Author’s note: You can participate in the Feedback from the Field series as often as you’d like this growing season! Just click this link to take the survey and share updates about your farm’s spring progress. I review and upload results daily to the FFTF Google MyMap, so farmers can see others’ responses from across the country – or even across the county!

Many soybean growers across the Heartland are winding down with spring planting, with much of the remaining acreage awaiting winter wheat harvest, based on farmer responses from Farm Futures’ Feedback from the Field series.

According to yesterday’s Crop Progress report from USDA, soybean planting progress rose 10% on the week to align with the five-year average at 88% complete as of June 12. Indeed, much of the remaining acreage left to be planted is likely on double crop rotations that is waiting for winter wheat to be harvested.

FFTF respondents are awaiting winter wheat harvest before planting more soybeans. Others are noting that crop development conditions have been less than ideal to start out the season.

More notably in yesterday’s Crop Progress report, USDA issued the first condition ratings for soybean crops of the 2022 growing season. As of last Sunday, USDA found 70% of anticipated 2022 soybean acres to be in good to excellent condition. A year ago, that value stood at 62% good to excellent.

A great start to the 2022 soybean growing cycle could pay big dividends for growers this fall. While it is still too early to determine yields from condition ratings, the strong start will likely increase producer confidence in 2022 yield prospects.

Corn ratings remain strong amid spraying season

Just as Feedback from the Field respondents finished a hectic spring planting season, the growers are back out in the fields working on crop protection activities. “Even when it rains, it seems there is work to get caught up on,” exclaimed Indiana grower Kyle Stackhouse in the latest Between the Fencerows column. “Keeping up with spraying is a full-time job right now.”

That sentiment resonates with growers across the country right now as many continue to juggle late planting, replanting, and crop protection tasks as summer approaches. So far, few growers in the FFTF series have reported favorable growing conditions, though USDA’s nationwide corn rating of 72% good to excellent published in yesterday’s Crop Progress report suggests that corn crops are largely in good shape across the Heartland.

Of course, it hasn’t been an easy spring for everyone. Excessive moisture in North Dakota, Minnesota, Missouri, and Ohio has led to spotty emergence patterns, replanting, and a slow start for the 2022 crop.

And good yields aren’t yet guaranteed. With NOAA’s 6- to 10-day and 8- to 14-day forecasts trending abnormally hot and dry for the Corn Belt, crops in areas already facing dryness could start to show signs of heat stress over the next couple weeks.

Roundup: other crops

Elsewhere across the Heartland, other crop varieties are also wrapping up spring planting activities. Sugarbeet planting was 99% complete as of Sunday, just 1% behind the five-year average due to the slow start in North Dakota and Minnesota.

Sunflower planting progress is delayed in all four top producing states (Colorado, Kansas, and both Dakotas), standing at 61% complete through June 12, 10% behind the five-year average.

Oats are also emerging at slower than expected rates due to the aforementioned issues in the Northern Plains, but also persistent wetness in the Eastern Corn Belt.

Here are a few more insights about growing conditions for other crops from FFTF producers across the country:

Wheat looks to capitalize on warm temps

Hard red winter wheat harvest is ramping up in the Southern Plains, though recent showers have caused delays in crop maturation and harvesting. Warm temperatures this week are expected to accelerate harvesting paces, according to U.S. Wheat Associate’s Weekly Harvest Report.

“Weather has been very hot and wind should move wheat harvest along soon,” shared a FFTF producer in Northern Kansas who has yet to begin harvest activities.

Soft red winter wheat harvest is underway across the U.S. Southeast, but rapidly maturing crops further north are not far away from combining. Warm and dry conditions this week are expected to advance maturation rates.

U.S. Wheat Associates predicted that spring wheat planting progress in Minnesota was likely finished by the weekend thanks to clear skies in the Northern Plains last week. “Excellent progress was also made in  North Dakota, but a higher-than-normal number of acres are expected to remain unplanted,” the organization said in their Weekly Harvest Report.

Through the week ending June 12, 94% of anticipated 2022 spring wheat acreage had been planted, up a staggering 12% from the previous week thanks to the clear skies. It was probably the best Crop Progress showing spring wheat planting has had in North Dakota and Minnesota all season.

Through last Sunday, 54% of the crop was rated as good to excellent, which is an improvement from last year’s drought-battered start (37% good to excellent) during the same time. However, the cool and wet start to the season has made for less than idyllic early growing conditions for the 2022 spring wheat crop, which will need more heat to catch up to more favorable ratings.