Cotton plantings for 2009 are estimated at 9.05 million acres, 4 percent below last year. Upland planted area is estimated at 8.91 million acres, down 4 percent from 2008. All and upland cotton acres are the lowest since 1983.

The largest percentage decline is in California where upland producers planted 65,000 acres, 46 percent less than last year. Increased upland planted acres are expected in Arizona, Georgia, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. American-Pima cotton growers planted 149,400 acres, down 14 percent from 2008.

All wheat planted area is estimated at 59.8 million acres, down 5 percent from 2008. The 2009 winter wheat planted area, at 43.4 million acres, is 6 percent below last year but up 1 percent from the previous estimate. Of this total, about 31.4 million acres are hard red winter, 8.4 million acres are soft red winter, and 3.6 million acres are white winter. Area planted to other spring wheat for 2009 is estimated at 13.8 million acres, down 3 percent from 2008. Of this total, about 13.1 million acres are hard red spring wheat. Durum planted area for 2009 is estimated at 2.56 million acres, down 6 percent from the previous year.

Corn planted area is estimated at 87 million acres, up 1 percent from last year but 7 percent below 2007. This is the second largest planted acreage since 1946, behind 2007. Planting proceeded behind the normal pace, similar to last year, as frequent spring precipitation and cold temperatures slowed early season fieldwork and planting activities in the central and eastern Corn Belt, Ohio Valley, and northern Great Plains.

On May 10, corn planting was 48 percent complete, down 23 points from 5-year average. In late May, however, drier conditions allowed farmers to make rapid progress. Farmers reported that 97 percent of the intended corn acreage had been planted at the time of the acreage survey interview compared with the 10-year average of 98 percent.

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