Hot, Dry Weather Stressing Pastures Across Minn.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Hot, dry weather is putting stress on pastures across Minnesota.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says in its weekly crops and weather report for Minnesota that soil moisture supplies continue to decline. Almost one-third of the state's topsoil and 23 percent of its subsoil is rated very short.

Many parts of the state received no rain last week, and the statewide average was only 0.05 inches. Meanwhile, the state's average temperature was 4.4 degrees above normal at 66.9 degrees.

Nearly half the state's pastures are rated in poor to very poor condition. Corn and soybean conditions are both rated 51 percent good or excellent.

Minnesota's sweet corn harvest advanced 14 percentage points to 70 percent complete, but remains behind the normal 76 percent for this time.

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