Extreme weather across the central United States over the past several weeks has led to delayed corn and soybean planting, damage to wheat and major flooding.
Corn and soybean planting has progressed at a record slow pace this season, with the planting window closing across the corn belt. Wet weather will continue to limit planting through the weekend.
“In Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, where planting is furthest behind schedule, rainfall is forecast for 7 of the next 10 days, which will continue to severely limit planting progress,” says Kyle Tapley, Maxar’s senior agricultural meteorologist. “Major reductions in corn acreage from expectations prior to the planting season are a near certainty given the historic planting delays across the corn belt.”
The wet weather is also posing a threat to the winter wheat crop in the Plains and the Midwest, with many areas in the central U.S. recording 200-300% of normal rainfall over the past month.
“The excessive wetness across the central Plains and much of the Midwest will increase the threat for disease and may also reduce the quality of the winter wheat crop,” says Tapley.
River flooding continues along the Mississippi River and its tributaries, nearing or exceeding historic levels in many locations.
The Mississippi River in St. Louis is expected to crest at its second highest level on record early next week, ranking behind only the Great Flood of 1993.
Maxar’s Weather Desk team of meteorologists will continue to monitor changing weather conditions and its impact on crop production across the corn belt and other major growing areas around the world.
