Planting Progress

The "Planting Progress" product provides simulated estimates of real-time, forecast, and climatological data of crop planting beginning early in the season in the southern part of the US and progressively moving north during the late spring. An example of the Planting Progress product in map form is shown below at the county scale for the conterminous US on June 30, 2008. The Planting Progress product sets the stage for the growing season by providing the pattern of planting according to simulated soil conditions. The deterministic model tracks the warming of the soil after winter months and identifies the most likely planting days based on local conditions and historical patterns.

Day-by-day model simulations estimate the accumulated percentage of crop area planted for corn and soybean. These computer-generated estimates are reconciled on a weekly basis to the greatest extent possible with the NASS planting reports. Examples of reconciled estimates of accumulated percentage of planted crop is shown in the chart below for three US crop reporting districts in Illinois (IL50), Iowa (IA20), and Missouri (MO40) over the spring portion of the growing season.

A careful inspection of the planting progress curves in the chart above shows three subtlety different planting patterns. Curves such as these can be created from the data provided in a downloadable report from the CropForecaster website. In addition to viewing an early season curve, clients can, via a website tool, subtract two dates at a given location to see the change or "intensity" of a planting trend in terms of percent for the interval. Percents can be translated to acres by using the acreage tables in a spreadsheet or database.