News
Minnesota crops racing toward the home stretch
Corn and soybean development are ahead of normal as Minnesota farmers gear up for harvest.
The latest crop report from USDA shows 86 percent of the state’s corn acreage at denting or beyond, more than three weeks ahead of last year and 11 days faster than the five-year average.
Corn is 23 percent mature, and the silage harvest has reached 44 percent.
Corn rated good to excellent dropped to 78 percent, the lowest rating so far this year.
Soybeans turning color reached 64 percent, two weeks ahead of 2019 and more than a week faster than normal.
Brennen Toquam, who farms near Blooming Prairie in southeast Minnesota, tells Brownfield he figures beans will be ready for harvest about three weeks after they start to turn.
“And I’d say around that first of September time frame we were seeing beans turn color. It’s happening pretty fast.”
The state soybean condition rating also fell to its lowest level of 2020 at 79 percent good to excellent.
The spring wheat harvest is 94 percent complete, potatoes are 30 percent harvested, and the sugarbeet harvest is eight percent done.
