mn-crop-weather State Minnesota Weekly Crop-Weather Week Ending Date Week Ending October 12, 2008 Issue MN-CW-41-08 Agricultural Summary Farmers made good progress harvesting soybeans despite rain which interrupted field work throughout the past week, according to USDA, NASS, Minnesota Field Office. Approximately 20 percent of the soybean crop was harvested last week, but total harvest progress continued to lag behind the average. Corn for silage was almost entirely harvested, but harvest of corn for grain was moving slowly. Topsoil moisture supplies benefited from last week's precipitation. The average temperature for the week was 54.0 degrees, 4.5 degrees above normal. Statewide topsoil moisture supplies as of Friday, October 10th, were 3 percent very short, 14 short, 69 adequate, and 14 surplus. Statewide, on average, there were 3.9 days suitable for fieldwork during the week. Field Crops Summary As of Sunday, October 12th, 83 percent of the corn was mature, compared to 100 percent last year and 96 percent average. Five percent of the corn crop was harvested, compared to 41 percent last year and 24 percent average. Soybeans were 96 percent mature, compared to 99 percent last year and 97 percent average. Soybean harvest reached 67 percent, compared to 81 percent last year and 74 percent average. Sugarbeet harvest was at 59 percent complete, compared to 63 percent both last year and average. Potato harvest was at 93 percent, compared to 88 percent last year and 86 percent average. As of Friday, October 10th, 64 percent of corn and 57 percent of soybeans were rated in good or excellent condition. Seventy-three percent of sunflowers and 42 percent of pasture were rated in good or excellent condition. Days Suitable for Fieldwork Table Days Suitable for Fieldwork: 3.9 Soil Moisture Table Very Short Short Adequate Surplus Topsoil Moisture (%) 3 14 69 14 Crop Progress Table Crop Progress as of October 12, 2008 Stage of This Last Last 5 Yr Crop Development Week Week Year Avg Percent Corn Mature 83 70 100 96 Harvested 5 3 41 24 Moisture 24 28 19 21 Corn Silage Harvested 96 92 99 96 Soybeans Mature 96 85 99 97 Harvested 67 46 81 74 Moisture 12 13 13 12 Sugarbeets Harvested 59 38 63 63 Potatoes Harvested 93 73 88 86 Canola Harvested 98 96 100 100 Dry Beans Harvested 93 90 93 89 Sunflowers Harvested 16 2 18 23 Crop Condition Table Crop Condition as of October 10, 2008 in % Very Poor Poor Fair Good Exc Corn 5 9 22 53 11 Soybeans 4 10 29 50 7 Sugarbeets 0 1 19 64 16 Sunflowers 1 4 22 56 17 Pasture 10 15 33 39 3 Weather Information Table Precipitation and Temperature Summary for 10/6/2008 through 10/12/2008 Temperature Precipitation G D D High Low Week Depart Week Depart From Norm Since Depart Ave from Total Past Four Since May from Norm Week Weeks 4/1 14 Norm NW DIST 1 Crookston 69 39 53.2 5.4 3.30 2.85 2.53 3.94 2071 -128 Moorhead 