USDA Weekly Crop Progress - Corn 17% Silking, 58% in Good-to-Excellent Condition

OMAHA (DTN) -- Corn and soybean development continued to lag behind the average pace last week, but conditions for both crops rose slightly, according to the latest USDA NASS Crop Progress report released Monday. As of Sunday, July 14, an estimated 17% of corn was silking, up 9 percentage points from the previous week but 25 percentage points behind the five-year average of 42%. Corn condition, estimated at 58% good to excellent, was up 1 percentage point from 57% the previous week. That's still the lowest good-to-excellent rating for this time of year in seven years. "Among the top eight corn-producing states, Nebraska has the highest good-to-excellent rating at 77%, while Ohio and Indiana are at the bottom with 38% and 39%, respectively," said DTN Lead Analyst Todd Hultman. "In Missouri, only 32% of corn was rated good to excellent." Soybean development also remained behind normal last week. NASS estimated that 95% of the soybean crop that was planted had emerged as of Sunday, 4 percentage points behind the five-year average of 99%. Twenty-two percent of soybeans were blooming, up 12 percentage points from the previous week but 27 percentage points behind the five-year average of 49%. The soybean crop's good-to-excellent rating of 54% was up 1 percentage point from 53% the previous week. As with corn, the soybeans' good-to-excellent rating is the lowest in seven years. "Again, Nebraska tops the list with 71% of soybeans rated good to excellent, while Ohio was at 33%," Hultman said. Winter wheat harvest moved ahead another 10 percentage points last week to reach 57% complete as of Sunday, behind last year's 72% and 14 percentage points behind the five-year average of 71%. "The Kansas harvest is 81% complete, while Missouri, Texas and Oklahoma are all within 4 percentage points of being finished," Hultman said. Seventy-eight percent of the spring wheat crop was headed, jumping 22 percentage points from 56% the previous week, but was 9 percentage points behind the five-year average of 87%. Spring wheat condition was rated 76% good to excellent, down 2 percentage points from the previous week's 78% good to excellent, but still a high rating for the crop for this time of year, Hultman said.