Median Crop Stage

The "Median Crop Stage" product provides simulated estimates of real-time, forecast, and climatological data of crop development throughout the growing season. The Median Crop Stage product depicts the "Hanway" definitions of phenological stages, which begin at planting, followed by emergence, leaf number, reproductive events, grain filling and maturity.

The product tracks the physiological aging of the "median planting" population along with an historical range of maturity groups. That is, it represents the average development of popular hybrids as opposed to early or late-planted crops. An example of the Median Crop Stage product in map form is shown below at the county scale for the conterminous US on June 30, 2008.

Strategically-collected satellite imagery midway in the growing season provides seasonal corrections to the median crop stage simulations.