Wheat emergence The final Crop Progress report for 2024 shows significant improvement in winter wheat. The USDA reported that 55% of winter wheat was in good to excellent condition as of November 24. Winter wheat planting is now 97% complete. This is a mere 1% behind the five-year average of 98%.

The report estimated that 89% of the crop had emerged, which is equal to the five-year average.

DTN Analyst Rhett Montgomery says winter wheat conditions have shown drastic improvement over the past month. The initial ratings were the worst since the report’s inception in 1986. The percentage of winter wheat in good to excellent condition improved by six points from the previous week to 55%. That is ahead of last year’s rating of 50%. Twelve percent of the crop was rated poor to very poor.

Forecasters predict cold air will settle as far south as Kansas or the Texas Panhandle this week. This could push the winter wheat crop toward dormancy.

Read more on the winter wheat crop here.