NAPERVILLE, Illinois, July 1 (Reuters) - U.S. Crop Watch corn and soybean conditions both improved this week after a stretch of mostly supportive weather, but half of the producers still have ongoing crop concerns, particularly on corn.

Crop Watch locations in the Dakotas and Minnesota have been too wet and cool while dryness has plagued Ohio and southeastern Illinois. Nearly the entire Corn Belt has precipitation chances this week, though continued cool temperatures in the northwest Belt offset some of the forecast’s favorability.

Crop Watch producers assign weekly condition scores to their corn and soybean fields using a scale of 1 to 5. The ratings are similar to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s system where 1 is very poor, 3 is average and 5 is excellent.

However, the Crop Watch condition scores, unlike USDA’s, are more of a visual assessment and do not incorporate yield assumptions. Yield ratings are expected within a week or two.

The unweighted, 11-field average corn condition rose to 3.5 from 3.45 a week earlier after a large improvement in western Iowa and smaller gains in North Dakota and Indiana offset declines in Ohio and southeastern Illinois.

Soybean conditions rose to 3.8 from 3.75 in the prior week as slight gains in western Iowa, southeastern Illinois and Indiana offset a small downgrade in South Dakota.

No rain fell last week in southeastern Illinois, bringing total June rainfall to under a half-inch, and Ohio received half an inch of rain last week over four events. Corn leaves are rolling in both locations, but both producers report that soybeans are still thriving despite the dryness.

The South Dakota and Minnesota locations received between 2 and 3 inches of rain last week following 6-plus inches in the prior week. Both producers report yellowing corn due to the saturation and lack of oxygen, and herbicide applications are very behind schedule. Heat is greatly needed.

Only a half-inch of rain fell in North Dakota last week, but temperatures have been far too cool to promote optimal corn and soybean growth. However, the cooler weather has been great for small grains as spring wheat in the area has begun the heading process.

The winter wheat harvest in Kansas finished out with average but better-than-expected yields, and row crops there have been kept stable in the heat with modest showers. Temperatures have been favorable in Nebraska, though possibly heavier rains ahead are of concern after the recent flooding.

The happiest Crop Watch producers are in Iowa and Indiana, where weather has been lacking in drama. This also largely applies to western Illinois, though the early emergence issues still exist on the corn.

Crop Watch follows 11 corn and 11 soybean fields across nine U.S. states, including two each in Iowa and Illinois, and this is the seventh year of the project.

The following are the states and counties of the 2024 Crop Watch corn and soybean fields: Kingsbury, South Dakota; Freeborn, Minnesota; Burt, Nebraska; Rice, Kansas; Audubon, Iowa; Cedar, Iowa; Warren, Illinois; Crawford, Illinois; Tippecanoe, Indiana; Fairfield, Ohio. The North Dakota soybeans are in Griggs County and the corn is in Stutsman County. Karen Braun is a market analyst for Reuters. Views expressed above are her own. (Reporting by Karen Braun in Naperville, Illinois Editing by Matthew Lewis)