11 Details about the corn growing season so far this year

USDA’s latest insights about the 2024 corn crop were released June 10 in the Crop Progress report.

1. North Carolina is the only state done planting corn.

For the third straight week, North Carolina is the only state that has completed corn planting, USDA says.

Kevin Matthews farms in East Bend and Yadkinville, North Carolina, and confirms corn planting has wrapped up on his family’s farm. Post-emergence and top dress applications will be made in the week ahead, he explained in a recent blog post.

“For the most part, the corn looks good, even with the abundant rains we had,” he explained. The early planted crop lost its top end yield potential, but fields planted after all the rain looks good, he said.

2. Iowa and Missouri had wrapped up corn planting at this time last year.

While planting season had finished for corn farmers in Iowa and Missouri at this point last year, that’s not the case in 2024. USDA said farmers in those states had 98% and 97% of their crops in the ground, respectively.

This year’s planting pace in Iowa is equal to the five-year average.

Farmers in Missouri are slightly ahead of the five-year average planting pace of 94%.

3. Planting progress surged in Pennsylvania the week ended June 9.

Farmers in Pennsylvania planted 20% of the state’s crop over the seven day period. Six days of the week suitable for fieldwork surely contributed to the remarkable progress.

The latest Crop Progress report says 90% of this year’s corn crop has been planted in the state. That's ahead of the five-year average and planting progress last year at this time.

4. Wisconsin has the smallest percentage of its respective corn crop in the ground.

At 87% planted, Wisconsin has the smallest percentage of its corn crop planted compared to other top growing states. That’s behind the state’s five-year average of 93% and last year at this time when 98% of the crop was planted.

Just 2.9 days suitable for fieldwork the week ended June 9 didn't help Wisconsin growers make much progress over the last seven days.

5. Planting progress in five states is behind their respective five-year average.

Kentucky, Minnesota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin all reported corn planting progress behind their respective five-year average.

Planting progress in Kentucky and Wisconsin is the most dramatically behind, trailing the five-year average by 6 percentage points.

In South Dakota, planting progress is behind the five-year average by 3 percentage points.

In Minnesota and Texas planting progress is behind the respective five-year average by 1 percentage point.

6. Nationally, the corn planting pace is equal to the five-year average.

In the latest Crop Progress report, USDA noted 95% of the 2024 crop has been planted. The five-year average planting pace for this point in the growing season is 95%.

The week prior, corn planting progress was ahead of the 89% five-year average.

7. Corn emergence is behind the respective five-year average in eight states.

Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin reported corn emergence rates behind their respective five-year average the week ending June 9.

The corn crop in Colorado is furthest behind its typical pace, lagging 17 percentage points. Just 64% of the state's crop has emerged so far.

In Iowa, Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig is optimistic crops will take off as the month progresses. “Summer heat is arriving just in time to give crops a good boost,” Naig said Monday. “Weather outlooks into the second half of June ... indicate warmer temperatures and better chances of showers and thunderstorms.”

8. Nationally, the corn emergence pace is 1 percentage point ahead of the five-year average

In the latest Crop Progress report, USDA said 85% of the 2024 crop has emerged. The five-year average emergence pace for this point in the growing season is 84%. Last year at this time, 91% of the nation's corn crop was out of the ground.

9. 12 top growing states reported “very poor” crops

Twelve of the 18 top corn-growing states reported some very poor corn the week ending June 9.

Four states reported 3% of their respective crop was in very poor condition.

Overall, just 1% of corn across the country is in very poor shape. That’s slightly better than last year at this time when 2% of the crop was rated very poor.

10. All top growing states reported some “excellent” corn

All of the 18 top-corn growing states reported some excellent corn the week ending June 9.

With 27%, Nebraska has the highest proportion of its corn rated excellent. That’s up from 21% the week prior. There was no very poor corn reported in the state either week.

With 4%, North Dakota has the smallest proportion of its corn rated excellent. That’s down from 7% the week prior. However, a large portion, 68%, of the state's crop was rated good the week ending June 9.

11. In Pennsylvania, 80% of the corn crop was rated good.

The week ending June 9, 80% of Pennsylvania's corn crop was rated good. This is down slightly from 82% the week prior.

Still, Pennsylvania has the highest proportion of good corn compared to other top corn-growing states.