Winter wheat ratings were improved and spring wheat planting made progress ahead of the usual pace this week, according to USDA's Crop Progress report released Monday afternoon. Rice and cotton planting are behind schedule. While USDA did not release nationwide summaries of corn and planting activity in the report this week, state reports show corn planting is moving along in the Corn Belt.

Winter wheat condition ratings were improved compared with last week's report. Now 70% of the crop is rated good or excellent. That's two points better than last week and 22 points better than last year at this date.

Spring wheat planting is 12% complete as of April 10. The progress is three points ahead of the five-year average but three points behind last year's progress at this date.

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Cotton planting is 7% complete nationally, one point behind the five-year average pace and four points behind last year's progress at this date. While planting in Texas and Arizona are on pace with their usual progress, California growers are well behind their usual pace, with just 5% of the crop planted. Normally 32% would be in the ground by now.

Planting progress in rice is behind schedule, with 14% of intended acres planted. Normally 21% would be planted by this date. Last year at this time 30% of the crop was planted.

Sorghum planting is 13% complete nationally, a point ahead of the five-year average pace. Louisiana growers are making faster than usual progress with a quarter of their crop seeded. Normally 9% of the crop would be planted by this date.

Corn planting moves north

USDA did not release nationwide summaries of corn planting activity in the Crop Progress report this week because nationwide progress came in under 5% of intended acres for the 18 states that report. Weekly crop and weather updates from state agricultural statistics services, however, indicate corn planting may be moving north somewhat ahead of the usual planting pace.

Missouri Agricultural Statistics Service reports that 31% of the intended corn acreage has been planted, which is a day ahead of last year and three days ahead of the five-year average of 21%. Corn planting is well ahead of a year ago except in the northwest and southeast districts, according to their reporters.

In Illinois, 14% of the state's corn crop was planted as of April 10, according to Illinois Crop and Weather. That compares with a five-year average of 3% and last year's progress of 4% for the state. Lack of precipitation is a growing concern in the state as topsoil moisture is becoming short.

Indiana Agricultural Statistics says the best progress for fieldwork took place in the central and northern regions of the state. Several fields of corn were planted, especially in the west central and north central areas. All together, 2% of the intended corn acreage is planted compared with 3% last year and 1% for the 5-year average.

A few areas in Iowa reported corn planting, but the overall state average was negligible, according to the Iowa Crops & Weather report from the state agricultural statistics service. Soil temperatures as of Sunday were averaging in the upper 50s northwest to lower 60s southeast, the report said.