August 25, 2006

 

Average corn crop seen in US state of Minnesota

 

 

Tour scouts canvassing the southern one-third of Minnesota Thursday (Aug 24), the final day of the western portion of the John Deere/Pro Farmer US Midwest Crop tour, expect corn production in the state to be below last year's level.

 

"The tour has seen exactly the same crop in Minnesota that the US Department of Agriculture did in August," said western tour director Chip Flory.

 

Scouts on eight routes took 139 samples from five of Minnesota's nine cropping districts with corn production estimated at 150.15 bushels per acre, below the tour's 163.27 bushel estimate in 2005.

 

The US Department of Agriculture projected corn production in Minnesota at 160.0 bushels per acre in its Aug 1 survey, 14 bushels below it's final 2005 estimate.

 

The impact of the heat on the maturity of the crop was noted by several crop scouts with corn estimated at one-to-two weeks ahead of normal maturity.

 

Average soybean pod counts in a three-foot by three-foot area from 135 samples evaluated were 1,091.01, below the 1,145.41 in 2005, but slightly higher than the three-year average of 1,043.42. The US Midwest crop tour does not estimate soybean yields.

 

Based on the moisture in the ground, there could still be some room for improvement of the crop, Flory said.

 

Compared to other states surveyed on the western leg of the tour, little disease or insect problems were noted in Minnesota soybean fields.

 

Based on the August crop report, the USDA expects Minnesota to be the country's fourth-largest corn and soybean producing state.