Crop Watch: Corn improves again but soybeans still iffy: Braun

Reuters

a day ago

NAPERVILLE, Illinois, June 9 (Reuters) - Health conditions across the U.S. Crop Watch corn and soybean fields began this season at multi-year lows. Recent weather has lent a bump to the corn ratings, though soybean scores remain just so-so overall.
However, one of the Illinois Crop Watch soybean fields might qualify as the ugliest the producer has ever seen, placing extra emphasis on the near-term weather outlook.
The week ahead could feature an opportunity for improvement to both corn and soybeans, though the temperature outlook may present some limitations.
Temperatures across the U.S. Corn Belt last week were mostly below-average and all locations except the Dakotas received at least 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) of rain.
The 11-field, average Crop Watch corn condition rose to 3.8 from 3.68 in the prior week. That is above the same week a year ago but below the comparable weeks in the previous three years.
However, the 0.23-point increase over the last two weeks is well above a normal two-week delta for Crop Watch corn ratings. Improvement in the latest week was driven by Kansas and the Dakotas.
The 11 Crop Watch producers assign weekly condition scores to their corn and soybean fields using a scale of 1 to 5. The ratings are similar to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's system where 1 is very poor, 3 is average and 5 is excellent.
Only eight soybean fields were available for conditions last week, averaging 3.56. This week's average of the same eight fields drops to 3.5 on a reduction in southeastern Illinois, which is one of the nation's top soybean-producing regions.
That field received over 3 inches of rain last week, piling on to the ample totals from previous weeks. The field conditions stand at 1.5 and the producer describes the situation as follows: 'Cannot stress enough how wet it is, the ground looks slimed.'
Excess moisture is also plaguing crops in Ohio. The Crop Watch beans there were planted last Wednesday, though the field has taken 6 inches of rain since, and the plants have not yet emerged.
This week, the 10-field average soybean condition score, sans Ohio, stands at 3.4. Aside from troubles in southeastern Illinois and Ohio, Crop Watch beans are looking super-strong in Indiana and western Iowa, and solid in both Kansas and eastern Iowa.
Nearly all the Crop Watch producers expressed a desire for some drier conditions in the days ahead, though the forecast as of Monday was mixed on those prospects. They also noted the need for some warmth and sunshine, which is in the forecast for most areas for at least a couple of days this week.
Crop Watch producers assessed that the week-ahead weather outlook was more positive than negative. But for some areas, particularly in the northwest Corn Belt, upcoming temperatures may still be a bit too cool.
Producers will be watching for how the ongoing Canadian wildfire smoke might impact crop growth, as the particles can block much-needed solar radiation and potentially lead to cooler-than-expected temperatures.
Karen Braun is a market analyst for Reuters. Views expressed above are her own.
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