News & Resources

USDA Weekly Crop Progress Report

5 Apr 2021

OMAHA (DTN) -- U.S. winter wheat is starting off the 2021 growing season with a good-to-excellent condition rating below last year, according to USDA NASS' first weekly Crop Progress report released Monday.

For the week ended April 4, 2021, winter wheat was rated 53% in good-to-excellent condition, down from 62% at the same time last year. Sixteen percent of the crop was rated poor to very poor, up from 9% at the same time last year.

Top winter-wheat-producer Kansas reported 54% of its crop in good-to-excellent condition, above 49% at the same time last year. Oklahoma, another top winter wheat producer, reported 70% of its crop in good-to-excellent condition, down from 73% at the same time last year.

Nationwide, corn planting reached 2% as of Sunday, equal to both last year and the five-year average pace.

Spring wheat planting was estimated at 3%, the same as last year and near the five-year average of 2%. Sorghum was 14% planted, compared to 15% last year and a five-year average of 14%. Cotton planting was 6% complete, compared to 7% last year and an average of 5%. Rice was 14% planted, compared to 16% last year and an average of 18%.

Oats were 23% planted as of April 4, compared to 26% last year and an average of 28%. Emergence was at 18%, compared to 24% last year and an average of 25%.

Also notable in this week's report is nationwide soil moisture conditions this spring compared to last spring. In the lower 48 states, 65% of topsoil moisture was rated adequate to surplus. That is down 27 percentage points from 92% adequate to surplus at the same time last year. Subsoil moisture condition was rated 64% adequate to surplus, also down 27 percentage points from 91% last year.

National Crop Progress Summary
This Last Last 5-Year
Week Week Year Avg.
Corn Planted 2 NA 2 2
Cotton Planted 6 NA 7 5
Winter Wheat Headed 4 NA 3 3
Spring Wheat Planted 3 NA 3 2
Sorghum Planted 14 NA 15 14
Oats Planted 23 NA 26 28
Oats Emerged 18 NA 24 25
Barley Planted 5 NA 4 4
Rice Planted 14 NA 16 18
Rice Emerged 8 NA 9 8

**

National Crop Condition Summary
(VP=Very Poor; P=Poor; F=Fair; G=Good; E=Excellent)
This Week Last Week Last Year
VP P F G E VP P F G E VP P F G E
Winter Wheat 5 11 31 47 6 NA NA NA NA NA 2 7 29 53 9

Anthony Greder can be reached at anthony.greder@dtn.com

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