Aug 02, 2022

U.S. Corn Unchanged at 61% Gd/Ex, Soy Up 1% to 60% Gd/Ex

Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.

Corn - The condition of the 2022 U.S. corn crop was unchanged last week at 61% rated good/excellent. Eight states indicated that the corn condition improved last week and 10 states indicated that it declined. Most of the improvements were found in the eastern and southern Corn Belt while most of the declines were found in the western and northern Corn Belt. The top five rated corn states are: Wisconsin, North Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. The five lowest rated corn states are: Texas, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kansas, and Colorado.

The rainfall last week and the lack of extreme heat allowed the corn rating to hold steady. Even though the temperatures have been seasonal for the last week or two, that is about to change this week with higher temperatures especially in the western Corn Belt. The eastern Corn Belt has been wetter and they should continue to receive rain this week and be spared the extreme temperatures.

Soybeans - The condition of the 2022 U.S. soybean crop improved 1% last week to 60% rated good/excellent. Ten states indicated that the soybean condition improved last week, 5 states indicated that it declined, and 3 states were unchanged. Most of the improvements were found in the central and eastern Corn Belt while most of the declines were found in the western Corn Belt. The top five rated soybean states are: Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota. The five lowest rated soybean states are: Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Kansas, and North Carolina.

August is the all-important month for soybeans and the forecast for the first ten days of August is worrisome, especially in the western Corn Belt. The soybeans improved slightly this week, but the improvement may be short lived.

Soil Moisture - The topsoil moisture improved across the country last week with 10 states indicating the soil moisture improved, while 8 states indicated that the soil moisture declined last week. Most of the improvements were found in the eastern and southern areas while most of the declines were found in the western and northern areas. The five states with the best soil moisture are: Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois Minnesota, and a 4-way tie between Indiana, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. The five states with the lowest soil moisture are: Nebraska, Kansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Michigan.

This is the first time in three weeks that the soil moisture has improved and it is now back to the long-term average. Given the forecast for this week, the soil moisture will probably decline this week. The deficit in soil moisture will be focused on the western Corn Belt.