Minnesota Farmers Making Planting Progress Between Rains

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WJON News) - The spring 2024 planting season is making progress between rain showers.

Get our free mobile app

The Crop Progress Report is published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture every Monday during the growing season. In Monday’s report:

Corn planting is more than half complete (56%), about average (56%) for this time of year.
14 percent of the corn in Minnesota has emerged.
Soybean planting is over 25 percent complete (26%), slightly behind the five-year average (34%).
Four percent of this year’s soybeans in Minnesota have emerged.
Spring wheat surged to 71 percent complete, more than 30 percent above average (41%) for this time of year.
40 percent of the spring wheat in Minnesota has emerged.

Cattlemen are reporting good news – 62 percent of the pasture land is in good or excellent condition. The condition breakdown:

Very Poor: 1%
Poor: 5%
Fair: 32%
Good: 45%
Excellent: 17%

This year’s crop is going into decent soil, with Minnesota farmers reporting about 70 percent of the topsoil and subsoil moisture is at good levels. The state’s breakdown:

Topsoil:

Very Short: 2%
Short: 8%
Adequate: 70%
Surplus: 20%

Subsoil:

Very Short: 3%
Short: 15%
Adequate: 68%
Surplus: 14%

The weekly report is based on input from about 3,600 respondents who work in agriculture and can make visual observations of crop conditions. Most respondents complete the survey on Friday or Monday mornings, and the USDA releases the report at 4:00 p.m. each Monday during the growing season.

Read the report here.