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Beneficial rains move through southern Minnesota

Crops in parts of southern Minnesota stressed by dryness have picked up beneficial moisture recently.

Dave Nicolai with Minnesota Extension says the western part of the state needed rain the most.

“But we had areas in eastern Minnesota that really benefited from the rain as well.  And I think if we get one more good rain, particularly (in) eastern Minnesota in the month of August, that will help to carry us through as pollination is occurring right now.”

Some rainfall the past two weeks was associated with thunderstorms that also brought damaging winds and isolated hail to the region.

“Certainly if there’s standing water for a great period of time, that may cause situations in terms of stock lodging and wind that goes with it.  Difficult to see from the road obviously, but it could be occurring.  And farmers may have to deal with an early harvest in some of these fields depending upon if lodging does develop.”

He says corn stalks broken over this late typically don’t recover.

Overall, Nicolai senses more variability compared to the previous two years when record corn and soybean yields were achieved in Minnesota.