IP Crop Network, July report

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This monthly feature from SSGA’s Agronomy Action Team highlights growing conditions for Identity Preserved crops from different regions around the country. Thanks to the states/regions that contributed this month. If you would like to contribute, please get in touch with David Kee or Shane Frederick.  

Illinois 

All you have to do is look at a map and see just how far it is from Chicago to Cairo, and with that considerable distance, the weather patterns vary greatly. Beginning around the last week of June, much of the state was getting excessive rainfall and flooding was a real concern across much central Illinois. The southern quarter of the state remained pretty dry, as did the northern tier of counties. This past week has seen the rains a little more widespread with almost all areas getting some rain.  

Most of the Illinois corn crop is now in that critical period: two weeks prior to pollination to two weeks post pollination. This four-week period will have a very significant impact on the final yield of the crop. With the recent rainfall and moderate temperatures, the overall Illinois crop looks to be in pretty good shape. This past week has seen a lot of growers applying fungicides to the crop to protect the yield from the major corn diseases like Gray Leaf Spot and Northern Corn Leaf Blight. The other disease that is keeping our attention is Southern Rust, and its northern movement out of the southern U.S. As of July 12, the pathogen has moved into Tennessee and a few unverified reports out of western Kentucky. 

Illinois’ wheat crop is mostly harvested by now, and the overall thought is that it was likely the best wheat crop most growers have ever harvested. In southern Illinois, where most of the acres are planted, field/farm averages were often in 90 to over 100 bu/acre. Grain quality was also very good with very little mycotoxin in the grain and exceptional test weights in the low 60s. 

The soybean crop is also advancing quite nicely with most acres having been treated with their final herbicide post applications. As mother nature continues to fight back, every year we have just a little more difficult of a time killing weeds, especially waterhemp and palmer pigweed. All we have to do is watch what is happening in the south to get a clearer picture of where we will be in 2-4 years – and the picture painted there isn’t very pretty. Pigweed species are developing resistance to all of the latest herbicide technologies. It’s going to be very interesting to see how this situation develops over the next five years. 

So far, 2021 so far has been on trend with 2019 and 2020, with a warm, dry April; a cool, wetter May; a hot, dry June; and a moderate-temperature, wet July. If the pattern holds, August and September will be hot and dry. 

Click here for the most-recent USDA NASS crop progress condition report for Illinois. 

Michigan 

The Michigan soybean crop continues to progress through late vegetative and reproductive growth stages with the most-advanced fields in R3 and others soon to begin flowering. Recent rainfall has alleviated much of the drought-like conditions with most of the soybean-growing area of the state now in the USDA categories of abnormally dry and no dryness. The variability of these rainfall events ranged from adequate rains to excessive amounts with ponding in low areas. Some areas with higher rainfall amounts are now dealing with stressed soybeans, which are showing early signs of SDS and Phytophthora, oxygen depleted soils, reduced nitrogen fixation and limited nutrient availability.   

The most-recent NASS report is rating the soybean crop as 64% good to excellent and 6% poor to very poor. This rating is similar to one month ago.       

There is much interest in the timing of crop maturity this season, as corn tasseling is occurring earlier than normal and soybeans are moving through reproductive growth stages. Hopefully crops will extend their reproductive periods instead of reaching full maturity early. For most farmers, there is a general sense of optimism as we get closer to the most critical period of pod fill with good plant health or the possibility to improve soybean health prior to reaching that stage.             

Minnesota 

Minnesota is dry. Approximately 93% of the state is in moderate to severe drought status. Topsoil moisture supplies were rated 78% short to very short. Subsoil moisture supplies were rated 73% short to very short. As noted, soil moisture reserves are very limited.  

Most of the annual crops are now in the reproductive growth stages, the period of maximum evapotranspiration and sensitivity to drought damage (seed set and seed fill). Small grain crop yields already have been impacted in northwest Minnesota. Early June was a period of excessive (>95F) heat, which also impacted small grain seed set and fill. As soybean and corn are currently in early reproductive stages, timely rains could still provide moisture needed for decent yields. Consequently, yield for these crops is predicted to be highly variable due to summer precipitation patterns (scattered thundershowers across the landscape). 

Disease and insect pressure have been manageable to date with no regional outbreaks reported. Weed control programs have been mostly effective to date. As the residual control for most of the pre-emergent programs have lapsed, the lack of canopy closure over much of the soybeans is worrisome.  The current recommendation is to scout, scout, then scout some more. These and other concerns will make July and August two very long months. 

