mn-crop-weather State Minnesota Weekly Crop-Weather Week Ending Date Week Ending November 8, 2009 Issue MN-CW-45-09 Agricultural Summary Soybean producers had their most active harvest week this fall, according to the USDA, NASS Minnesota Field Office. As of Sunday, soybeans were 77 percent harvested, a 21 percentage-point gain over last week. Just 22 percent of soybeans were harvested during the previous two reporting periods combined. Average moisture of soybeans being harvested was 15 percent, 1 point lower than last week. Corn was 23 percent harvested, an 11 point gain from a week ago. Corn harvest was progressing slower due, in part, to the focus on soybeans and the high grain moisture of corn being harvested. Statewide, average moisture of corn was 27 percent. Sugarbeets advanced 11 points to 92 percent harvested while sunflowers were 31 percent harvested, compared to 23 percent last week. Dry bean harvest was 92 percent complete. Statewide, 4.8 days were suitable for fieldwork. Cool temperatures and overcast skies prevailed early in the week as daytime highs ranged from the mid 30s north to the upper 40s in the south. Rain and rain changing to snow spread from west to east across the state during the day Tuesday into Tuesday night. Precipitation amounts were light ranging from a trace to just over a tenth of an inch in most locations. Sunshine returned mid-week along with above-normal temperatures. Friday's highs were 15 degrees or more above normal for many Minnesota locations. Rochester's high of 67 degrees on Saturday was 23 degrees above normal. Surplus moisture conditions declined with the warm, dry weather. Forty-one percent of the state's topsoil was rated surplus for moisture, down from 55 percent a week ago. Crop condition ratings were relatively unchanged last week. Corn was rated 70 percent good to excellent, 1 point lower than last week, while sunflowers were 52 percent good to excellent, 1 point higher than a week ago. Days Suitable for Fieldwork Table Days Suitable for Fieldwork: 4.8 Soil Moisture Table Very Short Short Adequate Surplus Topsoil Moisture (%) 0 3 56 41 Crop Progress Table Crop Progress as of November 8, 2009 Stage of This Last Last 5 Yr Crop Development Week Week Year Avg Percent Corn Harvested 23 12 72 83 Moisture 27 28 20 18 Soybeans Harvested 77 56 99 98 Moisture 15 16 12 11 Dry Beans Harvested 92 89 100 100 Sugarbeets Harvested 92 81 95 99 Sunflowers Harvested 31 23 68 79 Crop Condition Table Condition as of November 8, 2009 in % Very Poor Poor Fair Good Exc Pasture 9 15 32 40 4 Corn 3 5 22 53 17 Sunflowers 1 9 38 40 12 Weather Information Table Precipitation and Temperature Summary for 11/2/2009 through 11/8/2009 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 57 22 39.2 7.3 .15 -.15 .29 2.62 Moorhead 60 23 40.4 7.1 .06 -.26 1.31 -1.75 Warroad 55 19 35.1 4.5 .07 -.25 -.27 .39 NC DIST 2 Grand Rapids 59 19 37.6 4.6 .13 -.33 1.33 -4.25 Intl. Falls 56 18 34.9 4.1 .24 -.12 1.08 -2.77 Itasca 54 20 35.2 4.9 .07 -.35 1.78 -1.98 NE DIST 3 Duluth 59 21 38.5 4.9 .10 -.43 1.35 -5.01 Grand Marais 65 32 41.8 5.4 .14 -.34 .92 -4.89 Hibbing 59 16 35.4 4.0 .10 -.29 .44 -6.83 WC DIST 4 Alexandria 58 24 39.8 5.7 M M .97m -6.67m Browns Valley 63 22 41.1 5.3 0 -.34 2.14 4.81 Canby 65m 34m 49.5m 11.5m 0m -.45m 1.50m -1.49m Dalton 57 26 40.4 5.5 .12 -.24 2.03 .49 Montevideo 66 22 43.2 7.2 .03 -.37 1.08 1.91 Morris 61 23 39.8 4.9 .06 -.32 1.41 -3.41 Wadena 56 22 37.2 4.6 .11 -.34 1.94 -2.98m Wheaton 65 27 43.2 8.3 .07 -.27 2.16 -1.36m CENT DIST 5 Becker 62 22 40.3 4.8 .07 -.42 .09 -4.27 Collegeville 61 24 42.9 5.6 .15 -.33 .85 1.74 Hutchinson 64 23 41.4 4.7 .07 -.36 .47 -1.36 Melrose 58 21 38.4 3.3 .16 -.28 1.54 .09 Olivia 65 22 40.6 4.7 .16 -.22 .63 .59 St. Cloud 62 20 40.4 5.8 .15 -.28 .57 -1.37 Staples 58 21 38.0 5.0 .29 -.16 2.67 -.12 Willmar 64 23 41.2 5.6 .08 -.35 .72 -.50 EC DIST 6 Aitkin 60 21 40.6 6.7 .35 -.15 2.00 -.97 Forest Lake 66 22 42.4 5.2 .10 -.42 .59 -6.00 Hinckley 61 19 35.8 1.4 .08 -.48 .20 -.16 MSP Airport 64 27 45.0 6.9 .09 -.40 .60 -3.66 St. Paul - UofM 62 21 42.0 2.5 .06 -.49 .37 -7.27 SW DIST 7 Lamberton 69 23 44.8 7.8 .01 -.38 .76 -1.25 Pipestone 67 23 42.8 7.1 0 -.42 1.54 -.43 Redwood Falls 67 23 44.2 6.1 M M .61m -4.33m Worthington 68 26 44.8 9.0 .60 .16 1.44 2.26 SC DIST 8 Faribault 64 23 42.8 5.4 .14 -.37 1.16 -1.39 Mankato 66 23 43.6 5.9 0 -.53 .17 -8.02 Winnebago 67 24 44.4 6.0 .07 -.43 1.52 -3.31 SE DIST 9 Preston 68 20 42.2 4.2 .06 -.46 2.79 -1.32 Red Wing 64 26 42.8 4.9 .10 -.36 1.95 .02 Rochester 69 24 45.3 8.5 .12 -.39 3.01 .37 Rosemount 65 24 42.9 5.8 .10 -.49 .44 -3.29 Winona 65 27 43.6 4.5 .07 -.46 2.73 .79 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/