According to USDA data for the week ending July 13, 7% of the nation's corn is at the dough growth stage, reflecting a slightly accelerated pace compared to the five-year average. The dough stage is a pivotal moment in the corn lifecycle, indicating kernel filling and influencing final yield potential.

Texas remains the leader, with 69% of its crop in the dough stage-9 points ahead of the five-year average. The state's corn condition is also robust, with 70% rated good to excellent, suggesting strong production prospects if late-season weather remains favorable.

Following Texas, North Carolina has reached 50% dough stage, jumping 13 points in one week. The state's crop is in exceptional shape, with 82% rated good to excellent-one of the highest quality scores nationwide.

Tennessee shows accelerated development as well, with 30% of corn in dough stage, significantly above its 23% five-year average. Nearly 70% of its crop is rated in top-tier condition.

Other states showing notable progress:

Missouri at 20%, ahead of its loterm average but trailing last year's pace.

Kentucky at 12%, doubling last week's number and surpassing historical benchmarks.

Kansas reached 11%, up sharply from prior week and tracking above five-year trends.

States around or just under the national average include:

Illinois (6%), progressing steadily, with 68% of corn in good/excellent condition.

Iowa and Nebraska (5%) each, both showing moderate gains while maintaining very strong condition ratings of 85% and 77%, respectively.

States at the early edge of dough development:

Indiana and Minnesota, both at 1%, are either on par or slightly ahead of their historical averages. Indiana's crop quality is more mixed, with 62% rated good to excellent compared to Minnesota's 74%.

Overall, crop condition remains solid nationwide: most reporting states fall in the 65-85% good/excellent range. This bodes well for national yield projections as the crop enters its reproductive and grain-fill phases.

The timing of dough development is critical for agronomists and co-op managers, particularly for adjusting irrigation plans, fertilizer applications, and harvest scheduling. These benchmarks also intersect with crop insurance coverage windows and yield forecasts-key factors as discussions around the 2025 Farm Bill intensify.

For producers, the strong condition ratings combined with earlier-than-average development in several regions may signal a potentially strong harvest-assuming late-summer heat and precipitation trends remain favorable. Conversely, pockets of slow progress in parts of the Midwest highlight the need for localized risk assessments, especially in areas where soil moisture remains marginal.