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Minnesota crops slowed by cool August weather

Cool August weather has stunted corn and soybean development in Minnesota.

The latest USDA crop progress report shows just over 70 percent of corn denting, five days slower than the five-year average.

Forty-seven percent of the soybean crop is changing color, compared to 60 percent normally.

University of Minnesota Extension crops educator Dave Nicolai says some growers believe their corn is closer to 10 days behind where it should be.

“We’ve noticed that a lot of the corn is maybe a half to three-quarters of a milk line all the way down.  But I would say (the majority) is only at a half.”

He tells Brownfield warm and dry weather this week will speed up kernel development and solidify stalks.

Nicolai says they are also seeing variability within individual soybean plants.

“Depending upon how flat those pods are in certain points of that soybean canopy might be indicative of overall crop maturity, because  a lot of farmers aren’t wanting to go into those beans until they have some consistency and leaf drop from top to bottom.”

At this pace, Nicolai predicts soybean harvest won’t get into full swing across Minnesota until October.