Steady rains, cool weather slow Minnesota planting

Published 9:25 am Tuesday, May 18, 2010

ST. PAUL — Steady rains and cool weather over Minnesota last week slowed planting but restored needed soil moisture for emerging crops.

In its weekly crop weather report for the state, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says topsoil moisture supplies were rated 94 percent adequate to surplus as of Sunday, compared with 84 percent a week earlier.

Precipitation averaged a half-inch above normal statewide.

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Above-average temperatures returned Friday, allowing fields to dry and some field work to resume. However producers say their crops need more warm temperatures to recover from a nearly two-week spell of wet, cool weather. Only 1.4 days were rated suitable for fieldwork.

Soybeans advanced to 47 percent planted, compared with 49 percent last year and 38 percent for the five-year average.