The condition of the US winter wheat crop took a step back for the second straight week, while the season’s first rating for the spring wheat crop was underwhelming.
Monday’s USDA crop progress report showed the national winter wheat crop at 50% good to excellent as of Sunday, down 2 points from a week earlier and now 4 points lower over the past two weeks.
Meanwhile, the spring wheat crop was rated just 45% good to excellent, with relatively poor ratings for the Montana and North Dakota crops pulling down the national average.
Last year’s first condition rating for the spring wheat crop was not released until June 3, coming in at 74% good to excellent.
For winter wheat, the crop in No. 1 producer Kansas was rated 48% good to excellent as of Sunday, down a single point from a week earlier. The Oklahoma crop rating skidded 10 points lower on the week to 46% good to excellent.
The Soft Red Winter crop in Michigan was down 1 point on the week to 67% good to excellent, but the Ohio crop was up a single point to 67%.
An estimated 75% of the national winter wheat crop had reached the heading stage of development as of Sunday, up from 64% a week earlier and 5 points ahead of average.
The Minnesota spring wheat crop was rated 82% good to excellent as of Sunday, easily the highest among the major production states. In contrast, the Montana and North Dakota crops were rated just 36% and 37% good to excellent, respectively, while South Dakota was in the middle at 55%.
More than one-quarter of the North Dakota spring wheat crop (26%) was rated in poor to very poor condition, while 18% of the Montana crop was in poor to very poor condition.
National spring wheat planting slowed markedly this past week, advancing only 5 points to reach 87% complete as of Sunday. That matches last year and is 7 points ahead of average. An estimated 60% of the spring wheat crop had emerged as of Sunday, versus 45% the previous week, 58% last year and 53% on average.
