Crop Progress - May 4, 2008

Corn Planted Il. - 28%: U.S. - 27%
Corn Emerged Il. - 1%: -U.S. - 4%
Soybeans Planted Il. - 0: U.S. - 5%
Winter Wheat Headed Il. - 5%: U.S. 26%
Winter wheat Condition: Il. vp-p; - 5% U.S. - 22%
Winter Wheat Condition: Il. g-ex; - 71% U.S. - 47%

National Agricultural Summary
April 28 - May 4, 2008

Corn: Twenty-seven percent of the Nation's corn crop was planted by week's end, 18 and 32 points behind last year and the 5-year average, respectively. In the central Corn Belt, Ohio Valley, Tennessee Valley, and central Great Plains, producers gained momentum and were able to plant 20 percent or more of their crop mid-week between rain showers but remained well behind normal in most areas. Elsewhere, farmers planted at a slower pace, and awaited warm, dry conditions to resume fieldwork. Progress was the farthest behind normal from Missouri and Illinois, northward. Producers were over 3 weeks behind in Missouri and about 2 weeks behind in Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Major delays were also evident in Minnesota with only 8 percent of the crop planted, 50 and 57 points behind last year and average, respectively, where recent soaking rains and snowfall, as well as cooler than average temperatures contributed to the delay. Tennessee Valley producers had 50 percent or more of their acreage planted but also lagged behind normal. Four percent of the National corn crop had emerged, behind the 12 percent pace of last year and the 13 percent 5-year average pace. With the significant planting delays, emergence is also delayed as nearly all States were at or behind last year and normal.

Soybeans: Most major soybean producing areas averaged between 6 and 10 degrees cooler than normal during the week, keeping planting at bay for yet another week. The additional precipitation during most of the week also kept producers out of the field. With only 5 percent of the crop planted, nationwide progress lagged 3 points behind last year and 9 points behind normal. Planting steadily progressed in the Delta as Louisiana and Mississippi producers had 56 percent of their acreage planted by week's end. This pace was ahead of last year and normal for Louisiana farmers but was slower than last year and normal for those in Mississippi. In Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Minnesota, progress was 11 points behind the 5-year average, as producers in many of the northern areas of the Corn Belt have not started planting yet.

Winter Wheat: Heading of winter wheat had occurred on 26 percent of the planted acreage, nationally, compared with last year's 33 percent and 38 percent for the 5-year average. From the Pacific Northwest, eastward through the northern Great Plains development was near normal but warmer temperatures are necessary as heading gets underway. In Illinois, Kansas, and Missouri heading was delayed by 25 points or more when compared with the normal pace. Elsewhere, on the Great Plains, 75 and 56 percent of acreage in Oklahoma and Texas had reached the heading stage, respectively. Development in both States lagged the pace of the previous year slightly and was less than a week behind the five-year average pace.

Cotton: The Nation's intended cotton acreage was 26 percent planted, 2 points behind last year and 6 points behind the 5-year average pace. Progress was most active, during the week, in Alabama, Arkansas, and Louisiana, where between 16 and 21 percent of each State's intended plantings were seeded. In the Delta, progress in Louisiana, at 68 percent, has advanced rapidly under mostly favorable conditions this spring. Farther north, in Arkansas and Mississippi, the pace has been much slower and is well behind normal due to abundant spring rainfall. Elsewhere, in California, cotton planting was nearly complete, the same as last year and ahead of the average by 16 points. In the Southeast, Alabama and Georgia producers were planting ahead of last year's pace but 8 and 5 points behind normal, respectively.

