After a few weeks of timely rainfall, the U.S. Drought Monitor shows slight to moderate drought growing in areas of the corn belt. The forecast shows scattered storms are possible but not guaranteed. Three significant areas are growing at a concerning rate.
The first is the west half of Kansas into the vast majority of Nebraska and northwest Iowa. This area also includes southwest South Dakota. The second branches from southeast Iowa through northwest Illinois into southern Wisconsin. The third sits on the northern part of the Illinois/Indiana border. Those are not the only areas showing up on the drought monitor in the corn belt, but they are growing quickly. Luckily, these areas were planted early enough to hopefully allow sufficient root growth to make it through a dry spell. The scattered storms started last night; time will tell if they alleviate any moisture issues.
Check out the most recent drought monitor report here:
According to the June 20th USDA report, most midwest states have high percentages of corn and soybeans in good condition. The two exceptions are still western Minnesota and much of North Dakota, where acres were either planted late and are far behind this season or still not planted. The crops in those states are behind in maturity but are healthy. A combination of forecasted warm temperatures and light rain should help crops progress quickly. We are at the point in the season where some of those acres may become “Prevent from Planting” insurance claims. There were many of these claims back in 2019. For more information, check out this blog.
