28% of Nebraska corn in dough stage; 84% rated good to excellent

USDA's weekly crop progress update released today said 28 percent of Nebraska's corn crop is in the dough stage, which is even with the five-year average but 10 points ahead of last year. Ninety-five percent of the state's crop is silking, 3 points ahead of the average and 7 points ahead of last year.

Nationally, 31 percent of the crop is in the dough stage, which is 7 points ahead of average and 18 points ahead of last year. USDA said 93 percent of the nation's corn crop is silking, 7 points ahead of average and 19 points ahead of last year.

It's a bit early for much of a dented estimate, but USDA did note that 2 percent of Nebraska's crop was dented - double the 1 percent average. Nationally, 7 percent of the crop was dented, up from the 5 percent average.

As for overall crop conditions, USDA said 84 percent of Nebraska's corn crop was rated good to excellent, with 11 percent as fair and only 5 percent poor or very poor. A year ago, 79 percent was rated good to excellent.

Nationally, 71 percent of the crop is good to excellent, with 19 percent fair and 10 percent poor or very poor – pretty much the same as last week. Last year, 68 percent of the crop was rated good to excellent.

This week's photos, from the Nebraska Corn Board's crop progress set on Flickr, feature photos submitted by the Heartland FFA chapter (top) and Howells-Clarkson FFA chapter (bottom).