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Extended fall aids planting progress in Minnesota

An agronomist in west-central Minnesota attributes part of this spring’s rapid planting pace to an extended window for fieldwork last fall.

Harmon Wilts with DEKALB Asgrow says there was plenty of time for farmers to work fields after wrapping up the 2020 harvest.

“Getting your fall fertilizer on, (doing) fall tillage, these fields are in excellent shape. The other thing about last year’s crop is it fully matured, so the residue broke down really well and we weren’t fighting the residue like we were a year ago.”

He tells Brownfield once ground temperatures warmed up in late April, most growers in his area were able to plant all their crops in under two weeks.

“It’s been a real interesting 2021. I’ve never in my 27 years seen it go this fast. In eight, nine, ten days most all the crop is in the ground, both corn and soybeans.”

Wilts says emergence looks pretty good, but there is some unevenness mainly because some farmers had to lower planting depths in dryer soils.