Some area farmers in need of rainfall
Published Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Corn and soybeans in Otter Tail County are doing well, but farmers in some areas of the county are hopeful for rainfall the next few days. That’s particularly true in the eastern part of the county where there is sandy soil.
Corn height was 70 inches in the county compared with 87 inches at this time last year. The average soybean height was 21 inches compared with 27 inches a year ago.
“Many farmers are into the second wave of alfalfa cutting,” said Extension Educator Will Yliniemi. “It looks like three alfalfa cuttings this year, compared to four during most of the growing seasons.”
The Associated Press reported that oat and barley harvests are under way after a week of warm and dry weather in Minnesota.
The Minnesota field office of the U.S. Agriculture Department (USDA) said that barley is 53 percent ripening compared with 94 percent at the same time last year while oats are 59 percent ripening compared with 94 percent last year.
The average temperature for the week was 69.7 degrees, just below normal. On a statewide basis, topsoil moisture supplies are six percent very short, 22 percent short, 70 percent adequate and two percent surplus. There were six days suitable for fieldwork last week in Minnesota.
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