Eastern Cornbelt:
Dry, warm weather settled over much of the Eastern Cornbelt during the week, but strong thunderstorms hit northeastern Illinois over the previous weekend, prompting flash flood warnings for some areas on Sept. 11. Highs reached the low- to mid-80s in all three states as the week progressed.
Combines were starting to roll in Illinois at mid-month. USDA reported that 15-16% of the corn crop was mature in the region by Sept. 11, with 1% of the Illinois crop harvested by that date. As for soybeans, 14-21% of the regional crop was dropping leaves, slightly behind the average pace.
Crop conditions remained favorable in the region, with good or excellent ratings assigned to 67-72% of the corn and soybeans in Illinois, 61-62% in Ohio, and 54-56% in Indiana.
Western Cornbelt:
Spotty thunderstorms were reported in southern and central Nebraska at midweek, but much of the region enjoyed dry weather and above-normal temperatures. Highs across Iowa reached the mid-80s as the week progressed, with some locations expecting 90-degree temperatures over the coming weekend.
Growers had 5% of the Missouri corn crop in the bin by Sept. 11, compared with 1% in Nebraska. Corn rated as mature totaled 44% of the acreage in Missouri, 36% in Nebraska, and 23% in Iowa. As for soybeans, 43% of the Nebraska crop was dropping leaves by Sept. 11, compared with 9-10% in Iowa and Missouri.
Fully 63% of Iowa’s corn and soybeans were rated as good or excellent during the week, along with 49-50% of the acreage in Missouri and 42-43% in Nebraska. Drought conditions also took a toll on Nebraska’s sorghum crop, with 66% of the acreage rated as poor or very poor on Sept. 11.
Good or excellent ratings were assigned to 52% of Missouri’s cotton and 58% of the state’s rice crop at mid-month, with 2% of the rice harvested by Sept. 11.
Northern Plains:
Warm, humid conditions were reported across much of Minnesota and the Dakotas during the week, with highs reaching the upper-70s and low-80s. Rain was reported across northern Minnesota late in the week, and thunderstorms were also in the Twin Cities forecast on Sept. 16-17.
With corn maturation estimated at 18% in South Dakota, 12% in North Dakota, and 8% in Minnesota, USDA rated 62% of Minnesota’s acreage as good or excellent on Sept. 11, compared with 58% in North Dakota and 43% in South Dakota. Soybeans in the good or excellent categories totaled 65% of the acreage in Minnesota, 55% in North Dakota, and 50% in South Dakota.
South Dakota’s sorghum crop was 34% mature and 39% good or excellent on Sept. 11. The oat harvest was 90-99% complete in the Northern Plains by that date, while harvest progress on spring wheat had progressed to 100% complete in South Dakota, 79% in North Dakota, and 75% in Minnesota. The regional barley harvest was 78-89% complete by Sept. 11.
Great Lakes:
Temperatures in the 70s and 80s were common across the Great Lakes region at mid-month, with an increased chance of rain and thunderstorms over the coming weekend.
Approximately 10-13% of the corn crop was mature in Wisconsin and Michigan as of Sept. 11. Good or excellent ratings were assigned on that date to fully 77-78% of the corn and soybean crops in Wisconsin, compared with 61-65% in Michigan.
Northeast:
Strong storms early in the week resulted in flash flood warnings for parts of southeastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and the tri-state area as torrential rains and 50-mph winds pushed through the region on Sept. 13. Flash flood warnings were also issued for Baltimore County, Md., on Sept. 12.
Dry, warm weather was reported across Pennsylvania during the week, with highs reaching the upper-70s and low-80s. USDA rated 55% of Pennsylvania’s corn as good or excellent on Sept. 11, with just 4% of the acreage described as mature, well behind the 16% five-year average.
One Pennsylvania contact reported at midweek that yields varied widely in his trade area “due to rainfall or the lack thereof.” While corn silage harvesting was underway in mid-September, he said no harvesting for grain had started in that location. “It will not be an exceptional year on yield,” he added.