Corn crop still slow, but catching up

A slow planting season has begun to even out for the U.S. corn crop, now 93 percent planted and 73 percent emerged, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said.

Planting at this week of the year is historically 97 percent completed. While the crop lagged far behind its five-year average for most of the spring, the historic average for emergence is 86 percent for this week of the year, meaning the crop is catching up after a slow start.

Slowed by floods, Illinois and Indiana remain far behind with 52 percent of the corn crop emerged against five-year averages of 92 percent and 85 percent, respectively, the weekly crop report said.

Soybeans are 66 percent planted against an historic average of 79 percent for this time of year. Spring wheat is 89 percent planted, compared to the historic average of 98 percent. The winter wheat crop is 77 percent headed out, close to the historic average of 81 percent for this time of year.