The upper Midwest may be struggling with too much rain and flooding, but dryness is certainly taking a major toll on crop condition ratings farther south too.
As can be seen on the map below, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio are currently sporting the driest topsoil moisture ratings among the major Corn Belt states, with Ohio the worst at 45% short to very short.
It’s not surprising that the condition of the corn crops in the three states has suffered. The Ohio crop was initially rated at 84% good to excellent back in early June but has declined every week since to sit at 66% good to excellent as of this past Sunday – a fall of 18 points over past four weeks.
The Illinois corn crop was rated at 72% good to excellent as of June 2 and improved to 74% good to excellent the following week. Since then, however, the condition of the crop has fallen to just 65%. Meanwhile, the condition of the Indiana corn crop has fallen a more modest 6 points from early June and now sits at 65% good to excellent.
However, the very worst corn condition ratings in the entire US now belong to North Carolina. Although a smaller but not insignificant producer on a nationwide basis – with an estimated 910,000 acres planted in 2023 - the state has been battered by drought that has taken the corn crop from its early June rating of 81% good to excellent all the way down to just 17% over the past month. At the same time, that portion of the North Carolina corn crop rated in poor to very poor condition has jumped to 68% from only 3% initially. Reports suggest much of the North Carolina corn crop has already failed.
Soybean condition ratings have declined as well, with the Ohio crop down 12 points to 63% good to excellent from the initial rating of 75% as of June 9. The condition of the Illinois crop is down 5 points from June 9 to 64% and Indiana is 7 points lower at 64%.
The condition of the North Carolina soybean crop is rated at 23% good to excellent, versus 77% on June 10.
