Yesterday’s USDA Crop Progress Report verifies that the gap between last year’s progress has narrowed over the last week as a result of a favorable weather pattern in the Midwest.  As of 29 May, the 18 major growing states are at 86% complete, vs. 97% last year and the 5 year average of 95% (see [...]

Author: Michael Ferrari, PhD
VP, Applied Technology & Research

The above graphic from the Indian Met Department shows the advance of the 2011 Monsoon as compared to typical onset milestone dates.  As we can see by the progression as of 29-30 May, as well as on the inset map, the convective activity originating over the southern subcontinent [...]

Author: Michael Ferrari, PhD
VP, Applied Technology & Research
 

The table above from this week’s USDA Crop Progress report underscores the effect that delayed planting this year has exerted on emergence of the crop.  In spite of planting progress that has picked up over the last 10 days, some regions may start to run into situations where [...]

April resulted in no significant weather improvements across the North China Plain, as a lack of sustained precipitation will affect the current crop more than many analysts currently appreciate.  The dry pattern already has limited winter wheat crops, and looking ahead, there will likely be limitations in yields for the coming season as planting and [...]

The La Nina pattern continues to drift towards neutral conditions, but the transition is slow.  Pacific equatorial SSTs cold anomalies have dissipated further since last month’s report, and colder water is now present in the North Atlantic.  However, the Southern Oscillation Index finished April with another month strongly in positive territory, and the leading edge [...]