mn-crop-weather State Minnesota Weekly Crop-Weather Week Ending Date Week Ending July 31, 2011 Issue MN-CW-30-11 Agricultural Summary Hot, humid conditions and adequate soil moisture continued to advance crop development at a rapid pace, according to the USDA, NASS, Minnesota Field Office. For the week ending July 31, crop conditions generally improved, though reporters continued to note significant variability in crops. Producers scouted soybean fields for aphids and prepared for the small grain harvest. Soybeans blooming advanced 15 percentage points to 72 percent, compared to 89 percent last year and 86 percent for the five-year average. Twenty-four percent of soybeans were setting pods, compared to 45 percent last year and average. Soybeans were rated 52 percent good and 18 percent excellent, an improvement from the previous week. Corn silking advanced 29 points from the previous week to 83 percent, compared to 95 percent last year and 85 percent average. Corn in the milk stage was 16 percent, a 14 point advancement from the previous week, compared to 27 percent last year and average. Corn condition was rated 55 percent good and 19 percent excellent, an improvement from the previous week. Small grain development progressed rapidly. Fifty-nine percent of spring wheat was turning ripe, a 29 point advancement over the previous week. Barley was 56 percent turning ripe, advancing 18 points, while oats were 78 percent turning ripe, advancing 24 points. Harvest began with 5 percent of the state's oats and 2 percent of barley completed. Other harvest activity included 3 percent of potatoes, 3 percent of canola, and 8 percent of sweet corn. Topsoil moisture supplies were rated 2 percent short, 76 percent adequate, and 22 percent surplus. Statewide 4.8 days were rated suitable for fieldwork. Average temperatures for the week were 73.1 degrees, nearly 3 degrees above normal, while average precipitation was .92 inch, nearly average. The extreme, sustained heat put stress on the state's livestock. Days Suitable for Fieldwork Table Days Suitable for Fieldwork: 4.8 Soil Moisture Table Very Short Short Adequate Surplus Topsoil Moisture (%) 0 2 76 22 Crop Progress Table Crop Progress as of July 31, 2011 Stage of This Last Last 5 Yr Crop Development Week Week Year Avg Percent Corn Silking 83 54 95 85 Milk 16 2 27 27 Dough 2 0 3 3 Soybeans Height (Inches) 24 20 23 24 Blooming 72 57 89 86 Setting Pods 24 10 45 45 Oats Turning Ripe 78 54 96 87 Harvested 5 1 32 33 Spring Wheat Turning Ripe 59 30 91 74 Harvested 0 NA 8 8 Barley Turning Ripe 56 38 94 77 Harvested 2 1 14 20 Dry Beans Blooming 67 53 NA NA Setting Pods 18 8 NA NA Potatoes Harvested 3 NA 5 3 Canola Harvested 3 NA 1 2 Sweet Corn Harvested 8 1 11 11 Crop Condition Table Condition as of July 31, 2011 in % Very Poor Poor Fair Good Exc Pasture 