Weekly Weather and Crop Update

The warmer than normal weather pattern continued this last week as indicated by the Weekly Weather and Crop Update from the Southern Research and Outreach Center at Waseca. Temperatures averaged 74.6 degrees and that was 2.3 degrees above normal. After only one week of less than normal rainfall the wetter the pattern returned. Rain totaled 1.85 inches which was .88 inches above normal. Growing degree units totaled 166.5 and that was 10 percent above normal.

While there was a lot of concern last spring about corn getting planted later than normal, thanks to the warm temperatures, we have accumulated 1498.5 growing degree units. That is 20 percent more than normal! Corn that was planted by May 17th is now tasseling. It is nice to see good soil moisture and not really hot temperatures as corn moves through the critical reproductive stage. Early planted soybeans have reached R4 which means pods 3/4 of an inch long on one of the four upper most nodes. Another bright side, soybean aphid populations are at very low levels. However, scouting must continue for another month.