Rain seen over much of the Midwest last week improved crop ratings posted on Feedback From The Field, but challenges remain. Growers still rate their corn and soybeans in only slightly better than average condition after a tough start to the growing season in many areas.

Most of the comments posted in the second half of last week were downbeat, following storms that were either too much or too little in many cases. Farmers were still replanting soybeans and in some cases even corn.

Dry fields on the northern plains sparked a big rally in spring wheat, and corn and soybeans are also stressed there.

A producer in the southwest part of North Dakota had three-quarters of an inch of rain. But he reported it was “so dry that two days later the top soil is already dried out. “ The storms were also variable: “A lot of places got less than .25.”

Even parts of states where rain fell had large areas where coverage was spotty or missing. One of those places is the key growing region of central Illinois. A grower near Bloomington reported no measurable rain since May 26. The result: “Large cracks in the ground. Crops on timber soils are hurting.”

A farmer in southeastern Indiana had just the opposite experience. After excess rain early in the growing season left blank spots in fields they just finished planting soybeans, then received 4 to 7 more inches. “All flooded again and washed out” was the report.

Click this Feedback From The Field link to rate crops in your area. We’ll update reports with the interactive map below that lets you see what other growers are saying around the country. Click the box in the upper left-hand corner to bring up the weekly index; scroll down to see the most current week.

Follow season progress by clicking on the links below.

Feedback from the field - April 24, 2017 - Growers report slow start in northwest Corn Belt.

Feedback from the Field - April 28, 2017 - ‘Baby it’s cold outside’ isn’t the song farmers want to hear.

Feedback from the Field - May 8, 2017 - Emergence sputters as planting slows

Feedback from the Field - May 12, 2017 - Farms make progress but weather still an issue

Feedback from the Field - May 17, 2017 - Growers wary of this week’s new storms

Feedback from the Field - May 19, 2017 - Farmers face cold, wet end to May

Feedback from the Field - May 23, 2017 - Planting proceeds, questions remain

Feedback from the Field - May 26, 2017 - Some growers wonder if it will ever stop raining

Feedback from the Field - June 5, 2017 - Emerging drought threatens spring wheat crop

Feedback from the Field - June 7, 2017 - Progress, problems noted in early growing season

Feedback from the Field - June 12, 2017 - Conditions turned hot and dry last week