Soggy spring drives major planting delays for Minnesota farmers this spring

Our excessively cold and wet April is driving the latest planting season in years for Minnesota.

Monday’s Minnesota Crop Report shows nearly one-third of topsoil is excessively wet with surplus moisture. And Minnesota’s corn crop is still close to zero percent planted in the first week of May.

Here’s a quick summary of conditions from Monday’s Minnesota Crop Report:

Another cold, wet week further delayed planting across most of the state, with just 1.1 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending May 1, 2022, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Topsoil moisture supplies were rated one percent very short, six percent short, 64 percent adequate and 29 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies were rated two percent very short, 14 percent short, 68 percent adequate and 16 percent surplus.

Pasture conditions were rated 20 percent very poor, 19 percent poor, 33 percent fair, 26 percent good and two percent excellent.

Big corn delays

Less than 1 percent of Minnesota’s corn crop has been planted so far. Compare that with 54 percent last year at this time, and a five-year average of 28 percent.

Improving weather forecast

There is good news for Minnesota farmers in the one to two week forecast. More abundant sunshine, less rain, and warmer temperatures should help dry fields significantly in the next one to two weeks.

Forecast models indicate little precipitation across Minnesota for the next week. The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts model suggests most of Minnesota is likely to get less than one-quarter inch of rainfall through next Monday morning. Heavier rainfall is likely across Iowa in the next week.

A string of sunnier, warmer days should allow significant planting progress in Minnesota over the next one to two weeks.

Just in time?