Crops late, but look good

Despite the wet spring and cool summer, area crops on balance look good.

But crops aren't as developed as they should be, and an early frost would do more damage than usual.

"Crops, especially corn and soybeans, just aren't as advanced as we'd like," said John Kringler, Cass County extension agent.

Corn rates are 79 percent good or excellent in North Dakota and 71 percent good or excellent in Minnesota, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Soybeans are 81 percent good or excellent in North Dakota and 71 percent good or excellent in Minnesota.

Minnesota's statewide averages are hurt by too little moisture in the south-central part of the state, where corn and soybeans are common.

Wheat is 85 percent good or excellent in North Dakota and 64 percent good or excellent in Minnesota.

Minnesota's wheat crop has been hurt by too much rain in the northern and southern Red River, where most of the state's wheat is grown, said Dave Torgerson, executive director of the Red Lake Falls-based Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers.

Because the spring was wet, much of the region's wheat was planted a week or two later than normal.

Only 79 percent of North Dakota wheat and 87 percent of Minnesota wheat have formed heads, compared with the five-year averages of 93 percent and 95 percent, respectively, USDA said.

The area wheat harvest, which typically begins in earnest in late July or early August, won't get going this year until mid-August, Torgerson said.

Cool summer temperatures have helped wheat, a cool-season grass that doesn't like hot weather, Torgerson said.

Fargo's daily high temperature was below normal on 16 of the first 20 days in July, according to the North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network Web site.

For those 20 days combined, the daily highs averaged 5 degrees below normal.

That followed a cool June, in which daily highs for the month averaged 3 degrees below normal.

Corn and soybeans won't be harvested until late September and October.

The cool weather has slowed their growth and exposed them to greater risk from early frost.

Only 37 percent of North Dakota soybeans and 39 percent of Minnesota have bloomed, a key stage in the plants' development.

Those numbers are down from the five-year average of 63 percent and 64 percent, respectively.

Area crops were behind their normal development a year ago, too, but unusually warm fall weather - which included no early frost - gave crops extra time.

Don't count on a repeat this fall, said Adnan Akyuz, North Dakota state climatologist.

"We have no reason to believe they (temperatures) will be above normal again," he said.

Readers can reach Forum reporter Jonathan Knutson at (701) 241-5530