Relatively widespread precipitation fell in the eastern Midwest states such as Indiana and Ohio, helping to mitigate rainfall deficits in parched areas and aiding corn kernel and soybean pod fill, the analysts said.
However, some analysts predicted lower corn and soybean crop ratings as field conditions typically decline seasonally in the hottest days of the summer and as the earliest-planted fields reach maturity.
The weekly crop progress and conditions report, due at 3 p.m. CDT (2000 GMT), will follow Friday's USDA's monthly supply and demand report that predicted record-large corn and soybean yields, based in part on historically high condition ratings.
Analysts on average estimated corn ratings at 74 percent good to excellent, unchanged after a decline of 2 percentage points in the previous week. Soybean ratings were seen at 72 percent good to excellent.
The spring wheat harvest was estimated at 45 percent complete, up from 30 percent last week.