Missouri 

June brought us above-normal temperatures for the first three weeks, but toward the end of the month, there was a departure to lower temperatures for the state. The conditions for those first three weeks led producers to critical areas of drought, especially in corn due to growth stage. But by the fourth week, we were seeing flooding conditions across many areas of the state.  

Over the last 12 days of the month, we ended up recording the wettest June in decades with some areas reaching 10-plus inches of rain. According to radar estimates during the last week of the month, northwest and central areas of the state saw anywhere from 10 to more than 15 inches, while the southeast portion of the state saw less than 2 inches of rain. This resulted in June being the fifth month in 2021 with above average precipitation.  

For the week ending July 11, the USDA update for Missouri crops is as follows: Corn silking was at 39% and 2% of the crop was at dough. Only 3% of rice was headed, and there was 88% of winter wheat harvested.  

Corn conditions were 53% good, and soybeans were 51% good with 20% blooming and 4% setting pods. Overall cotton was leading the conditions report with 69% being good. Rice was holding steady with 51% of the crop being in good condition. Pastureland was faring well with 66% being good. Soft red winter wheat took a significant hit with the rain at the end of June, and we saw extreme docking at the terminal delivery points due to extremely low test weight and poor quality.  

North Dakota 

North Dakota is in a drought for most of the state. According to the latest NASS report, soybeans are rated 11% very poor, 26% poor, 42% fair, 20% good and 1% excellent. These might be optimistic ratings, especially when the next week we are expected to have temperatures in the 90s. Soybean fields are yellowing in spots, and we expect it is the early signs of Soybean Cyst Nematode or root rot. Even with rain the yields have taken a big hit.  

Small grain has matured quickly, and harvest will begin soon. In some of the harder-hit areas, ranchers have cut the small grain for hay, as there are poor grazing conditions and the hay crop is small or non-existent.  

Corn is showing severe drought stress and is tasseling. Expect pollination rates to be hurt by the continued hot, dry weather.

IP Crop Network, June report

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This monthly feature from SSGA’s Agronomy Action team highlights growing conditions for Identity Preserved crops from different regions around the country. Thanks to the states/regions that have contributed so far. If you would like to contribute, please get in touch with us by emailing David Kee or Shane Frederick. 

Illinois 

The June 7 Crop Progress & Condition Report from USDA-National Agricultural Statistics Service has corn at 74% good-excellent (4% over the 5-year average) and 93% emerged (11% over). Soybeans are at 73% good-excellent (flat to the 5-year average), 93% planted (16% over) and 84% emerged (23% over). It’s pretty clear that the corn and soybean crop in Illinois are both off to a very good start. 

Extreme colds temperatures did get into the far reaches of northern Illinois last weekend, but extremely minimal damage was reported. Just to show the craziness of what a difference a week can make, a friend in South Dakota walked frost-damaged crops in 100o F heat! 

Much of the corn acres in Illinois are entering the “grand growth stage,” the stage in which plants have completely switched over to the permanent root system and have found the applied nitrogen with the days are getting warmer. At this stage, the plants can add a new leaf every 2 ½-3 days in the best conditions. The later-planted acres (late April–mid-May) are also growing fast and look really good. Overall stands across most of the planting dates are very good, with a few isolated pockets needing to be replanted. A lot of last-minute herbicide applications are being made before the crop height exceeds the labels. With the current pace of growth, good soil moisture and temps in the 80s, the first half of July will be very important, with many acres heading into pollination. 

For the soybean crop, things had unrolled a little differently. In recent years there has been a push to plant soybeans earlier, and this spring’s weather allowed many growers to do just that. Many of those fields already have been post-sprayed for weeds and are really taking off. The idea is to get the beans to reproductive stages by June 21, the longest day of the year. Based on current conditions and forecasts, that should be achieved on a lot of those early planted acres. As we came through May, the rest of the bean crop got planted into good conditions as well. We have seen a few more replanted acres due to some localized heavy rainfall events, but overall, the crop is in really good shape. Many acres are beginning to nodulate very well, and root growth is expanding rapidly. This is that stage in which beans go from yellow-green in color to a nice dark green in about 7-10 days. 