67 38 52.0 2.9 2.78 2.30 1.89 9.00 2287 -24 Warroad 63 33 48.3 2.6 2.00 1.55 .76 3.89 1762 -146 NC DIST 2 Grand Rapids 66 37 50.0 2.9 2.16 1.50 2.03 1.08 1978 55 Intl. Falls 64 29 48.2 3.2 1.63 1.14 -.11 2.54 1601 -181 Itasca 63 33 48.8 3.9 4.39 3.77 2.16 4.81 1845 50 NE DIST 3 Duluth 65 39 50.5 3.8 1.82 1.22 1.06 2.39 1685 -38 Grand Marais 66 43 53.4 6.1 1.62 .99 1.79 7.50 1274 -109 Hibbing 65 31 48.0 2.6 1.84 1.23 1.00 -.55 1667 -84 WC DIST 4 Alexandria 69 40 53.0 4.2 2.98 2.46 2.27 .85 2219 -4 Browns Valley 68 39 50.8 .5 2.16 1.75 1.52 5.07 2362 -98 Canby 72 43 54.0 1.4 2.38 1.89 1.19 -1.10 2563 -48 Dalton 67 34 51.8 1.8 2.33 1.85 2.09 4.04 2369 62 Fergus Falls 66 37 50.5 1.8 3.16 2.68 2.74 3.45 2229 -22 Montevideo 73 37 54.2 3.3 2.06 1.60 1.63 -.76 2444 -23 Morris 73 36 52.0 2.3 2.57 2.03 1.69 -.27 2274 -107 CENT DIST 5 Becker 74 40 54.8 5.3 1.15 .63 -.28 -.53 2408 162 Collegeville 72 40 56.4 4.1 1.92 1.33 1.08 2.01 2494 -26 Hutchinson 74 39 56.8 5.8 .80 .37 -.00 -.86 2482 2 Olivia 75 36 57.0 6.7 1.70 1.24 .19 1.18 2349 -59 St. Cloud 73 37 55.6 6.9 1.59 1.06 .35 1.04 2284 96 Staples 66 36 51.0 3.3 3.57 2.96 3.22 1.24 1991 10 Willmar 74 37 54.9 4.6 1.87 1.36 .86 -2.38 2435 28 EC DIST 6 Aitkin 66 41 51.8 4.6 2.33 1.74 1.38 -.83 2043 169 Forest Lake 76 39 55.3 4.5 .87 .28 -.23 -1.96 2433 67 Hinckley 72 37 50.8 4.2 2.22 1.59 2.11 7.57m 1834 -123 MSP Airport 78 42 59.5 7.4 1.06 .58 -.18 -4.64 2776 188 St. Paul - UofM 77 41 60.6 6.7 1.34 .76 -.28 -6.68 2727 46 SW DIST 7 Lamberton 77 38 56.2 4.9 2.23 1.77 .64 -2.14 2559 47 Pipestone 73 34 54.2 4.1 2.59 2.06 .99 -.05 2362 -53 Redwood Falls 78 38 59.2 6.4 1.51 1.08 .13 -1.41 2603 -67 Worthington 75 39 57.2 7.1 1.53 1.08 1.02 2.06 2500 142 SC DIST 8 Faribault 75 34 54.8 4.2 .84 .32 -.88 -2.71 2473 64 Mankato 77 36 57.3 5.6 .71 .14 -1.10 -5.78 2506 -7 Waseca 76 32 56.5 5.3 .75 .18 -1.11 -2.76 2468 13 Winnebago 79 37 58.8 6.4 .90 .35 -.39 -3.73 2647 95 SE DIST 9 Preston 77 33 55.4 4.2 1.12 .57 -.79 4.95 2436 106 Red Wing 76 44 58.0 6.3 1.07 .54 -.73 -2.92 2524 22 Rochester 80 40 59.8 9.5 1.67 1.16 .88 .35 2499 209 Rosemount 76 39 56.5 4.8 1.10 .52 -.33 -3.94 2440 49 Winona 75 42 56.6 4.3 .57 .06 -1.62 .72 2411 -135 m=some data missing Corn growing degree days (GDD) are calculated by subtracting a 50 degree base temperature from the average of the maximum and minimum temperature for the day. The daily maximum is limited to 86 degrees and minimum of 50 degrees. Contact Information USDA, NASS MINNESOTA FIELD OFFICE IN COOPERATION WITH THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE- CHANHASSEN MN, UNIV. OF MINN. EXTENSION SERVICE, DNR STATE CLIMATOLOGY OFFICE, USDA-FSA, AND USDA-NRCS USDA-NASS MINNESOTA FIELD OFFICE Minnesota Department of Agriculture PO Box 7068, St. Paul, MN 55107 Phone: (651) 296-2230 E-mail: nass-mn@nass.usda.gov Homepage: http://www.nass.usda.gov/mn/