Crop Progress and Condition Program

April 2019

The Crop Progress and Condition survey provides frequent and timely updates of farmer activities such as planting and 

harvesting, progress of crops through various phenological stages of development, and crop condition ratings 

throughout the growing season.

Each state maintains a list of reporters, largely extension agents and Farm Service Agency staff, who report progress and 

condition of selected crops in their area for the current week. Nearly every county in every state has at least one 

reporter. Reports returned each week account for more that 75 percent of the acreage for major commodities.

Days Suitable for Fieldwork

A “suitable” day is one where weather and field conditions allowed producers to work in fields a major portion of the 

day.

Topsoil and Subsoil Moisture

The following rating categories (and definitions) are used:

 Very Short: Soil moisture supplies are significantly less than what is required for normal plant development. 

Growth has been stopped or nearly so and plants are showing visible signs of moisture stress. Under these 

conditions, plants will quickly suffer irreparable damage.

 Short: Soil dry. Seed germination and/or normal crop growth and development would be curtailed. 

 Adequate: Soil moist. Seed germination and/or crop growth and development would be normal or unhindered.

 Surplus: Soil wet. Fields may be muddy and will generally be unable to absorb additional moisture. Young 

developing crops may be yellowing from excess moisture.

Crop Condition Ratings

Condition ratings are published during the growing season. The first week that condition estimates are published is the 

week after emergence reaches 45-50%. Observations can be accurately made about condition after the majority of the 

crop has emerged. 

The last week that condition ratings are published is the week that harvest reaches 45-50% harvested. Once half of the 

crop has been harvested, condition ratings would be based on the minority of the crop and would no longer be 

representative of the total crop.

The following rating categories (and definitions) are used:

 Very Poor: Extreme degree of loss to yield potential, complete or near crop failure. Pastures provide very little 

or no feed considering the time of year. Supplemental feeding is required to maintain livestock condition.

 Poor: Heavy degree of loss of yield potential which can be caused by excess soil moisture, drought, disease, etc. 

Pastures are providing only marginal feed for the current time of year. Some supplemental feeding is required to 

maintain livestock condition.

 Fair: Less than normal crop condition. Yield loss is a possibility but the extent is unknown. Pastures are providing 

generally adequate feed but still less than normal for the time of year.
 Good: Yield prospects are normal or above normal. Moisture levels are adequate with only light disease and 

insect damage. Pastures are providing adequate feed supplies for the current time of year.

 Excellent: Yield prospects are above normal and crops are experiencing little or no stress. Pastures are supplying 

feed in excess of what is normally expected at the current time of year.

Crop Progress Percents

Progress percents relate to acres and should indicate the progress of field activities or crop development. Generally, an 

acre should be considered in or beyond a phenological stage when 50 percent or more of the plants in that acre are in or 

beyond that stage.

 Planted: A crop is considered planted when the seeds are placed in the ground. For transplanted crops, the 

planting period refers to the time of setting the plants in the field.

 Harvested: A crop is considered harvested when the crop is cut, threshed, or otherwise gathered from the field.

Phenological Stages - Corn

 Emerged: As soon as the plants are visible.

 Silking: The emergence of silk-like strands from the end of ears. Occurs approximately 10 days after the tassel 

first begins to emerge from the sheath, or 2-4 days after the tassel is emerged.

 Dough: Normally half of the kernels are showing dent with some thick or dough-like substance in all kernels.

 Dent: Occurs when all kernels are fully dented and the ear is firm and solid. There is no milk present in most 

kernels.

 Mature: Plant is considered safe from frost. Corn is about ready to harvest with shucks opening and there is no 

green foliage present.

Phenological Stages - Soybeans

 Emerged: As soon as the plants are visible.

 Blooming: A plant should be considered blooming as soon as one bloom appears.

 Setting Pods: Pods are developing on the lower nodes with some blooming still occurring on the upper nodes.

 Dropping Leaves: Leaves near the bottom of the plant are yellow and dropping, while leaves at the very top may 

still be green. Leaves are 30-50 percent yellow.

