Currently, 63% of the U.S. corn crop is in the ground. Last year at this time, 87% was planted, and the five-year average is 75% planted.
Farmers have been putting in long hours and planters are running full-speed. The May 16 USDA Crop Progress and Condition Ratings reports show a 23-percentage-point jump in corn planting in the last seven days.
Currently, 63% of the U.S. corn crop is in the ground. Last year at this time, 87% was planted, and the five-year average is 75% planted.
Leading the Pack
North Carolina farmers have almost put the 2011 corn planting season in the history books. Currently, they are 98% planted. Texas is not far behind with 93% planted.
Iowa farmers made huge strides during the past week. As of May 8, only 69% of the state’s corn crop was in the ground. By May 16, 92% is planted.
Nebraska and Kansas both have 84% planted, followed by Missouri, Colorado, Illinois and Tennessee, who all have more than 65% planted.
Still Behind
Ohio farmers are having one of the roughest planting seasons. As of this week, only 7% is planted, the state’s five-year average is 70% by mid-May.
North Dakota is also way behind. The five-year average is 55% planted by this time, currently only 14% of the state’s crop is planted.
Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Indiana all have less than 40% planted. By now, normally all of these states are above 60% planted.
Slow Emergence
As of this week, 21% of the U.S. corn crop has emerged, which compares with the five-year average of 39%.
By this time of the year, all of the major corn-growing states should have at least 10% of the corn crop out of the ground. But, Colorado, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Wisconsin have yet to reach the 10%-emerged mark.
Corn crops in Kansas, Missouri, North Carolina and Texas are on track with the five-year average for emergence.
For More Information
Click the links below to find out how planting is going for the other crops this spring.
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