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Production
Estimates and Crop Assessment Division |
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Production
Estimates and Crop Assessment Division |
June 26, 2002
Cumulative precipitation over much of the eastern U.S. has been moderate to heavy during June. The central Corn Belt continues to be wet, with precipitation in the Western crop reporting district consistently higher than 2000 and 2001. In northwestern Minnesota, heavy precipitation events caused significant flooding along the Roseau River. The Red River near Oslo and Grand Forks was reported above the flood stage. In Roosevelt, Minnesota, accumulated precipitation up to 12 inches was recorded. The northeast remains excessively wet. Reservoir levels in southern and eastern Florida are improving after recent heavy precipitation events. Cumulative precipitation for the southern crop reporting district (CRD_80) in Florida shows 2002 to be significantly wetter than both 2000 and 2001.
The 2002 growing season in the central Corn Belt states of Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio has seen some delays in planting and emergence, shown in the AVHRR composites and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). A delay in the seasonal "green-up" of vegetation is evident in the NDVI for the period June 1-16, 2002. The larger extent of yellow tones than in 2000 and 2001 shows this clearly. Elsewhere, conditions during 2002 are comparable to, if not better than, both 2000 and 2001.
Field reports from USDA/NASS, current as of June 18, 2002, indicate that 97 percent of the corn crop has emerged. Soybean emergence is at 92 percent, with some minor delays in Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, and Tennessee. Harvesting of the winter wheat crop is progressing well from the south to the north and is 17 percent complete. The rice crop has just entered the heading stage and progressing well. Around 31 percent of the cotton crop is now in the squaring stage, with some of the crop setting bolls.