Phenological Stages - Cotton

 Squaring: A plant should be considered as squaring after the appearance of a small triangular leaf-like structure 

on the growing tip of the main stem and/or branches.

 Setting Bolls: A plant should be considered as setting bolls as soon as one bloom or boll is visible.

 Bolls Opening: A plant should be considered in this stage as soon as white fibers are visible on at least one boll.
Phenological Stages - Sorghum

 Headed: The head is present, visible, and fully emerged.

 Coloring: The head is turning color from green to reddish brown or white. Leaves are also turning yellow or 

brown.

 Mature: Grains readily part from the head and are tough and not easily crushed by the thumbnail.

Phenological Stages - Peanuts

 Pegging: After pollination, when the plant’s petals begin to wither and fall, a stalk called the peg forms and 

begins to grow toward the ground.

Phenological Stages – Barley, Oats, Rice, Wheat

 Emerged: As soon as the plants are visible.

 Headed: The head is present, visible, and fully emerged.
States included in the estimating program.

The states included in the program for each crop are reviewed following each Census of Agriculture and adjusted to 

ensure the highest coverage of of U.S. acreage while minimizing the number of states.

Barley

Estimating States and Items States

Removed

States From Program

Percent

Planted

Percent

Emerged

Percent

Headed

Percent

Harvested Condition

Idaho P P P P P None

Minnesota P P P P P

Montana P P P P P

North Dakota P P P P P

Washington P P P P P

P = Published

Corn

Estimating States and Items States

Removed

States From Program

Percent

Planted

Percent

Emerged

Percent

Silking

Percent

Dough

Percent

Dented

Percent

Mature

Percent

Harvested Condition

Colorado P P P P P P P P None

Illinois P P P P P P P P

Indiana P P P P P P P P

Iowa P P P P P P P P

Kansas P P P P P P P P

Kentucky P P P P P P P P

Michigan P P P P P P P P

Minnesota P P P P P P P P

Missouri P P P P P P P P

Nebraska P P P P P P P P

North Carolina P P P P P P P P

North Dakota P P P P P P P P

Ohio P P P P P P P P

Pennsylvania P P P P P P P P

South Dakota P P P P P P P P

Tennessee P P P P P P P P

Texas P P P P P P P P

Wisconsin P P P P P P P P

P = Published
Cotton

Estimating States and Items States

Removed

States From Program

Percent

Planted

Percent

Squaring

Percent

Setting Bolls

Percent

Bolls Opening

Percent

Harvested Condition

Alabama P P P P P P None

Arizona P P P P P P

Arkansas P P P P P P

California P P P P P P

Georgia P P P P P P

Kansas P P P P P P

Louisiana P P P P P P

Mississippi P P P P P P

Missouri P P P P P P

North Carolina P P P P P P

Oklahoma P P P P P P

South Carolina P P P P P P

Tennessee P P P P P P

Texas P P P P P P

Virginia P P P P P P

P = Published

Oats

Estimating States and Items States

Removed

States From Program

Percent

Planted

Percent

Emerged

Percent

Headed

Percent

Harvested Condition

Iowa P P P P P None

Minnesota P P P P P

Nebraska P P P P P

North Dakota P P P P P

Ohio P P P P P

Pennsylvania P P P P P

South Dakota P P P P P

Texas P P P P P

Wisconsin P P P P P

P = Published
Peanuts

Estimating States and Items States

Removed

States From Program

Percent

Planted

Percent

Pegging

Percent

Harvested Condition

Alabama P P P P None

Florida P P P P

Georgia P P P P

North Carolina P P P P

Oklahoma P P P P

South Carolina P P P P

Texas P P P P

Virginia P P P P

P = Published

Rice

Estimating States and Items States

Removed

States From Program

Percent

Planted

Percent

Emerged

