mn-crop-weather State Minnesota Weekly Crop-Weather Week Ending Date Week Ending April 19, 2009 Issue MN-CW-16-09 Agricultural Summary Spring tillage and planting progressed across southeast Minnesota as daytime highs reached the low 70s and rainfall was minimal, according to USDA, NASS, Minnesota Field Office. Conversely, fieldwork was limited across the central and north as farmland remains saturated in many locations following a wet fall and a cool, wet start to spring. Other major farm activities included: fertilizing, weed control and spring calving. Statewide land prepared for corn was 15 complete with localized planting underway. Cool soil temperatures and wet fields kept most corn seeding confined to south central and southeast Minnesota. Spring wheat planting was 4 percent complete, compared to 2 percent last year and the five year average of 9 percent. Oats and potato seeding are 22 and 7 percent complete respectively, both ahead of last year. Topsoil moisture was rated 82 percent adequate to surplus and subsoil moisture was rated 83 adequate to surplus. Pastures are greening as cool-season grasses benefit from the adequate moisture and warmer temperatures. The driest conditions exist in the southeast where precipitation totals since April 1st range from one to nearly two inches below normal. Days Suitable for Fieldwork Table Days Suitable for Fieldwork: 4.0 Soil Moisture Table Very Short Short Adequate Surplus Topsoil Moisture (%) 3 15 55 27 Subsoil Moisture (%) 4 13 64 19 Crop Progress Table Crop Progress as of April 19, 2009 Stage of This Last Last 5 Yr Crop Development Week Week Year Avg Percent Corn Land Prepared 15 1 2 9 Soybeans Land Prepared 3 1 1 3 Spring Wheat Planted 4 0 2 9 Oats Planted 22 3 2 21 Barley Planted 3 1 0 7 Weather Information Table Precipitation and Temperature Summary for 4/13/2009 through 4/19/2009 Temperature Precipitation High Low Week Depart Week Depart From Norm Ave from Total Past Four Since Norm Week Weeks 4/1 NW DIST 1 Crookston 65 33 46.4 4.3 .14 -.17 1.50 -.57 Moorhead 66 34 49.4 5.5 .01 -.30 1.08 -.76 Warroad 66 31 47.1 9.4 .04 -.24 1.96 -.24 NC DIST 2 Grand Rapids 71 31 48.6 7.2 0 -.43 2.30 -.76 Intl. Falls 68 30 45.0 5.4 .01 -.31 1.60 -.67 Itasca 69 32 47.6 9.5 0 -.40 2.10 -.52 NE DIST 3 Duluth 73 30 44.0 4.8 .05 -.44 1.12 -1.06 Grand Marais 61 29 40.0 1.3 .48 .19 2.26 .10 Hibbing 69 23 45.3 5.6 0 -.36 1.04 -.81 WC DIST 4 Alexandria 68 33 50.2 7.3 0 -.44 -.12 -1.13 Browns Valley 69 32 48.3 3.4 0 -.48 .67 -.82 Canby 74 34 50.2 4.4 .03 -.50 .26 -1.05 Dalton 65 35 49.4 5.3 0 -.36 2.13 -.47 Fergus Falls 67 34 49.4 6.3 0 -.36 2.32 .25 Montevideo 71 31 49.8 5.2 .01 -.52 .24 -1.14 Morris 66 32 48.8 4.3 0 -.47 .99 -1.02 CENT DIST 5 Becker 74 26 51.2 6.3 .01 -.57 .54 -.97 Collegeville 73 28 52.2 6.2 0 -.49 3.13 -.91 Hutchinson 75 29 53.0 7.5 .01 -.50 1.26 -.77 Melrose 71 32 50.5 7.1 0 -.50 2.72 -.60 Olivia 74 28 50.5 6.0 0 -.56 .09 -1.06 St. Cloud 72 25 51.0 7.0 0 -.50 2.36 -1.07 Staples 72 32 50.0 7.6 0 -.46 .95 -.90 Willmar 76 29 52.2 7.7 .02 -.48 1.57 -.88 EC DIST 6 Aitkin 75 31 47.2 5.9 0 -.48 3.15 -.23 Forest Lake 76 30 52.2 7.5 0 -.56 -.79 -.95 Hinckley 72 27 48.2 6.8 0 -.54 .21 -.78 MSP Airport 73 36 54.2 7.3 .06 -.48 -.36 -.88 St. Paul - UofM 73 33 54.7 6.5 .07 -.52 -.67 -1.11 SW DIST 7 Lamberton 75 27 51.6 6.4 .16 -.49 -.92 -1.20 Marshall 75 32 51.4 6.0 .02 -.52 -.31 -1.13 Pipestone 71 27 49.2 4.3 .21 -.35 .03 -.35 Redwood Falls 76 30 53.0 5.8 .05 -.55 -.43 -1.09 Worthington 71 29 49.8 6.1 .34 -.31 -.52 -.88 SC DIST 8 Faribault 74 29 50.6 6.2 .24 -.42 -.67 -1.00 Mankato 74 30 51.6 5.6 .23 -.51 -.06 -1.38 Waseca 73 30 52.4 7.2 .30 -.45 -.71 -1.35 Winnebago 74 30 52.6 6.3 .22 -.49 .08 -1.06 SE DIST 9 Preston 73 22 48.7 3.4 0 -.77 -2.37 -1.84 Red Wing 73 34 53.0 6.9 .22 -.43 -1.49 -1.18 Rochester 74 31 50.4 5.4 .21 -.51 -1.80 -1.57 Rosemount 73 33 51.4 5.7 .05 -.61 -.82 -1.00 Winona 75 34 51.6 5.4 .20 -.60 -1.99 -1.72 m=some data missing 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/