The amount of U.S. winter wheat considered in drought conditions dropped one point to 69% for the week ended April 26, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. USDA said winter wheat drought was 12% “moderate,” 31% “severe,” 23% “extreme,” and 2% “exceptional.” Last week, USDA rated winter wheat drought as 16% “moderate,” 30% “severe,” 21% “extreme,” and 2% “exceptional.”
For HRW areas, the area considered abnormally dry/drought in Kansas increased five points to 79%. Oklahoma dropped three points to 77%. Texas’s abnormally dry/drought area decreased by two points to 94%. South Dakota had 86% of its land classified as abnormally dry/drought, a one-point decrease. Nebraska (99%), Montana (90%) and Colorado (100%) had the same amount of land considered abnormally dry/drought as last week.
In SRW areas, Arkansas had a four-point drop to 17% of its area considered abnormally dry/drought. Illinois had 8% of its land classified as abnormally dry/drought, a two-point drop. North Carolina had 43% of its area classified as abnormally dry/drought, a one-point decrease. Michigan (6%), Missouri (0%), Ohio (0%) and Indiana (0%) had the same percentage of the area considered abnormally dry/drought as the previous week.
The percent of U.S. corn considered in drought dropped by six points to 23%. Iowa had 15% of its corn crop in drought, a 13-point decrease. Illinois had an eight-point drop in the amount of its corn crop in drought to 0%. None of Minnesota’s corn crop is in drought, a seven-point drop from last week. Nebraska (93%) and Indiana (0%) did not have any change in the amount of corn in drought.
USDA said 15% of the soybean crop is in drought, down four points from the previous week. Illinois had none of its soybean acres in drought, down four points from last week. Sixteen percent of Iowa’s soybean acres are in drought, a ten-point decrease from last week. Minnesota had a six-point drop to none of its soybean in drought. Nebraska (89%) and Indiana (0%) did not have any change in the amount of soybeans in drought.
Spring wheat had a five-point decline in the amount of the crop in drought to 35%. North Dakota had 6% of its spring wheat in drought, down eight points from the previous week. South Dakota decreased the amount of its spring wheat in drought by eight points to 50%. The amount of spring wheat in drought in Minnesota (0%), Montana (99%) and Idaho (95%) was unchanged from last week.
The amount of cotton in drought remained steady at 55%. Texas had 93% of its cotton in drought, down four points from last week. Georgia had an eight-point increase in the amount of its cotton crop in drought to 32%. The amount of cotton in drought in Mississippi (6%), Arkansas (9%) and Oklahoma (100%) was unchanged from last week.