Report shows good planting progress overall across upper Midwest

Written By: Jonathan Knutson

When you've farmed for many years in eastern Montana, as Jerry Schillinger has, you're familiar with moisture-challenged springs that decrease the odds of harvesting a good crop in the relatively dry area. So the Circle, Mont., farmer is pleased by how the fledgling 2020 crop is shaping up.

"We're off to a good start. There's moisture, at least in our area," he said, noting that more rain was falling on the late May day that he spoke with Agweek.

But as is so often the case, generalizing about planting progress and crop conditions in the sprawling Upper Midwest — from Iowa and eastern Minnesota to central Montana and from the South Dakota-Nebraska border to the North Dakota-Canada border — is risky. What's true is one area isn't true else elsewhere, not even necessarily in the same county. For example, despite favorable conditions in Schillinger's area, parts of eastern Montana are short of moisture, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Even so, the weekly crop progress report released May 26 by the National Agricultural Statistics Service, an arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, shows good progress overall across the region. The report reflected conditions on May 24.

Iowa and Minnesota, in particular, have done well on planting, especially corn and soybeans. South Dakota and Montana have done well, too, at least in places, while North Dakota continues to struggle overall.

Two examples: Minnesota farmers planted 98% of their corn by May 24, compared with an average of 88% for that date. But North Dakota producers planted just 70% of their spring wheat by May 24, down from an average of 88% for that date.

Schillinger said planting is close to wrapping up in his area, where small grains and pulse crops are common. Planting was complicated because some fields were too wet to harvest last fall and had to be harvested this spring. Yields and quality of the spring-harvested crops were better than might be expected, he said.

Here's a closer look at spring wheat, corn, soybeans and sugar beets. across the area.

Spring wheat

Montana: 92% of the crop was planted by May 24, up from an average of 87% for that date.

Minnesota: 86% of the crop was in the ground by May 24, down from an average of 94% for that date. Most of the state's wheat is in northwest Minnesota, where wet conditions have hampered planting.

North Dakota: 70% of the crop was planted by May 24, down from an average of 88% for that date.

South Dakota: 97% of spring wheat was planted on May 24, up from an average of 94 % for that date.

Corn

Iowa: 97% was planted by May 24, up from an average of 91% for that date.

Minnesota: 98% of the crop was in the ground by May 24, up from an average of 88% for that date.

North Dakota: 54% of corn was planted by May 24, down sharply from an average of 79% for that date.

South Dakota: 86% of the crop was planted by May 24, compared with an average of 74% for that date.

Soybeans

South Dakota: 62% of soybeans was planted by May 24, compared with an average of 47% for that date.

Minnesota: 88% of beans was planted by May 24, up from an average of 70% for that date.

North Dakota: 29% of the crop was planted by May 24, down from an average of 60% for that date.

Iowa: 92% of the crop was in the ground by May 24, up sharply from an average of 64% for that date.

Sugar beets

Minnesota: 90% of beets was planted by May 24, down from an average of 97% for that date.

North Dakota: 94% of the crop was planted by May 24, down from an average of 99% for that date.

Sugar Beet News |
via Agweek https://www.agweek.com
May 29, 2020 at 02:14PM