Rice: Producers planted sixty-one percent of the Nation's intended acres, behind the pace of last year and normal by 11 and 10 points, respectively. California rice farmers planted nearly half of their crop by week's end. At 48 percent, the planting pace was the same as last year but 25 points ahead of normal. Elsewhere, in the Delta, planting was active between showers during the week. However, the pace of planting was behind last year and normal in Arkansas and Mississippi, at 55 and 72 percent, respectively. Planting was also delayed in Missouri by more than a week. Texas rice planting was nearly complete with 98 percent planted, ahead of last year and normal. Thirty-one percent of the expected acreage had emerged, 16 points behind last year and 19 points behind normal. As with planting, emergence was well behind normal in Arkansas and Missouri, slightly behind in Mississippi, but ahead of normal elsewhere.

Sorghum: Two points behind last year's planting pace but 1 point ahead of normal, growers had seeded 29 percent of the intended U.S. sorghum acreage by the end of the week. Planting was notably delayed in Arkansas where producers planted 31 percent of their crop by week's end, compared with 85 and 71 percent last year and normal, respectively. Elsewhere in the Delta planting was 84 percent complete in Louisiana, 6 points behind last year; however, growers were seeding the crop 13 points ahead of the usual pace. In the southern Great Plains, Oklahoma's acreage was being seeded 18 points behind last year and 6 points behind normal, while the pace in Texas advanced to 66 percent planted, 3 and 10 points ahead of last year and average, respectively. Planting in the northern and central Great Plains had not yet gained the necessary momentum to match or surpass the usual planting pace.

Small Grains: Spring wheat planting reached the pace of last year with 58 percent seeded but lagged the 5-year average by 4 points. Even though good progress was made during the week, planting lagged behind normal in all major producing States except Montana and North Dakota, where progress was slightly ahead of the 5-year average. With only 19 percent of the expected acreage seeded in Minnesota, producers were 45 points behind their normal pace. Only 11 percent of the spring wheat acreage had emerged, 6 points behind last year and 14 points behind normal. The crop in all States emerged behind the normal pace, even though planting was ahead of normal, due to the below normal temperatures during this and prior weeks.

Producers had planted 53 percent of the intended barley acreage, 7 points behind last year, and 5 points behind the 5-year average. Unfavorable conditions had producers facing planting delays in all States, except North Dakota, where with half of their acreage seeded, their pace was 4 and 5 percent ahead of last year and normal. Cooler temperatures when compared with normal have stalled planting in the Northwest, and large amounts of precipitation and much cooler temperatures delayed planting in the northern Corn Belt. Emergence, at 11 percent, was 12 points behind the previous year and normal, respectively. Planting delays and unfavorable weather kept emergence behind normal in all States with the most significant in Idaho when compared with last year and in Washington when compared with average.

Sixty-eight percent of the oat crop was planted, 7 and 13 points behind last year and normal, respectively. Spring planting progress ranged from 23 percent complete in Wisconsin to 92 percent complete in Pennsylvania. Major delays were evident in Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Three-fourths of Wisconsin's acreage would normally be planted at this time; yet, cooler, wetter weather has kept progress behind last year and normal by 50 and 54 points, respectively. Progress in Iowa and Minnesota was 45 and 47 points behind the usual planting pace, respectively. Emergence of oats, at 39 percent, was lagging the usual pace of development in all States due to planting delays. Nationally, emergence was 6 points behind last year and 16 points behind the 5-year average. Emergence was the furthest behind in Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska, where it lagged 56, 31, and 33 points behind normal, respectively.

Other Crops: Fifty-four percent of the sugarbeet crop was planted by week's end, behind last year's 77 percent and 81 percent normally. The most severe delay, at over 33 points behind average, was in the Red River Valley due to continued cold temperatures in the region although significant progress was made during the week. In Idaho and Michigan, planting neared completion, 1 point ahead of the normal pace in both States.

Ten percent of the peanut crop was planted, 3 points ahead of last year's pace and 1 point ahead of normal. Planting was active in all producing States except Virginia with progress at or ahead of the 5-year average pace in all States except South Carolina and Virginia. Planting was most active in the southern Great Plains where over 12 percent of the intended crop was planted during the week.

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