COLORADO HIGHLIGHTS

As of March 1, Colorado growers intend to plant 1.45 million acres of corn for all purposes in 2022, up 70,000 acres, or 5 percent from last year's plantings, according to the March 1 Agricultural Survey conducted by the Mountain Regional Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA. Sorghum planting intentions total 465,000 acres, down 30,000 acres from last year. Growers intend to plant 63,000 acres of barley in 2022, up 11,000 acres from last year's actual plantings.

Winter wheat seeded last fall for harvest in 2022 is estimated at 2.10 million acres, down 100,000 acres from the 2021 crop. Hay producers in the state intend to harvest 1.55 million acres this year. This is up 70,000 acres from the acreage cut for hay in 2021, and if realized, would be the largest acreage cut for hay since 2011. Growers intend to plant 67,000 acres of sunflowers this year, up 14,000 acres from what they planted in 2021. The acreage of oil varieties is expected to total 52,000 acres, up 11,000 acres from last year's plantings. The area for non-oil varieties is expected to be up 3,000 acres to 15,000 acres this year.

The area planted to sugarbeets is expected to be up 700 acres from last year's actual plantings to 25,000 acres. Dry edible bean acreage is expected to total 33,000 acres, unchanged from the acres planted in 2021. As of March 27, mountain snowpack was 92 percent of average, statewide. Final acreages actually planted for several crops will be determined by irrigation water prospects, soil moisture levels at planting time, and changes in economic conditions between now and actual planting.

UNITED STATES HIGHLIGHTS

Corn planted area for all purposes in 2022 is estimated at 89.5 million acres, down 4 percent or 3.87 million acres from last year.

Compared with last year, planted acreage is expected to be down or unchanged in 43 of the 48 estimating States.

Sorghum growers intend to plant 6.21 million acres of sorghum for all purposes in 2022, down 15 percent from last year.

Producers intend to seed 2.94 million acres of barley for the 2022 crop year, up 11 percent from the previous year.

All wheat planted area for 2022 is estimated at 47.4 million acres, up 1 percent from 2021. If realized, this represents the fifth lowest all wheat planted area since records began in 1919. The 2022 winter wheat planted area, at 34.2 million acres, is up 2 percent from last year but down less than 1 percent from the previous estimate. Of this total, about 23.7 million acres are Hard Red Winter, 6.89 million acres are Soft Red Winter, and 3.62 million acres are White Winter. Area expected to be planted to other spring wheat for 2022 is estimated at 11.2 million acres, down 2 percent from 2021. Of this total, about 10.5 million acres are Hard Red Spring wheat. Durum planted area for 2022 is expected to total 1.92 million acres, up 17 percent from the previous year.

Producers intend to harvest 50.3 million acres of all hay in 2022, down 1 percent from 2021. If realized, this will represent the lowest total hay harvested area since 1907.

Sunflower growers intend to plant 1.42 million acres in 2022, an increase of 10 percent from 2021. Despite the increase compared with last year, this will represent the fifth lowest planted area on record for the Nation since 1976, if realized. Area intended for oil type varieties, at 1.27 million acres, is up 8 percent from 2021 and will be the sixth lowest since 1976, if realized. Area intended for non-oil varieties, at 142,000 acres, is up 29 percent from last year but will still represent the third lowest acreage on record for the Nation, if realized. Area expected to be planted to sugarbeets for the 2022 crop year is estimated at 1.14 million acres, down 1 percent from 2021.

Growers intend to plant 1.31 million acres of dry edible beans in 2022, down 6 percent from the previous year.