May 10, 2018

Potato planting well underway in North Dakota and Minnesota

For the week ending May 6, there were six days suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. The Northern Plains Potato Growers Association said reports indicated that, on average, producers began fieldwork on May 3. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 10 percent very short, 34 short, 52 adequate and 4 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 16 percent very short, 34 short, 48 adequate and 2 surplus.

The figure for potatoes planted in North Dakota was at 10 percent. That compares to 13 percent last year and 15 percent average.

Minnesota

Warm and dry weather across much of Minnesota created favorable conditions for fieldwork. There were 4.4 days suitable for fieldwork. While some areas in northern Minnesota still report having frost in the ground, last week’s warmer temperatures allowed farmers in many areas to apply anhydrous and dry fertilizer to fields, conduct tillage activities, and plant small grains, potatoes and sugarbeets, said the NPPGA.

Topsoil moisture supplies were rated 1 percent very short, 6 percent short, 71 percent adequate and 22 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies were rated 0 percent very short, 4 percent short, 83 percent adequate and 13 percent surplus.

Minnesota’s potato planting was reported as 28 percent complete, eight days behind last year and five days behind average.