OMAHA (DTN) -- U.S. winter wheat is starting off the 2021 growing season with a good-to-excellent condition rating below last year, according to USDA NASS' first weekly Crop Progress report released Monday.
For the week ended April 4, 2021, winter wheat was rated 53% in good-to-excellent condition, down from 62% at the same time last year. Sixteen percent of the crop was rated poor to very poor, up from 9% at the same time last year.
Top winter-wheat-producer Kansas reported 54% of its crop in good-to-excellent condition, above 49% at the same time last year. Oklahoma, another top winter wheat producer, reported 70% of its crop in good-to-excellent condition, down from 73% at the same time last year.
Nationwide, corn planting reached 2% as of Sunday, equal to both last year and the five-year average pace.
Spring wheat planting was estimated at 3%, the same as last year and near the five-year average of 2%. Sorghum was 14% planted, compared to 15% last year and a five-year average of 14%. Cotton planting was 6% complete, compared to 7% last year and an average of 5%. Rice was 14% planted, compared to 16% last year and an average of 18%.
Oats were 23% planted as of April 4, compared to 26% last year and an average of 28%. Emergence was at 18%, compared to 24% last year and an average of 25%.
Also notable in this week's report is nationwide soil moisture conditions this spring compared to last spring. In the lower 48 states, 65% of topsoil moisture was rated adequate to surplus. That is down 27 percentage points from 92% adequate to surplus at the same time last year. Subsoil moisture condition was rated 64% adequate to surplus, also down 27 percentage points from 91% last year.
| National Crop Progress Summary |
| | This | Last | Last | 5-Year |
| | Week | Week | Year | Avg. |
| Corn Planted | 2 | NA | 2 | 2 |
| Cotton Planted | 6 | NA | 7 | 5 |
| Winter Wheat Headed | 4 | NA | 3 | 3 |
| Spring Wheat Planted | 3 | NA | 3 | 2 |
| Sorghum Planted | 14 | NA | 15 | 14 |
| Oats Planted | 23 | NA | 26 | 28 |
| Oats Emerged | 18 | NA | 24 | 25 |
| Barley Planted | 5 | NA | 4 | 4 |
| Rice Planted | 14 | NA | 16 | 18 |
| Rice Emerged | 8 | NA | 9 | 8 |
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| National Crop Condition Summary |
| (VP=Very Poor; P=Poor; F=Fair; G=Good; E=Excellent) |
| | This Week | | Last Week | | Last Year |
| | VP | P | F | G | E | | VP | P | F | G | E | | VP | P | F | G | E |
| Winter Wheat | 5 | 11 | 31 | 47 | 6 | | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | | 2 | 7 | 29 | 53 | 9 |
Anthony Greder can be reached at [email protected]
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