The pattern continued last week as it was cooler than normal. This was the fourth week in a row of cool weather. Temperatures at the Southern Research and Outreach Center at Waseca averaged 63.9 degrees, or 4.3 degrees lower than normal. Rainfall totaled .41 inches, and that was .6 inches less than normal. Growing Degree Units totaled only 98, a whopping 25 percent below normal. However, the yearly total is only 1 percent below normal at 2092 Growing Degree Units. To put that in perspective, a 100-day corn hybrid needs about 2400 Growing Degree Units to reach maturity.

With August being cool and cloudy, it has resulted in more leaf diseases showing up in both corn and beans. Temperatures were below normal on 24 of 30 days in August. More concerning is that solar radiation was 10 percent below normal. Corn planted by early May is now denting. Typically that means we need another three weeks of normal weather for the corn to reach maturity. We are about four weeks away from the normal first frost date. So, we can still get the corn crop to maturity but bring on the warm sunshine!

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