WILLMAR -- Weekend rains have helped improve crop conditions for area farmers.
Reported rainfall amounts range from 1½ to 3 inches in the region. Crop development continues to be ahead of average because of above normal temperatures, according to the Minnesota Ag News Crop-Weather Report, distributed by the state field office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service.
In Chippewa County, rainfall ranged from 1½ to 3 inches over the entire county. Crop conditions are looking pretty good, according to county Farm Service Agency director Leon Johnson. However, the majority of the county is still at or below average rainfall this year.
"The rain will help fill the kernels and pods, and hopefully, that will make the quality of the crop we do get better," said Johnson.
Rainfall totals for Kandiyohi County ranged from 1 to 2 inches, according to county Farm Service Agency director Wes Nelson.
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"We are thankful for the rain. We were losing production potential each and every day," he said. "We are happy to have the rain, that's for sure. It will help most with the soybeans and the sugar beets."
The rain will also help forage producers, who wouldn't otherwise have gotten a third or fourth cutting of alfalfa this season.
Despite dry conditions, small grain producers have been pleased with crop yields as they finish that harvest, Nelson said. "The harvest was better than farmers expected," he said. "They were pleasantly surprised at both the yield and the quality of the crop."
Nelson reported wheat yields of 40 to 60 bushels per acre and oat yields of 60 to 80 bushels per acre.
Most of the corn and soybean crops in Lac qui Parle County are looking good after rainfall of 1½ to 2½ inches over the weekend, according to county Farm Service Agency director Donald Tweet. Areas along the western border have not received the rains, and isolated areas have had hail storms recently.
"It just depends on where you are living in the county," he said.
The Crop-Weather Report rated 34 percent of the state as very short for topsoil moisture, 29 percent as short and 37 percent adequate. The corn crop was rated 11 percent excellent, 40 percent good and 28 percent fair. Soybeans were rated as 13 percent excellent, 41 percent good and 27 percent fair.
