mn-crop-weather State Minnesota Weekly Crop-Weather Week Ending Date Week Ending May 3, 2009 Issue MN-CW-18-09 Agricultural Summary Damp, cool conditions slowed fieldwork following last week's rapid pace, according to the USDA NASS Minnesota Field Office. Rainfall was recorded at all reporting stations with amounts ranging from one quarter to over one inch of rainfall. Producers that were able to return to the fields late in the reporting period made progress in land prepared for corn and corn seeded with some producers making the transition to soybeans. Topsoil moisture was rated mostly adequate across the south and east; however, northern producers continue to deal with a soil moisture surplus. Statewide, 3.2 days were suitable for fieldwork. Land preparation and seeding of corn slowed following the rapid pace in the previous reporting period. Statewide, 73 percent of land prepared for corn was complete with 59 percent seeded. Land prepared for soybeans advanced to 19 percent complete with 7 percent seeded. Oats was 21 percent emerged with 77 percent of the crop rated in good to excellent condition. Spring wheat and barley were16 and 19 percent planted respectively, well behind the five-year average. A large proportion of the spring wheat and barley growing areas remain wet with full-scale fieldwork yet to begin. Pastures were primarily in fair to good condition; however, the cool conditions slowed growth and greening. Topsoil moisture was rated 11 percent short to very short compared to 21 percent last week, while twenty-three percent was rated surplus compared to 25 percent a week ago. Days Suitable for Fieldwork Table Days Suitable for Fieldwork: 3.2 Soil Moisture Table Very Short Short Adequate Surplus Topsoil Moisture (%) 1 10 66 23 Subsoil Moisture (%) 0 0 0 Crop Progress Table Crop Progress as of May 3, 2009 Stage of This Last Last 5 Yr Crop Development Week Week Year Avg Percent Corn Land Prepared 73 56 15 60 Planted 59 40 7 47 Emerged 1 0 0 2 Soybeans Land Prepared 19 10 4 19 Planted 7 2 0 7 Weather Information Table Precipitation and Temperature Summary for 4/27/2009 through 5/3/2009 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 62 31 45.2 -4.3 .36 -.04 -.51 -.65 Moorhead 64 29 46.8 -4.1 .41 -.00 -.66 -.84 Warroad 53 27 39.8 -5.5 1.03 .65 -.10 .14 NC DIST 2 Grand Rapids 63 27 45.5 -2.5 .50 .00 -.71 -.64 Intl. Falls 62 23 42.0 -4.7 .49 .09 -.39 -.46 Itasca 61 25 41.8 -3.6 .61 .14 -.80 -.54 NE DIST 3 Duluth 61 29 44.2 -1.5 .43 -.11 -1.28 -1.43 Grand Marais 63 31 43.8 .7 .53 .13 .82 1.00 Hibbing 61 24 43.0 -3.3 .59 .16 -.24 -.37 WC DIST 4 Alexandria 62 33 46.8 -3.0 .61 .10 -1.09 -1.36 Browns Valley 64 26 45.1 -6.6 1.05 .57 -.85 -.72 Canby 65 27 46.5 -5.9 .44 -.12 -1.49 -1.52 Dalton 59 33 44.6 -6.3 .44 .00 -1.04 -.81 Fergus Falls 67 33 45.8 -4.4 .78 .34 -.69 .26 Montevideo 65 30 45.6 -5.8 .56 -.03 -1.59 -1.73 Morris 62 32 45.0 -6.3 .68 .16 -1.25 -1.36 CENT DIST 5 Becker 67 32 49.3 -1.8 .21 -.44 -1.72 -1.57 Collegeville 66 33 49.2 -3.6 .33 -.26 -1.24 -1.19 Hutchinson 61 31 45.6 -6.7 .81 .25 -1.27 -1.05 Melrose 60 31 45.4 -5.0 .71 .12 -1.37 -1.00 Olivia 68 23 45.9 -5.5 .66 .07 -1.53 -1.50 St. Cloud 66 30 48.4 -2.1 .28 -.25 -.91 -.99 Staples 61 28 44.9 -4.1 .46 -.06 -1.26 -1.27 Willmar 62 33 47.4 -4.0 .93 .39 -1.09 -1.02 EC DIST 6 Aitkin 60 30 42.5 -5.1 1.04 .48 -.79 -.09 Forest Lake 67 32 49.3 -2.0 .79 .15 -1.45 -1.31 Hinckley 62 26 44.0 -3.8 .99 .37 -1.23 -.97 MSP Airport 68 37 52.1 -1.1 .17 -.43 -1.11 -1.00 St. Paul - UofM 67 35 52.4 -1.8 .29 -.39 -1.30 -1.34 SW DIST 7 Lamberton 65 28 47.4 -4.5 .91 .23 -1.42 -1.51 Marshall 65 30 47.0 -5.2 .74 .13 -1.42 -1.50 Pipestone 63 26 45.4 -5.9 .48 -.16 -1.10 -.57 Redwood Falls 70 35 51.0 -2.7 .35 -.28 -1.63 -1.61 Worthington 63 29 46.2 -4.2 1.36 .70 -.75 -.70 SC DIST 8 Faribault 63 30 48.8 -2.0 1.20 .45 -.74 -.81 Mankato 65 31 48.3 -4.0 1.06 .35 -1.21 -1.38 Waseca 65 32 48.8 -3.0 1.27 .45 -1.16 -1.33 Winnebago 67 35 50.0 -2.5 1.18 .39 -1.04 -.98 SE DIST 9 Preston 66 29 50.2 -.6 1.47 .64 -.50 -.85 Red Wing 64 34 50.6 -1.8 1.00 .28 -1.05 -1.20 Rochester 68 34 50.6 -.3 .33 -.43 -.87 -1.26 Rosemount 66 33 48.8 -2.8 1.39 .62 -1.21 -.97 Winona 66 36 50.8 -1.5 1.16 .32 -.26 -.66 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/