1 2 13 59 25 Soybeans 2 6 22 52 18 Corn 1 5 20 55 19 Oats 1 3 20 62 14 Barley 1 2 21 61 15 Spring Wheat 1 5 23 54 17 Sugarbeets 2 9 28 47 14 Potatoes 0 2 9 51 38 Canola 0 8 50 40 2 Dry Beans 1 7 24 46 22 Sunflowers 1 6 38 48 7 Weather Information Table Precipitation and Temperature Summary for 7/25/2011 through 7/31/2011 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 17 Norm NW DIST 1 Crookston 86 52 70.5 .3 .52 -.15 .00 -.78 1251 -5 Itasca 86 53 69.4 2.6 .27 -.58 -1.96m 1.25m 898m-141m Moorhead 88 57 74.3 2.9 .25 -.34 1.79 4.71 1403 90 Warroad 83 51 67.6 -.4 1.34 .59 -1.05m 2.31m 965m-142m NC DIST 2 Grand Rapids 88 53 71.2 3.4 .48 -.48 -1.06 1.45 1178 66 Intl. Falls 86 43 65.7 -.9 .39 -.31 -.84 .55 1046 2 NE DIST 3 Duluth 85 51 69.1 2.9 .74 -.18 -.45 .86 992 36 Grand Marais 84 54 64.2 1.4 .13 -.59 .11m .30m 504m-143m Hibbing 85 44 65.6 -.8 .58 -.39 -1.95 -1.57 1009 -1 WC DIST 4 Alexandria 87 61 74.6 4.0 1.07 .36 5.84 5.38 1324 61 Browns Valley 90 62 74.5 1.6 1.54 .80 2.95m 4.44m 1270m-121m Canby 91 62 76.2 2.6 .92 .25 2.27 4.09 1435 -24 Montevideo 89 61 74.8 2.5 .73 .01 1.48 3.31 1426 33 Morris 88 60 73.6 2.1 .87 .02 3.69m 4.32m 1274m -82m Wheaton 90 61 74.4 1.9 3.28 2.66 4.88 5.60 1365 -10 CENT DIST 5 Becker M M M M .32 -.62 4.08 7.31 602m-688m Collegeville 91 62 77.4 4.7 .50 -.28 -.68m 2.68m 1417m 8m Hutchinson 90 61 76.4 4.4 .41 -.45 .15m 6.41m 1365m -40m Melrose 88 62 74.5 2.9 1.56 .77 2.26m 2.21m 1332 -17 Olivia 89 60 74.8 3.4 .44 -.31 -.12 3.72 1423 36 St. Cloud 90 58 75.4 5.2 .38 -.37 1.67 3.21 1384 128 Wadena M M M M M M .19m -.14m 952m-182m Willmar 88 62 74.5 3.7 1.68 .89 4.18m 6.22m 1357m 26m EC DIST 6 Aitkin 83 58 71.5 4.4 1.00 -.01 .05 4.89 1297 225 Forest Lake 91 58 75.0 3.9 .82 -.21 1.78m 3.06m 1407m 68m Hinckley 85 52 69.4 1.1 1.66 .65 -.68m .69m 971m-159m MSP Airport 93 68 79.2 5.7 .45 -.46 1.47 3.42 1613 155 St. Paul - UofM 88 62 75.6 2.7 1.15 .18 6.30 6.37 1464 35 SW DIST 7 Lamberton 91 57 75.8 3.7 .87 .08 -.10 6.00 1520 79 Marshall 93 62 78.0 5.0 1.27 .51 .57 3.63 1469 15 Pipestone 89 57 75.0 3.0 1.90 1.20 3.01m 6.99m 1357m -13m Redwood Falls 93 60 77.8 4.1 .44 -.39 -.81 2.05 1547 37 Worthington 89 58 75.8 4.7 1.13 .38 5.94 8.61 1442 92 SC DIST 8 Faribault M M M M M M M 2.42m 613m-756m North Mankato 90 62 76.4 4.2 .36 -.58 1.55m 1.70m 1384m -41m Waseca 88 59 76.0 4.6 .34 -.71 2.63m 4.79m 1475m 82m Winnebago 89 59 77.0 4.8 .36 -.58 -.01m 3.41m 1521m 82m SE DIST 9 Preston 89 56 74.5 3.9 .27 -.79 -1.75 .84 1461 152 Red Wing 92 63 76.0 3.5 2.90 1.96 3.40 4.28 1525 121 Rochester 89 56 74.6 4.3 .49 -.56 -.31 2.18 1476 182 Rosemount 88 61 75.2 4.0 .70 -.36 -.34m 5.03m 1490 141 Winona 90 63 75.3 2.6 6.30 5.35 6.70 4.95 1480m 49m 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) 201-6030 E-mail: nass-mn@nass.usda.gov Homepage: http://www.nass.usda.gov/mn/