Scattered rains slow Minnesota fieldwork

Scattered rains slowed fieldwork across Minnesota over the past week.

In its weekly crop weather report for Minnesota, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Monday that 3.7 days were suitable for fieldwork statewide, compared with 4.7 days the week before.

Temperatures cooled after warmer-than-average conditions over much of the last two months. The average was 45.9 degrees, 6.5 degrees below normal.

In some areas, temperatures fell below freezing over the weekend, causing concerns over potential frost damage.

Corn planting is nearly complete at 94 percent, compared with 87 percent a week earlier and 64 percent for the five-year average. Soybean planting advanced to 40 percent, 15 percentage points ahead of last year and 23 points ahead of average.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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