The wheat crop in southern Illinois is advancing along quite nicely as well. A few days of sunshine this week along with the expected temperatures should have wheat harvest starting in the southern tip of the state around June 20. That maturity line will progress north at the pace of 75-100 miles per week. Spring weather conditions for the wheat crop have been very favorable. It appears that Fusarium Head Scab infections are fairly low, and the last few weeks of cooler temps will allow for a very positive grain-fill period and finish the crop off very nicely. The only real danger for the crop now is a prolonged wet period during harvest. If we get through that OK, expect an above-average wheat crop for Illinois.  

Michigan 

Soybean planting in Michigan is nearly complete. Both the planted area and emergence have been about 30% ahead of our 5-year average throughout the planting season. According to USDA-NASS’s June 7 crop conditions report, 97% of the soybeans are planted and 87% are emerged. Emergence in most cases has been good to excellent. While limited, some stand establishment challenges have included seed corn maggot infestations and dry soil conditions at seed depth. Weed control from pre-emerge herbicides has been variable, mostly affected by rainfall after application.   

Most of the soybean-growing area of Michigan is included in the moderate drought category of USDA. Intermittent rainfall in small amounts has kept annual crops looking pretty good in most cases, but concerns about the growing moisture deficit are growing. NASS has rated the Michigan crop as 57% good to excellent with 4% in the poor to very poor categories. Optimism about the potential of the 2021 crop remains, but it is being challenged by high temperatures and lack of rainfall.      

Minnesota 

Planting is largely completed in Minnesota, with more than 90% of the corn, small grains and soybean crop emerged according to the June 7 USDA-NASS crop report. Topsoil moisture supplies were rated 51% very short to short, while subsoil moisture supplies were rated 42% short to very short. Drought impacted acreage (D0-D2) have increased from 37% in mid-May to 72% on June 1. 

Soil temperature, at 4 inches, has been greater than 50o F since May 13 at Lamberton and Waseca in southern Minnesota and May 16 at Crookston. Frost damage occurred in late May but, due to variable crop emergence and growth stage, was quite scattered. Replanting is occurring on some acreage, largely due to frost damage and/or drought. Widespread rainfall occurred in the last week of May with some locations receiving more than 3 cumulative inches and others receiving trace amounts. The recent heat wave has caused some concern, especially with small grains. 

Some reports of pesticide shortages are occurring, mainly from growers who have not prepaid for inputs last winter (Science for Success, June 2021 episode). Pre-emerge herbicide efficacy is still a concern but appears to be spotty. Over the top herbicide applications are in full swing. Excessive wind speeds have limited some application efforts. Disease reports are limited. 

Overall, planting has gone well, crops appear to be in decent shape overall, and growers are still cautiously optimistic. Timely rainfall will be critical to crop success. 

Missouri 

Missouri saw another cool May with daily highs being below average (average was 62° F, 2.2°F below the long-term average). It did align, temperature-wise, with May 2020 and proved to be our second-consecutive cool month, which was our third month below average for the year. Precipitation across the state varied but averaged above normal for the state. The average monthly total for precipitation was 5.30 inches (0.64 inches above the long-term average), and this followed the trends seen over the past 32 years. Six out of the eight prior months have been wetter than average, so we are seeing a significant trend to wet here. Some places in the state (east central counties) saw as much as 10 inches.  

According to the June 7 USDA-NASS crop update, 100% of the state’s corn and 65% of the soybean crop are planted. To compare the 5-year average for planted soybeans, 64% of the soybean crop is usually planted by now. As for emergence of the two crops during this wet and cool conditions, Missouri sees corn at 91% and soybeans at 49%.  

Cotton planting in Missouri is down (98% planted) over the 5-year average (88%). Our rice crop is 100% planted with 58% of the crop planted looking “good” and a total emerged at 96%. The winter wheat in Missouri is 96% headed, which is 2% behind the 5-year average with 30% of the crop looking “fair” and another 58% looking “good,” and no acres of winter wheat have been harvested.  

Note: Missouri’s Climate Report from the University of Missouri will be live later this week. Details in this update were from the authors of the report prior to upload to the website. 

North Dakota 

Most of North Dakota is experiencing drought conditions. The southeast has good growing conditions and parts of the southwest did receive some good rains, but even with the rains the recent hot temperatures will deplete the moisture quickly. Click here to see the drought map. 

