Weekly Weather and Crop Update

The growing season at the Southern Research and Outreach Center at Waseca had been uneventful until last Thursday. The severe storm brought heavy rain and wind speeds up to 55 miles an hour. In retrospect the immediate Waseca area was still fortunate compared to how hard other areas in our listening area. Even the winds at 55 miles an hour resulted in significant lodging in many corn fields.

Temperatures last week averaged 58.2 degrees only .1 degree above normal. Rainfall totaled 2.74 inches and that was 1.86 inches above normal. Growing degree units totaled 72 which was 44 percent above normal. Our grand total since May 1 is at 2759.5. Our growing degree units this year are 13 percent more than normal. It sounds like the growing season may come to an end this weekend with lows forecast to be around 33 degrees.

With all the rain and cloudy days corn only lost about 1 percent in moisture last week. Corn in the 95 to 100 day relative maturity planted by mid-May had moisture levels in the low 20s. Late May planted corn even the early hybrids are still over 30 percent moisture. The long range forecast through early next week looks cool, cloudy and dreary. Hopefully the warm sunshine will return soon!