Warm, Dry Weather Helps Minnesota's Crops Catch Up

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A long stretch of warm, dry weather last week helped Minnesota's crops catch up on growing.

In its weekly crops and weather report for Minnesota, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says a statewide average of 6.1 days were suitable for fieldwork last week, the most of any week this growing season. Temperatures were 2.9 degrees above normal while rainfall was 0.67 inches below normal.

Crop development remains behind the normal pace due to a cold, wet spring that delayed planting. The average corn stalk was 30 inches tall by Sunday, compared with a five-year average of 46 inches. The average soybean plant height was 8 inches tall, which is 4 inches shorter than normal.

But corn and soybean conditions both improved to 63 percent good or excellent.

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