Drought conditions continue to stress corn, beans and pastureland in the Midwest.
USDA Meteorologist Brad Rippey says the corn crop continues to develop under very unfortunate conditions... it is just too dry and hot.
"Corn silking nearly 71-percent by July 15th. The five year average, 36-percent. Last year just 28-percent."
Depending on location, Rippey says corn has reached the dough stage.
"Nationally, 12-percent of the corn has reached the dough stage. Four percent is the five-year average. Three percent last year and leading the Midwest is Missouri with 42-percent of the corn reaching the dough stage. Five year average is 9-percent. Last year's average was 8-percent."
Rippey says soybeans continue to bloom at a very bad time.
"Soybean conditions, like corn, continues to tank. 34-percent good to excellent, down six points from a week ago. Meanwhile the percentage of the crop rated poor to very poor, 30-percent on July 15th, up three points from a week ago."
At least half of the soybean crop is rated poor to very poor. Rippey says pasture conditions also continue to suffer.
"For the week ending July 15, 54-percent of U-S rangeland and pasture currently rated poor or very poor. The record, period record for that goes back to 1995. The previous record was 52-percent of range and pasture very poor to poor and that record had been set in September of 2002."
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