Continued rainfall across North Dakota marked the beginning of autumn, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service, North Dakota Field Office. Relentless precipitation and increasingly wet soil conditions limited harvesting activities once again.
Potatoes were 51 percent dug, an increase of 7 percentage points over last week but falling behind the average of 59%.
In Minnesota, a major storm event on Wednesday and Thursday brought heavy rainfall to southern areas of the state, according to the USDA, NASS, Minnesota Field Office. As of September 26, an average of 7.2 inches of rain was received in the South Central region, followed by 5.1 inches in the Southwest and 4.4 inches in the Southeast. This significant rainfall caused widespread flooding androad closures. Hail was also reported in several southern locations. While the heaviest rain fell in the south, most areas of the state received above-normal precipitation.
Due to the heavy rain and saturated soil row crop harvest was suspended. Potatoes were 62 percent harvested in Minnesota.
