mn-crop-weather State Minnesota Weekly Crop-Weather Week Ending Date Week Ending October 19, 2008 Issue MN-CW-42-08 Agricultural Summary Farmers harvested nearly twenty percent of the corn in Minnesota as of Sunday, October 19th, according to USDA, NASS, Minnesota Field Office. Harvest advanced even though the average statewide moisture content of the corn being harvested was 23 percent, which is above the five-year average of 20 percent. Soybean harvest continued to make progress as well and potato harvest was almost complete. The average temperature for the week was 46.7 degrees, 0.4 degrees above normal. Statewide topsoil moisture supplies as of Friday, October 17th, were 1 percent very short, 9 short, 72 adequate, and 18 surplus. Statewide, on average, there were 3.9 days suitable for fieldwork during the week. Field Crops Summary As of Sunday, October 19th, 95 percent of the corn was mature, compared to 100 percent last year and 99 percent average. Nineteen percent of the corn crop was harvested, compared to 51 percent last year and 43 percent average. Soybean harvest reached 83 percent complete, compared to 85 percent last year and 88 percent average. Sugarbeet harvest was at 80 percent complete, compared to 78 percent last year and 87 percent average. Potato harvest was at 98 percent, compared to 93 percent last year and 95 percent average. As of Friday, October 17th, 70 percent of corn was rated in good or excellent condition. Sixty-eight percent of sunflowers and 45 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 (%) 1 9 72 18 Crop Progress Table Crop Progress as of October 19, 2008 Stage of This Last Last 5 Yr Crop Development Week Week Year Avg Percent Corn Mature 95 83 100 99 Harvested 19 5 51 43 Moisture 23 24 19 20 Soybeans Harvested 83 67 85 88 Moisture 13 12 14 12 Sugarbeets Harvested 80 59 78 87 Potatoes Harvested 98 93 93 95 Sunflowers Harvested 33 16 27 39 Crop Condition Table Crop Condition as of October 17, 2008 in % Very Poor Poor Fair Good Exc Corn 4 7 19 58 12 Sunflowers 1 4 27 60 8 Pasture 3 16 36 41 4 Weather Information Table Precipitation and Temperature Summary for 10/13/2008 through 10/19/2008 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 74 31 46.8 2.4 .40 -.02 3.02 3.91 2101 -120 Moorhead 61 31 45.6 -.1 .13 -.32 2.06 8.68 2306 -29 Warroad 65 30 45.5 3.0 .48 .08 1.43 3.97 1783 -143 NC DIST 2 Grand Rapids 65 33 46.3 2.2 .15 -.48 2.26 .60 1999 55 Intl. Falls 64 29 43.6 1.6 .20 -.23 .37 2.31 1617 -182 Itasca 64 32 44.6 2.8 .71 .12 2.84 4.94 1859 48 NE DIST 3 Duluth 64 33 45.0 1.2 .15 -.37 1.66 2.02 1699 -45 Grand Marais 65 33 46.6 1.9 .20 -.38 2.21 7.12 1289 -115 Hibbing 66 24 43.6 1.3 .18 -.38 1.36 -.93 1685 -84 WC DIST 4 Alexandria 63 30 46.2 .7 .20 -.29 2.58 .55 2241 -6 Browns Valley 66 27 45.4 -1.6 .51 .11 2.04 5.18 2391 -96 Canby 70 30 47.3 -2.0 .11 -.37 1.22 -1.47 2594 -52 Dalton 67 32 46.0 -.7 .53 .06 2.46 4.10 2394 60 Fergus Falls 67 30 44.3 -1.1 .60 .13 3.18 3.58 2252 -22 Montevideo 64 27 46.2 -1.3 .36 -.09 1.95 -.85 2472 -25 Morris 67 27 44.4 -2.0 .54 -.00 1.75 -.27 2299 -108 CENT DIST 5 Becker 76 30 48.4 2.0 0 -.48 -.11 -1.01 2441 168 Collegeville 70 32 49.8 .7 .18 -.38 1.40 1.63 2528 -26 Hutchinson 76 30 48.5 .7 .16 -.27 -.31 -1.13 2514 2 Melrose 70 30 45.0 -1.3 .34 -.22 1.72 .68 2135 -255 Olivia 73 27 45.4 -1.7 .22 -.20 .22 .98 2380 -57 St. Cloud 69 29 46.8 1.2 .20 -.30 .68 .73 2313 100 Staples 69 30 44.9 .3 .76 .16 3.97 1.40 2012 10 Willmar 71 30 46.0 -1.0 .33 -.16 .78 -2.54 2463 28 EC DIST 6 Aitkin 66 32 46.9 2.6 .37 -.19 1.71 -.85 2081 183 Forest Lake 76 30 50.1 2.3 .44 -.12 -.25 -2.08 2482 83 Hinckley 71 28 46.2 2.5 .23 -.37 2.22 7.20 1866 -111 MSP Airport 70 35 49.2 .2 .45 -.02 .39 -4.66 2806 183 St. Paul - UofM 76 33 49.5 -1.2 .50 -.06 .35 -6.74 2758 35 SW DIST 7 Lamberton 76 26 47.1 -1.0 .13 -.30 .81 -2.44 2595 51 Marshall 62 31 46.7 -2.1 .05 -.39 1.35 -.16 2708 94 Pipestone 70 24 43.8 -3.1 .45 -.05 1.56 -.10 2385 -58 Redwood Falls 70 29 48.8 -.7 .20 -.22 .47 -1.62 2644 -63 Worthington 74 28 45.8 -1.1 .40 -.03 1.56 2.02 2526 139 SC DIST 8 Faribault 78 30 47.2 -.3 .37 -.12 -.48 -2.82 2510 70 Mankato 79 29 48.4 -.2 .71 .16 -.33 -5.61 2549 2 Waseca 79 26 47.3 -.6 .50 -.05 -.58 -2.82 2508 21 Winnebago 79 30 47.0 -2.2 .76 .21 .18 -3.51 2679 92 SE DIST 9 Preston 79 28 49.3 1.1 .50 -.00 -.08 4.94 2485 122 Red Wing 78 31 49.7 1.1 .19 -.27 -.50 -3.19 2567 31 Rochester 70 31 48.2 1.0 .31 -.17 1.40 .19 2532 211 Rosemount 78 33 48.7 .1 .47 -.08 .08 -4.02 2480 55 Winona 78 34 50.6 1.3 .39 -.08 -.97 .64 2455 -128 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/