Crop emergence was uneven in many areas of North Dakota due to dry conditions and highly variable temperatures.  

One week ago, many areas of the state had frost, and thousands of acres of soybeans were damaged. Many farmers had to replant. A few patient farmers are seeing some fields with frost damage starting to recover as the growing point survived. Some other soybean fields had to be replanted to very high winds blowing dirt and sandblasting the plants, cutting them off below the growing point. 

Going from frost one week ago to 100° F temperatures this week is very concerning, and the crops are showing moisture stress. Yields probably are already impacted, but there is still time if the state can catch some good rains within the next couple of weeks. 

According to the June 7 USDA-NASS crop report, 23% of soybean conditions were rated good and 43% were rated fair. Other conditions were rated: excellent (2%), poor (23%) and very poor (9%). Soybean planting was at 95%, well ahead of 71% last year and ahead of 87% for the 5-year average. Emergence was at 65%, well ahead of last year (29%) and ahead of the 5-year average (52%). 

IP Crop Network, May report

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This monthly feature from SSGA’s Agronomy Action team highlights growing conditions for Identity Preserved crops from different regions around the country. Thanks to the states/regions that have contributed so far. If you would like to contribute, please get in touch with us by emailing David Kee or Shane Frederick. 

Illinois 

Illinois has seen quite a variation across the state in planting conditions and planting progress.  

As with most years, many growers in the eastern part of the state have completed 100% of their planting. Progressing west, that dwindles to about 25% complete. Corn and soybeans went in around the same time, as there has been much press recently about planting soybeans early. No doubt the northern Illinois sees that advantage. Moving south, especially south of I-64, the results have been a little more inconsistent. 

The crop has been slow to emerge with the cooler–than–normal temps. Coming out of Mother’s Day weekend, some areas to the north reported widespread frost. Overall stand establishment has been in the adequate range so far. A few areas have caught heavier rainfall events, and there could still be some replant decisions to be made in the next week or two. The emerged crop needs sunshine and heat. Once the temps go up and the clouds disappear, this crop will respond with some pretty extraordinary growth.  

The wheat crop began pollinating in the south at the beginning of last week. The maturation line will progress north at about 75-100 miles per week. So, what happened in Cairo last week will happen in Springfield next week. Many growers in these pollinating areas have been busy applying fungicides for Fusarium Head Blight, a potentially devastating disease. As with most fungicide applications, we are betting on conditions post-application to see if the pathogen will be at economic levels. Although the temperatures were a touch lower than optimum for fusarium, we definitely had a conducive environment from a moisture standpoint. 

Michigan 

The Michigan soybean crop is off to a strong start this spring.  About one-third of the expected 2.5 million acres have been planted as of the first week of May which is about 25% ahead of the five–year average. Some of these acres were planted very early (late March and early April). Most of those are just now emerging, while some emerged previous to a couple nights of temperatures in the low 20s. It is interesting to continue to learn about the ability of soybeans to handle cold temperatures,. In most cases they are more hardy and resilient that previously thought. 

Field conditions at planting have been very good in most fields with less soil moisture than normal. For some droughty soils, this is a little concerning as soil moisture at the seed level may not be adequate for germination. Other fields that normally struggle with excessive moisture are near ideal in planting conditions. 

Strong soybean market prices and a good start to the planting season have built an optimistic outlook for the industry in 2021.  

Minnesota 

Minnesota farmers are busy planting! Planting progress of most crops is slightly behind 2020 but well ahead of the five-year average. Minnesota’s drought–impacted area (D0-D3) has shrunk from 87% of the state (mid-April) to 37% in mid-May. In the first week of May, soil temperatures, at 4–inch depth, ranged in the low to high 40s (oF) in the north (Crookston) and upper 40s to mid 60s in the south (Lamberton).  

Reports are that crop emergence of early planted fields are somewhat variable, but emergence is improving rapidly as soil temperatures rise. Due to the excellent planting conditions (dry soil) seedling disease issues are not currently common, however, farmers frequently report concerns with pre-emergent herbicide efficacy and thus future weed control issues. Tillage decisions are critical as it impacts management of three variable issues: residue, emerging weeds and soil moisture. Optimal management of all three will impact yield and crop quality. 

