Suffolk Cotton Gin

This article was originally published at 3:04 p.m. CDT on Monday, Aug. 31. It was last updated with additional information at 4:15 p.m. CDT on Monday, Aug. 31.

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OMAHA (DTN) -- Corn good-to-excellent ratings held steady last week, while soybean ratings declined, according to USDA NASS's weekly Crop Progress report released Monday.

Early September will feel more like summer across much of the country, with hot and mostly dry conditions in the South and Southeast and scattered showers in the northern Corn Belt, according to DTN Ag Meteorologist John Baranick.

CORN

-- Crop development: Corn in the dough stage was estimated at 92%, 3 percentage points ahead of both last year and the five-year average of 89%. Corn dented was estimated at 62%, 6 percentage points ahead of both last year and the five-year average of 56%. Corn mature was pegged at 13%, 1 percentage point behind last year's 14% and steady with the five-year average.

-- Crop condition: NASS estimated that 57% of the crop was in good-to-excellent condition, steady with the previous week and 12 percentage points below last year's 69%. Seventeen percent of the crop was rated very poor to poor, steady with the previous week and 8 percentage points above the previous year's 9%. "Iowa remains the best rated at 77% good to excellent," DTN Senior Analyst Dana Mantini said.

SOYBEANS

-- Crop development: Soybeans setting pods were estimated at 95%, 2 percentage points ahead of both last year and the five-year average of 93%. Soybean dropping leaves were pegged at 13%, 3 percentage points ahead of last year's 10% and 4 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 9%.

-- Crop condition: NASS estimated that 58% of soybeans were in good-to-excellent condition, 2 percentage points below the previous week's 60% and 7 percentage points below the previous year's 65%. Like corn, Iowa led the nation in soybean conditions, with 77% rated good to excellent. North Dakota, meanwhile, was rated at just 30% good to excellent, with 29% rated very poor to poor, Mantini said.

SPRING WHEAT

-- Harvest progress: Spring wheat harvest moved ahead 15 percentage points last week to reach 77% complete as of Sunday. That was 8 percentage points ahead of last year's pace of 69% and 9 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 68%. Spring wheat harvest was 95% complete in South Dakota, followed by Washington at 90% and Minnesota at 88%. Montana lagged at 66% complete.

THE WEEK AHEAD IN WEATHER

A stalled front could bring beneficial rain to parts of the northern Corn Belt this week, though heat and dryness will continue to increase drought across the South and Southeast, according to DTN Ag Meteorologist John Baranick.

"Though we're heading into September, it certainly won't feel like fall this week across really anywhere in the country," Baranick said. "The South and Southeast are going to be extremely hot and largely dry, causing increasing drought stress but pushing the summer crop toward maturity if it hasn't come already. Across the north, it'll still be above normal, and a lot of areas are going to be up in the 80s to lower 90s for much of the week. However, a stalled front from Nebraska to Michigan will be waffling around and producing some areas of showers and thunderstorms throughout the week. We could see temperatures be a little more variable depending on when those showers move through. And the rain could still be helpful for the portion of the crop that is not yet mature. There are still plenty of green leaves up this way that could still use a drink. But we'll have to watch some areas for flooding and severe weather at times. Eventually, the eastern end of the front will drift south through the Corn Belt and into the Southeast this weekend, bringing temperatures down a few degrees and getting a few more showers to move through."

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To view weekly crop progress reports issued by National Ag Statistics Service offices in individual states, visit http://www.nass.usda.gov/…. Look for the U.S. map in the "Find Data and Reports by" section and choose the state you wish to view in the drop-down menu. Then look for that state's "Crop Progress & Condition" report.

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Editor's Note: How are your crops looking? Are they better, worse or right on track with USDA NASS' observations this week? Send us your comments, and we'll include them in next week's Crop Progress report story. You can email comments to talk@dtn.com. Please include the location of where you farm.

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EllaMae Reiff can be reached at ellamae.reiff@dtn.com

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