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Minnesota crops off to better start in 2025

Crops in southern Minnesota are off to a better start compared to a year ago.

Farm management analyst Kent Thiesse says corn and soybeans look even after extensive planting delays during the spring of 2024.

“Certainly this warm weather, maybe not quite this hot, but it’s certainly been welcome.  I think those roots going down to get into the nitrogen, there’s some corn that’s a little yellow-looking (that) maybe needed to get those roots down a little bit.”

USDA’s latest weekly crop numbers show corn fully emerged across the state with 74 percent rated in good to excellent condition.

Soybeans are 97 percent emerged compared to the five-year average of 94 percent, with 76 percent called good to excellent.

Spring wheat, at seven percent headed, is significantly behind the usual pace of 26 percent.  But nearly 90 percent of the crop is rated good to excellent.