Updraft: July 3, 2008 Archive

Weather has been relatively kind to Minnesota crops

Posted at 3:49 PM on July 3, 2008 by Mark Seeley

Despite a cool and sometimes wet spring season, along with some delayed planting, Minnesota agriculture is in relatively good shape according to recent USDA National Agricultural Statistics Reports. As of the end of June the percent of the corn and soybean crops rated to be in good to excellent condition across the region is as follows:

State Percent of Acreage Rated Good to Excellent Condition
Corn Soybean
IA 53 56
IL 60 52
IN 59 54
WI 60 60
OH 59 55
NE 70 69
MN 71 68

The condition of Minnesota's corn and soybean crops rivals that of Nebraska and is clearly better than all other states, many of which have been hit harder by floods. Now it appears that some warmer than normal temperatures are in the cards. The stored soil moisture from earlier rains will really be an asset.