mn-crop-weather State Minnesota Weekly Crop-Weather Week Ending Date Week Ending November 22, 2009 Issue MN-CW-47-09 Agricultural Summary Another week of mild, dry weather allowed soybean producers to nearly complete this year's harvest, according to the USDA, NASS Minnesota Field Office. As of Sunday, soybeans were 97 percent harvested, statewide. In addition to soybeans, corn and sunflower harvests along with fall tillage were ongoing as 6.4 days were rated suitable for fieldwork. Twenty-three percent of corn was harvested last week bringing statewide progress to 66 percent complete. Average moisture of corn being harvested was 22 percent, 5 percentage points above the five-year average, but down from 23 percent last week and 28 percent on November 1st . Propane availability and drying time associated with wet corn slowed harvest progress in portions of the state. Corn condition was rated 70 percent good to excellent. Sunflower producers harvested 16 percent of the crop bringing statewide progress to 75 percent complete. Mostly sunny skies prevailed across Minnesota early in the week with daytime highs ranging from the mid to upper 40s. Clouds returned Thursday accompanied by light mist and fog; however, temperatures remained mild with highs in the mid to upper 40s for a majority of the state. The unseasonably warm weather continued Friday and Saturday with highs in the mid 40s north to mid 50s south. Afternoon highs in some southern Minnesota locations were 15 to 20 degrees above normal on Sunday. Surplus moisture conditions continued to decline. Twenty-eight percent of the state's topsoil was rated surplus for moisture, down from 34 percent last week. Days Suitable for Fieldwork Table Days Suitable for Fieldwork: 6.4 Soil Moisture Table Very Short Short Adequate Surplus Topsoil Moisture (%) 0 3 69 28 Crop Progress Table Crop Progress as of November 22, 2009 Stage of This Last Last 5 Yr Crop Development Week Week Year Avg Percent Corn Harvested 66 43 90 96 Moisture 22 23 19 17 Soybeans Harvested 97 92 100 100 Moisture 13 14 NA NA Sunflowers Harvested 75 59 91 93 Crop Condition Table Condition as of November 22, 2009 in % Very Poor Poor Fair Good Exc Pasture 9 13 35 39 4 Corn 3 5 22 52 18 Weather Information Table Temperature Precipitation High Low Week Depart Week Depart From Norm Ave from Total Past Four Since Norm Week Weeks 4/1 NW DIST 1 Moorhead 54 18 37.6 12.9 0 -.22 .13 -.77 Warroad 53 21 36.5 14.7 0 -.27 -.04 -.68 Dalton 52 24 38.0 11.6 0 -.25 .80 -.45 NC DIST 2 Intl. Falls 50 17 33.6 11.2 0 -.31 1.60 -.16 Itasca 51 20 36.3 14.2 0 -.30 1.16 -.43 Duluth 48 21 37.3 11.2 .20 -.30 -.19 -.68 NE DIST 3 Grand Marais 48 27 38.8 8.5 .04 -.35 1.42 .17 Hibbing 50 13 33.0 9.5 0 -.29 .37 -.25 Alexandria 49 22 37.8 11.8 0 -.26 .08 -.69 WC DIST 4 Browns Valley 55 18 35.7 7.8 0 -.26 .67 -.76 Canby 55 20 37.7 7.4 0 -.38 .07 -1.24 Fergus Falls M M M M M M M M Grand Rapids 51 19 37.0 12.2 0 -.34 .92 -.28 Morris 54 20 36.5 9.6 0 -.25 .28 -.76 Wadena 52 20 37.8 13.3 0 -.31 .53 -.66 Wheaton 55 22 37.2 10.7 0 -.25 .84 -.60 Becker 53 19 37.4 9.8 0 -.44 -.86 -1.38 CENT DIST 5 Collegeville 53 22 38.8 9.9 0 -.38 -.59 -1.09 Hutchinson 53 25 38.2 9.5 0 -.38 -.86 -1.14 Melrose 52 20 35.6 8.6 0 -.32 .15 -.84 Olivia 55 20 36.2 8.3 0 -.32 -.53 -.96 St. Cloud 53 18 37.8 11.0 .02 -.32 -.57 -.99 Staples 54 19 35.6 10.7 0 -.31 .87 -.46 Willmar 57 23 38.3 10.8 0 -.35 -.60 -1.12 Aitkin 52 20 37.8 11.7 0 -.40 .87 -.25 EC DIST 6 Forest Lake 57 24 40.5 11.3 0 -.45 -1.01 -1.35 Hinckley 50 18 35.4 8.2 0 -.47 -.97 -1.38 MSP Airport 57 26 42.0 11.5 .03 -.42 -.98 -1.32 St. Paul - UofM 52 25 39.4 7.9 .02 -.46 -.99 -1.47 Lamberton 56 18 36.6 7.4 0 -.32 -.75 -1.09 SW DIST 7 Marshall 56 18 37.4 8.2 0 -.37 -.23 -1.28 Redwood Falls 56 22 39.5 9.5 0 -.37 -.70 -1.09 Faribault 51 21 37.0 6.9 .04 -.43 -1.05 -1.38 SC DIST 8 Mankato 54 22 37.7 7.7 .01 -.45 -1.48 -1.55 Waseca 51 21 38.2 8.8 .05 -.49 -1.20 -1.52 La Crosse 55 24 41.4 7.7 .07 -.43 -1.50 -1.41 Preston 54 20 38.6 8.0 .01 -.49 -1.38 -1.56 SE DIST 9 Red Wing 54 23 38.0 7.6 .04 -.38 -.78 -1.22 Rochester 60 28 43.0 13.7 .12 -.35 -.43 -1.31 Rosemount 52 23 38.3 9.5 .09 -.46 -1.31 -1.62 Winona 52 27 39.4 7.7 .07 -.45 -1.57 -1.53 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/