Corn improved 1 point in the latest week at 75% good to excellent with upgrades reported in Indiana and Ohio, where rain helped crops that had been stressed by dry weather, USDA said on Monday.

Soybeans were unchanged at 72% good/excellent with improvements noted in Indiana and Ohio and minor slippage in Iowa, Illinois and Nebraska.

Based on the improved corn rating, Farm Futures raised its calculated corn yield a little to above 174 bpa.  Its calculated average soybean yield was unchanged at about 49.2.

The corn crop is 40% dented, compared with the 35% five-year average. Soybeans are at 89% in setting pods versus the 85% five-year average.

Corn improved 1 point in the latest week at 75% good to excellent. Soybeans were unchanged at 72% good/excellent. (Photo: venturecx/Thinkstock)

Indiana’s corn rating rose 2 points to 73% good/excellent and soybeans there went to 74% from 71%.

“Rains gave relief to crops suffering from lack of moisture but also limited field activity,” Greg Matli, Indiana’s state statistician, said in the weekly report. “Some areas received adequate rainfall while other areas received an overabundance that caused flooding.”

“Soybeans benefited a lot from the moisture and setting pods is now nearly complete,” the Ohio report said. “This has been the most rainfall seen in weeks for many areas but has come too late for some crops.”

In Iowa, the corn rating was unchanged at 83% good/excellent while soybeans slipped 1 point to 82%.

“Precipitation and cooler nights benefitted grain and pod fill,” Iowa said. “The statewide average precipitation was 1.07 inches, or just slightly above the weekly normal of 0.96 inch.”

In Nebraska, corn dropped 1 point to 75% good/excellent and soybeans dropped 2 points to 76%.

“Precipitation of an inch or more was limited to portions of the southern Panhandle and the eastern third of the state. Much of the state remained dry, with drought conditions in south central counties as well as the northwest,” Nebraska said.

USDA discontinued the winter wheat harvest report for the season and put spring wheat harvest at 65%, compared with 69% a year ago and the 46% average.  North Dakota’s spring wheat was 64% harvested versus 63% last year and the 39% average.

“The eastern half of North Dakota received one to three inches of rain, while much of the west received an inch or less,” the state said. “In the eastern part of the state, storms greatly affected crops and slowed down harvest. Vomitoxin was reported in the west part of the state.”

In addition to spring wheat, North Dakota is harvesting barley, canola and oats.

Nationally, sorghum was 29% mature versus 26% a year ago and the 28% average. The crop was unchanged at 65% good to excellent.