Eastern Cornbelt:
Cooler weather moved through the Eastern Cornbelt as the week progressed, along with an increased chance of rainfall.
Midweek temperatures dropped to the 40s in central Indiana, with highs topping out in the 70s. Scattered showers were expected later in the week, with highs dropping to the high-50s and low-60s in many locations.
Similar conditions were reported in northern Ohio, where high temperatures dropped to the mid-50s during the week, with widespread rain expected by the weekend.
The corn harvest as of Oct. 17 had progressed to 62 percent complete in Illinois, 45 percent in Indiana, 32 percent in Michigan, and 25 percent in Ohio. Sources continued to report excellent crop conditions, with good or excellent ratings assigned to 74 percent of the corn in Ohio, 70 percent in Illinois and Michigan, and 69 percent in Indiana.
The soybean harvest was rated at 54 percent complete in Ohio, 49-51 percent in Indiana and Illinois, and 39 percent in Michigan. Winter wheat planting was also well underway in the region, with progress as of Oct. 17 estimated at 59 percent in Ohio, 53 percent in Michigan, 51 percent in Illinois, and 48 percent in Indiana.
Western Cornbelt:
Much cooler weather blanketed all three states in the Western Cornbelt during the week, prompting a frost advisory for southwestern Iowa, southeastern Nebraska, and northwestern Missouri early on Oct. 22.
A number of thunderstorms preceded the cold temperatures, with reports of rain and light snow at midweek in northern Nebraska. High temperatures at midweek struggled to break into the low-40s in parts of northern Nebraska, while highs in southeastern areas of the state topped out in the low- to mid-60s.
The corn harvest as of Oct. 17 had progressed to 74 percent complete in Missouri and 41-43 percent in Nebraska and Iowa, with all three states tracking ahead of their average paces. The soybean harvest was 70-76 percent complete in Iowa and Nebraska, compared with 30 percent in Missouri. USDA placed 63-69 percent of the regional corn crop in the good or excellent categories on Oct. 17.
Missouri’s rice harvest was 76 percent complete by Oct. 17, while cotton growers in the state had 32 percent of the crop picked with 67 percent of the acreage rated as good or excellent. Nebraska’s sorghum harvest was 58 percent complete by that date, and winter wheat planting had progressed to 93 percent complete in Nebraska and 35 percent in Missouri.
Northern Plains:
Rainfall and much cooler weather was reported in parts of southern and western Minnesota at midweek, with highs expected to top out in the 50s for the remainder of the week and into the weekend. Parts of the state were expecting a hard frost on Oct. 21-22.
Cool, windy weather was also reported in the Dakotas during the week, with reports of light snowfall in some locations. Highs in the upper-40s were expected in North Dakota by the weekend.
The harvest of corn, soybeans, and sorghum was tracking well ahead of normal in the Northern Plains due to extremely dry conditions. Fully 51-53 percent of the corn was already in the bin in South Dakota and Minnesota by Oct. 17, compared with 42 percent in North Dakota. As for soybeans, 81-91 percent of the regional crop was harvested by Oct. 15, along with 72 percent of South Dakota’s sorghum crop.
The summer drought has taken a toll on crop quality, however, with good or excellent ratings assigned to only 15 percent of North Dakota’s corn, compared with 21 percent in South Dakota and 37 percent in Minnesota. Corn rated as poor or very poor totaled 42-46 percent of the acreage in the Dakotas, compared with 25 percent in Minnesota.
Growers were also advancing on the harvest of sugar beets and sunflowers at mid-month, with progress estimated at 31-38 percent complete on the former and 20-35 percent on the latter.
Northeast:
Beautiful fall weather was reported across the Northeast for much of the week, with highs reaching the mid-70s in southern New England and pushing the 80-degree mark in some Mid-Atlantic locations.
A weather change was expected by the coming weekend, however, with cooler temperatures and rain chances increasing in New England and the first widespread frost expected in northern and western Pennsylvania. Growers in Pennsylvania had 23 percent of the corn crop in the bin by Oct. 17, trailing the 36 percent five-year average, with fully 91 percent of the acreage rated as good or excellent.
Eastern Canada:
The week began with cool weather and lake-effect thunderstorms across southern Ontario, but sunshine and temperatures near 20 degrees C at midweek helped growers get back to the fall harvest in many locations. Another cold front was expected to bring a mix of rain and snow to parts of Ontario south of Georgian Bay over the coming weekend, however.
A band of thunderstorms on Oct. 16 sparked a tornado in Quebec, as well as heavy rain and strong winds that caused localized flooding and numerous power outages in the province. The same soggy weather conditions were reported in the Maritimes on Oct. 18, with wind gusts up to 100 km/h confirmed in some locations.
“Lots of rain here is hampering the harvest, wheat planting, and fertilizer application,” reported one regional contact. “We’re hoping for a reprieve soon, but fear of carryover into spring is real.”
Other sources reported “good” fall application at mid-month in their trade areas, with wholesale replacement costs up dramatically. “We’re not moving a lot at the wholesale level right now, with most of our producers/suppliers in a holding pattern, not accepting any new orders and not wanting to discuss pricing,” reported one source.