Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com

Published - Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Farmers make planting gains

By The Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS — The U.S. Agriculture Department says Minnesota farmers made large gains in fieldwork and planting last week.

Even so, the agency’s Minnesota field office says crops remain behind last year’s pace as well as the five-year average.

Corn planting was 32 percent complete compared with 83 percent last year and 82 percent for the five-year average. Land prepared for soybean planting was 9 percent complete compared with 50 percent last year and 47 percent for the five-year average.

The average temperature was 49.8 degrees — 3.7 degrees below normal — and topsoil moisture supplies as of Friday were rated 0 percent very short, 1 percent short, 70 percent adequate, and 29 percent surplus.

There was an average of 3.4 days suitable for fieldwork.

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