US corn planting gathers momentum

A majority of the 18 states responsible for 93% of last year’s corn crop have seen planting start, according to the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Crop Progress Report released yesterday. Only Colorado, Michigan and Ohio have yet to see corn planting start.

The crop planting reports indicate how quickly corn seeds are going into the ground and in what parts of the country.

The Prospective Plantings report released at the end of March included a projected increase of 6%, to 93.6m acres planted in corn, reported the USDA.

With 13% of the overall amount planted, planting is starting faster than it did last year, and it is ahead of the five year average for this time in the year, reported the USDA. Last year about 7% of the crop had been planted by this point and the average is 8%.  

Of the states that have started work, Missouri has 58% of its expected acres planted, Texas has 49% and North Carolina has 46%, the agency said. By this point in previous years, Missouri was normally at 21%, Texas at 56% and North Carolina at 41%.

Other states that are behind their average planting for this point in the spring include Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, South Dakota, it reported.

Other feed crops​

Of the 11 states that account for the majority of the sorghum crop, six states have started planting their crop, said the USDA. In past years, more states have started planting by this point in the year, and a greater percentage of acres have been planted.

Currently, 16% of acres have been planted, down from 18% at this point last year, and a multi-year average of 21%, said the agency. Of the states planting, only Louisiana has a majority of its crop planted at 53% and Texas has 42% done.

All four states that plant sugar beets have started work, it reported. About 40% of acres have been planted, which is down from last year at this time but ahead of the multi-year average.

All nine states involved in oat production have started planting with about 56% being done, up from 54% last year, said the USDA.

Texas has completed its planting and Iowa, Nebraska, Pennsylvania and South Dakota have a majority of their expected crop planted, it said. Ohio and Wisconsin are behind their multi-year averages.

Eight states have seen oats start to emerge, said the USDA. Texas’s crop reports 100% of the crop has emerged and Ohio, Pennsylvania and South Dakota are ahead of where they were last year.

All five states responsible for the majority of the barley crop have started planting, reported the USDA.

Montana is ahead of where it was at this time last year and for the multi-year average, it said. However, Idaho, Minnesota and Washington are all behind where they were at this point last year.

Wheat​

About 12% of the winter wheat crop has headed at this point, down from 13% at this time last year and a multi-year average of 15%, reported the USDA.

California’s crop is furthest along at 70%, it said. A few states, including Indiana, Oklahoma and Texas are behind where they were at this point last year.

Spring wheat planting has started in all six states that account for the majority of the crop, it said. Montana is ahead of its position at this time last year, but the other five states are behind their previous schedule.