea on rice in the region, with good or excellent ratings assigned to 86 percent of the acreage in Mississippi and 69-70 percent in the rest of the region. “Shipments on rice are fast and furious at the moment,” said one source. “Hoping we have a strong tail end of the season still ahead.”
Southeast:
Tropical Storm Claudette brought heavy rain and strong winds to a wide swath of the Southeast on June 20-21.
The storm impacted parts of Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, and Virginia before it moved off the Mid-Atlantic coast, with reports of flooding, power outages, and several isolated tornadoes. Thunderstorms were also reported in Central Florida at midweek, with reports of 50-55 mph wind gusts.
Planting was rapidly winding down in the Southeast, with both cotton and peanuts estimated at 97-100 percent planted in the region by June 20. North Carolina growers also had 84 percent of the soybeans planted by that date.
Good or excellent ratings were assigned to 77 percent of North Carolina’s corn crop on June 20, while cotton in those two categories totaled 68-78 percent of the acreage in the Carolinas, 69 percent in Georgia, 87 percent in Virginia, and 93 percent in Alabama.
“Application is well underway,” said one Florida contact at midweek. “Peanuts look great in most areas. Areas with recent rains have benefited cotton. Dry and irrigated crop looks very good. Corn that was planted on time looks fantastic. Overall, it all looks very good at this time.”