In the 18 major corn growing states, a total of 26% of the corn crop was rated good to excellent, down from 31% the previous week, the U.S.D.A. said. The proportion of the crop that was very poor to poor surged to 45% as of July 22, up from 38% in the previous week. A year ago in the same week, 62% of the crop was rated good to excellent and only 14% was very poor to poor.
As of July 22, a total of 31% of the soybean crop was rated good to excellent in the 18 major soybean growing states, down from 34% the previous week, the U.S.D.A. said. A total of 35% of the crop was in very poor to poor condition during the latest week, up from 30% very poor to poor in the previous week. In the same week a year ago, 62% of the soybean crop was rated good to excellent and only 11% was very poor to poor.
In contrast to corn and soybeans, the condition of the spring wheat crop remained strong, although not as favorable as a year ago. The U.S.D.A. said 60% was in good to excellent condition in the six major spring wheat states, down from 65% in the previous week and 74% at the same time a year ago. A total of 11% of the crop was in very poor to poor condition as of July 22, up from 8% in the previous week and 5% in the same week a year ago, the U.S.D.A. said.
A majority of the 2012 corn crop has gone through the silking stage as of July 22, well ahead of average. A total of 86% of the crop had silked as of July 22, up from 56% in the same week a year ago and 59% as the 2007-11 average for the date. A total of 22% of the crop had reached the dough stage in the latest week, up from 7% in the same week a year ago and 9% as the five-year average. Six per cent of the crop was dented in the 18 states, up from 2% a year ago and as the 2007-11 average, the U.S.D.A. said.
Soybeans have been blooming ahead of schedule in 2012. In the 18 major soybean states, a total of 79% of the crop had bloomed, up from 54% in the same week a year ago and above the average in 2007-11 of 60%. The pod setting stage had been reached in 36% of the crop, up sharply from 13% in the same week a year ago and from 19% in 2007-11.
The spring wheat harvest was under way ahead of schedule, the U.S.D.A. said. In the six main spring wheat states, 12% of the crop had been harvested as of July 22, up from zero as of July 22, 2011, and as the 2007-11 average.
