Corn Has Reached Silking Stage
Published: Friday, July 31, 2026
Indiana and Michigan crops continued to advance through key stages of development while maintaining generally favorable condition ratings, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service Crop Progress report released Monday.
Indiana's corn crop reached 75% silking by Sunday, slightly ahead of last year's 74% but below the five-year average of 80%. Corn in the dough stage reached 18%, matching the previous week-to-week pace but trailing the five-year average of 25%. Despite the slower development, crop conditions remained strong, with 61% of Indiana's corn rated good and 19% rated excellent. Another 15% was rated fair, while just 6% fell into poor or very poor categories.
Michigan corn development also remained behind historical averages. Silking reached 59%, compared with the five-year average of 64%, while corn entering the dough stage stood at 9%, well below the 15% average. However, crop health remained positive, with 57% of the state's corn rated good and 20% rated excellent. Only 5% of the crop was rated poor or very poor.
Soybean development showed mixed progress in both states. In Indiana, 70% of soybeans were blooming, slightly ahead of last year's 68% but behind the five-year average of 77%. Pod setting reached 36%, close to the historical average of 43%. Soybean conditions mirrored the state's corn crop, with 62% rated good and 24% excellent, leaving just 6% in poor or very poor condition.
Michigan soybeans reached 70% blooming, exceeding the five-year average of 67%, while 33% had set pods, ahead of the long-term average of 25%. Crop conditions remained favorable, with 61% rated good and 29% excellent. Only 4% of Michigan's soybean crop was rated poor or very poor.
Nationally, 74% of the U.S. corn crop had reached the silking stage, while 22% was in the dough stage. Across the 18 major corn-producing states, 63% of corn was rated good to excellent, while 71% of soybeans earned good-to-excellent ratings.
Indiana and Michigan farmers made further progress in the 2026 winter wheat harvest, according to the latest crop report. Indiana reached 98% harvested by Sunday, matching the previous week's pace and exceeding the five-year average of 98%. Michigan advanced to 80%, up from 61% a week earlier and well above 73% at the same time last year, while surpassing the five-year average of 71%.
Nationwide, the 18 major winter wheat producing states were 79% harvested, compared with 81% last year and a five-year average of 79%, reflecting mixed harvest conditions across key producing regions overall.
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