Percent

Headed

Percent

Harvested Condition

Arkansas P P P P P None

California P P P P P

Louisiana P P P P P

Mississippi P P P P P

Missouri P P P P P

Texas P P P P P

P = Published

Sorghum

Estimating States and Items States

Removed

States From Program

Percent

Planted

Percent

Headed

Percent

Coloring

Percent

Mature

Percent

Harvested Condition

Colorado P P P P P P Arkansas

Kansas P P P P P P Illinois

Nebraska P P P P P P Louisiana

Oklahoma P P P P P P Missouri

South Dakota P P P P P P New Mexico

Texas P P P P P P

P = Published
Soybeans

Estimating States and Items States

Removed

States From Program Percent

Planted

Percent

Emerged

Percent

Blooming

Percent

Setting Pods

Percent

Dropping 

Leaves

Percent

Harvested Condition

Arkansas P P P P P P P None

Illinois P P P P P P P

Indiana P P P P P P P

Iowa P P P P P P P

Kansas P P P P P P P

Kentucky P P P P P P P

Louisiana P P P P P P P

Michigan P P P P P P P

Minnesota P P P P P P P

Mississippi P P P P P P P

Missouri P P P P P P P

Nebraska P P P P P P P

North Carolina P P P P P P P

North Dakota P P P P P P P

Ohio P P P P P P P

South Dakota P P P P P P P

Tennessee P P P P P P P

Wisconsin P P P P P P P

P = Published

Sugarbeets

Estimating States and Items States

Removed

States From Program

Percent

Planted

Percent

Harvested Condition

Idaho P P P None

Michigan P P P

Minnesota P P P

North Dakota P P P

P = Published

Sunflowers

Estimating States and Items States

Removed

States From Program

Percent

Planted

Percent

Harvested Condition

Colorado P P P None

Kansas P P P

North Dakota P P P

South Dakota P P P

P = Published
Spring Wheat

Estimating States and Items States

Removed

States From Program

Percent

Planted

Percent

Emerged

Percent

Headed

Percent

Harvested Condition

Idaho P P P P P None

Minnesota P P P P P

Montana P P P P P

North Dakota P P P P P

South Dakota P P P P P

Washington P P P P P

P = Published

Winter Wheat

Estimating States and Items States

Removed

States From Program

Percent

Planted

Percent

Emerged

Percent

Headed

Percent

Harvested Condition

Arkansas P P P P P None

California P P P P P

Colorado P P P P P

Idaho P P P P P

Illinois P P P P P

Indiana P P P P P

Kansas P P P P P

Michigan P P P P P

Missouri P P P P P

Montana P P P P P

Nebraska P P P P P

North Carolina P P P P P

Ohio P P P P P

Oklahoma P P P P P

Oregon P P P P P

South Dakota P P P P P

Texas P P P P P

Washington P P P P P

P = Published
Pasture & Range, Topsoil, Subsoil, Days Suitable

Estimating States and Items

State

Pasture & Range

Condition

Topsiol

Moisture

Subsoil

Moisture

Days Suitable

For Fieldwork

Removed

From Program

Alabama P P P P None

Arizona P P P P

Arkansas P P P P

California P P P P

Colorado P P P P

Connecticut P P P P

Delaware P P P P

Florida P P P P

Georgia P P P P

Idaho P P P P

Illinois P P P P

Indiana P P P P

Iowa P P P P

Kansas P P P P

Kentucky P P P P

Louisiana P P P P

Maine P P P P

Maryland P P P P

Massachusetts P P P P

Michigan P P P P

Minnesota P P P P

Mississippi P P P P

Missouri P P P P

Montana P P P P

Nebraska P P P P

Nevada P P P P

New Hampshire P P P P

New Jersey P P P P

New Mexico P P P P

New York P P P P

North Carolina P P P P

North Dakota P P P P

Ohio P P P P

Oklahoma P P P P

Oregon P P P P

Pennsylvania P P P P

Rhode Island P P P P

South Carolina P P P P

South Dakota P P P P

Tennessee P P P P

Texas P P P P

Utah P P P P

Vermont P P P P

Virginia P P P P

Washington P P P P

West Virginia P P P P

Wisconsin P P P P

Wyoming P P P P

P = Published