Eastern Cornbelt:
Spotty rains moved through western Illinois at midweek, but central areas of the state remained mostly dry, with temperatures climbing to the low-90s.
High heat and humidity also blanketed central Indiana during the week, while highs in the 80s were common across northern Ohio. Drought conditions were starting to spread in Michigan in late May after one of the driest Mays on record, prompting concerns that some corn may have to be replanted.
“Michigan is terribly dry,” commented one source. “Some of the corn and bean stands are very inconsistent and guys are debating disking them up and replanting, but we need some moisture first. I don’t ever remember pivots running in this area in May.”
The hot, dry weather continued to fuel a rapid planting pace, with all crops tracking ahead of their five-year averages in late May. Illinois growers had 92-95% of the corn and soybeans seeded by May 28, compared with 88-92% in Indiana and 87-89% in Ohio. Michigan’s corn and soybeans were 80% planted by May 28.
Western Cornbelt:
Spotty thunderstorms in central Iowa on May 30 dropped as much as 3.5 inches of rain in the Fort Dodge area, prompting flash flood warnings across the region.
Showers and thunderstorm activity were also reported in Nebraska, Missouri, and western Iowa at midweek, with reports of damaging winds, hail, and flooding in some locations.
Planting continued to track ahead of the average pace for all crops in the region. Corn planting as of May 28 was 96-98% planted in the Western Cornbelt, with soybeans rated at 86% in Missouri, 90% in Nebraska, and 94% in Iowa. Missouri growers also had 99% of the rice and 95% of the cotton crop planted by that date, while sorghum planting in Nebraska lagged at 36% complete.
Northern Plains:
High heat and humidity sparked several strong thunderstorms across the Northern Plains during the last days of May. Parts of southeastern North Dakota collected as much as three inches of rain on Memorial Day, including spotty reports of strong winds and hail.
Fertilizer movement was winding down as planting starts to wrap up across the region, but sources said applications have been running “wide open” since mid-May. Corn planting as of May 28 was 72% complete in North Dakota and 92-93% in South Dakota and Minnesota, while soybean planting had progressed to 53% in North Dakota and 81-86% in South Dakota and Minnesota.
Growers still had some work to do on sorghum and sunflowers, with the former estimated at 55% planted in South Dakota and the latter at 28-30% in the Dakotas. The planting of oats, spring wheat, and barley was well advanced however, with progress pegged at 93-99% in South Dakota and Minnesota, and 75-79% in North Dakota.
“The west is looking great on crops, the last rains are really helping,” commented one North Dakota source. “Central and eastern areas of the state are till planting a lot of soybeans. There will be some preventive planting, but just not sure how much yet as there are a lot of water holes the farmers are seeding around. Some are still just too wet, but for the most part we are plugging along and will keep going until June 20.”
Northeast:
Much of New England was bracing for a blast of heat late in the week, with highs climbing to the upper-80s and 90s. High heat also blanketed New York, Pennsylvania, and the Mid-Atlantic region, and abnormally dry conditions across the eastern half of Pennsylvania were sparking drought concerns in the state.
Pennsylvania growers had 77% of the corn crop planted by May 28, slightly ahead of the 68% five-year average. “I would say most of the spring planting demand is over,” reported one Pennsylvania contact at midweek. “We currently are very dry. Corn sidedressing has not started yet.”
Eastern Canada:
Ontario residents were bracing for high heat and humidity at the end of the week. Environment Canada at midweek warned that a two-day heat wave would start on June 1, with daytime temperatures expected to be near 30 C on June 1-2.
Summer weather also surged into southern Quebec in late May, with highs expected to hit 21 C on June 2. The province was also abnormally dry, prompting warnings of fire danger. Temperatures for June 1-2 were expected to reach the high 20s C and low 30s C for much of the Maritimes as well, with record highs expected to be set on both days for some locations.
Planting was winding down in Eastern Canada, with nearly all of the corn and most of the soybeans seeded. Corn sidedressing was just starting in the region. “With the heat this week and predicted going forward, we should see good demand next week and for the balance of June,” reported one regional contact.