Rain holds up fieldwork

ST. PAUL (AP) -- Rain held up fieldwork for a second week for most of the state, the Minnesota Agricultural Statistics Service said Monday in its weekly crop-weather report.

An average of 2.9 days were suitable for fieldwork last week, the report said. Rain and wind across the southern half of Minnesota halted spraying of soybeans and corn.

While the rain missed scattered portions of the state, those areas still had adequate topsoil moisture and most crops were in good to excellent condition.

Flooding has damaged crops in northwestern Minnesota, and hail was reported in Yellow Medicine and Morrison counties.

Corn height averaged 24 inches, compared to 25 inches at this time last year. The five-year average is 21 inches. Corn condition was rated as 70 percent good to excellent, same as the previous week.

Average soybean height was 7 inches versus 6 inches a year ago and the five-year average of 6 inches. Soybean condition was rated as 61 percent good to excellent, down from 68 percent the previous week.

Spring wheat jointing reached 90 percent, compared with 88 percent last year and the five-year average of 76 percent. Spring wheat is heading on 53 percent of the acres, compared with 45 percent last year and 28 percent for the five-year average. Conditions were rated 52 percent good to excellent.

The first cutting of alfalfa is 86 percent complete, compared with 93 percent last year and the five-year average of 88 percent.

Topsoil moisture across the state was rated 2 percent very short, 2 percent short, 69 percent adequate, and 27 percent surplus as of Friday.

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On the Net: http://www.nass.usda.gov/mn