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Minnesota sunflower, dry bean planting still behind

While warm and dry weather allowed many Minnesota farmers to catch up on field work last week, sunflower and dry bean planting continues to lag behind normal.

In its latest crop progress report, the USDA says nearly 30 percent of the sunflower crop has been planted—a week slower than last year and slightly off the five year average.

Dry edible bean planting is just getting started across the state, with nine percent of the crop in the ground thanks to more than six days suitable for fieldwork a week ago.

On the other end of the spectrum, the USDA says sugar beet planting has essentially been completed.

Corn planting was 84 percent complete as of Sunday, and almost half of Minnesota’s soybean acreage has been planted.