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Oh what a difference a couple of warm, windy, dry days can make it getting corn in the ground here in Illinois. You made a 10 percent jump in corn planting progress this week in Illinois, but remain just a couple percentage points behind average. For all the details, here is Mark Schleusener, Illinois State Statistician at the Illinois Field Office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Ag Statistics Service.

Warm, dry conditions have operators out in the field doing fieldwork and planting crops. Operators hope to make significant progress before predicted rains arrive later in the week. Statewide, the average temperature was 53.6 degrees, 1.6 degrees above normal. Precipitation averaged 0.64 inches, 0.41 inches below normal. There were 4.5 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending April 17. Topsoil moisture supply was rated at 1 percent very short, 9 percent short, 74 percent adequate, and 16 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture supply was rated at 5 percent short, 83 percent adequate, and 12 percent surplus. Corn planted was at 12 percent, compared to last year at 11 percent and the 5-year average of 14 percent. Winter wheat headed reached 1 percent, behind the 5-year average of 9 percent. Winter wheat condition was rated 1 percent very poor, 5 percent poor, 28 percent fair, 51 percent good, and 15 percent excellent. Oats planted jumped to 67 percent, up 35 percentage points from last week. Pasture and range condition was rated at 5 percent poor, 22 percent fair, 58 percent good, and 15 percent excellent.

The USDA NASS crop progress report comes out each Monday afternoon around 3pm.