Crop Progress and Condition for the Week Ending October 5, 2014.
With favorable weather conditions early in the week sugarbeets, dry beans, and corn silage made strong harvesting progress, for the week ending October 5, 2014, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Corn for grain and soybean harvest continues to be delayed due to high moisture levels. The northern half of the state experienced frosts that worried farmers about slow development of immature crops. The eastern third of the state received more precipitation, but statewide there were 4.4 days suitable for fieldwork.
Topsoil moisture supplies were rated 0 percent very short, 7 percent short, 88 percent adequate, and 5 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies were rated 0 percent very short, 8 percent short, 88 percent adequate, and 4 percent surplus.
With five percent of the corn crop now harvested, Minnesota farmers remain two weeks behind the five-year average. Moisture content of corn in the field was estimated at 28 percent. Sixty-three percent of the crop is mature, with 69 percent good to excellent condition. Seventy-three percent of the corn for silage has been harvested, two weeks behind normal. Ninety percent of the soybean crop was dropping leaves, 4 days behind average. Soybean harvest, at 23 percent complete, is one week behind average. Sixty-six percent of the crop is in good to excellent condition.
Potato harvest continued to be ahead of average with 85 percent harvested. Dry edible bean harvest, at 74 percent is 4 days behind average, with 51 percent in good to excellent condition. Fifty percent of the sugarbeet crop has been harvested, which is the furthest along harvest has been by this date during the last 10 years. Sugarbeet conditions remained unchanged with 72 percent in good to excellent condition. Sunflower harvest is now underway.
The third cutting of alfalfa hay was 94 percent complete. Pasture conditions increased slightly to 69 percent good to excellent.