More information: USDA NASS Minnesota Crop Progress & Condition 

Missouri 

April did turn out to be a wet month for Missouri. It also ended up being a bit of a temperature roller coaster. Missouri had an average temperature of 54.5°F, which was 1.1°F below average. A cold snap with freezing temperatures did happen on April 21-22, causing vegetative growth damage, plus forage crop lodging. The statewide rainfall total was 4.76 inches. More details on our climate for the month of April can be found here. 

Heading into the last week of April and first few days of May, there was a big rush for corn planting due to favorable temperatures and soil conditions. We also can attribute this to our large–scale planting equipment placing many rows of corn in the ground per pass. We are still behind our five-year average for corn acres being in the ground. Our average is 62% planted, but we saw only around 50%. Only 15% of this year’s corn has emerged. Soybean planted equated to 10% complete, compared to the five-year average of 8% at this time. An estimated 2% of soybean had emerged by May 2. Around 65% of the Missouri rice crop has been planted, and cotton planting was only 3% completed as of May 2. Winter wheat was 31% headed, and the crop was rated 5% poor, 36% fair, 53% good and 6% excellent. However, the soft red winter wheat in Central Missouri has not begun to head but is at flag leaf to boot stage (Feekes 8 to 10) with serious wheat producers using targeted fungicide for scab (FHB). 

More information: USDA NASS Missouri Crop Progress & Condition

North Dakota

North Dakota is extremely dry, and a nice general rain would help the crops germinate. The dry and cold conditions are slowing emergence of small grains and early seeded corn.

Corn planting is progressing rapidly and at around 40% statewide.

Sugarbeet planting is at 85% or greater.

Wheat planting is at 90%

Barley planting is at 75%

Soybean planting is at 10%

With the dry conditions planting can progress quickly.

IP crop report

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Note: This is a new, monthly feature from SSGA’s agronomy action team, highlighting growing conditions from different regions around the country. To contribute or for more information, please email us at dkee@agmgmtsolutions.com. 

Michigan
The past two weeks have been abnormally warm in many parts of Michigan. This fact, combined with drier–than–normal soil conditions, has allowed some farmers to get a start on planting soybeans. Most growers who have planted soybeans have been planting small fields or small areas as their confidence in the weather for the next 30 days can be described as cautious. One weather station in southern Michigan has reported soil temperatures above 50 degrees (at 2-inch depth) for 16 of the past 18 days, while other stations in central Michigan have reported three to five days above 50 degrees with most of those occurring after April 6. Because of good planting conditions and warm soil, germination and shoot elongation have been progressing in early planted fields. 

The planted soybeans are the exception as the vast majority of the expected 2.25 million acres to be grown in Michigan are not planted. There is a lot of activity in farm equipment preparation, seed delivery, fertilizer applications and some early tillage, as weather and field conditions have allowed.  There is a general optimism among growers and the field crops industry to start this growing season. 

Minnesota
Minnesota is dry, as 85% of the state is rated abnormally dry (D0) to severe drought (D2). A small section (0.11%) of the state in the northwest corner (Kittson County) is rated extreme drought (D3). Drought appears more severe in western Minnesota, compared to the east side of the state. The dry conditions are allowing growers’ time to finish manure applications and complete tillage operations. Soil temperatures (4–inch depth) are increasing with highs ranging in the upper 30s for Crookston to the lower 60s at Waseca. Mid- to late last week (April 7-10,) 0.5 to 2.0 inches of rain was reported by farmers, with snow in the forecast for the northwestern portion of the state. Farmers are still cautiously optimistic for an early planting season; several have started planting small grains.  

Missouri
Two weeks in February brought a harsher–than–normal winter in Missouri, averaging 20 degrees below normal, which equated to a state temperature average of 10.2 degrees, according to the Missouri Climate Center. Missouri finally experienced some above–normal temperatures in early April, and corn planting got off to a good start. Soft red winter wheat planting last fall was up considerably from the previous year – 650,000 acres, compared to 480,000 acres. The wheat crop survived the extreme winter cold temperatures very well, as there was adequate snow cover during the coldest periods. The largest areas of wheat in Missouri are in the southeast, southwest and central portions of the state. Wheat is generally in good condition, with no particular disease concerns at this time. 

The USDA has Missouri predicted for 3.4 million acres of corn and 5.8 million acres of soybeans. The USDA projection is steady for both major crops in Missouri. Soybean planting for 2021 will be underway soon. Many producers across the state are planting an earlier soybean crop, which is trending to what we’re seeing across the Midwest.