MN Expects 2nd Largest Corn Crop in State History

ST. PAUL (AP) - Minnesota farmers are expected to harvest their second-largest corn crop in state history.

According to this week's projections from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Minnesota's corn and soybean crops are expected to be slightly smaller than 2012, partly because fields in some parts of the state were hurt by too much spring rain, followed, by a streak of cool temperatures.

But many parts of the state have potential bumper crops developing, especially on acres that were planted by Memorial Day.

Jeff Coulter, a corn agronomist at the University of Minnesota, says the recent mild weather has been great for corn. But he says an early freeze could change that. Corn development is about nine days behind normal, so a lot of the state's corn will be maturing in late September.