Cool spring weather makes its presence known this planting season

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Planters have begun to roll in the region, though not at the pace some farmers would like.

The cooler springtime weather has made the soil temperatures slow to increase despite being clear of snow and ice. While a cooler forecast is on the horizon for the first half of the month of May, soil temperatures and moisture have risen enough for producers to begin to plant some of their crops.

That includes sugarbeets, which were at 65% planted in Minnesota and 40% planted in North Dakota on Monday, May 4, according to the USDA’s Crop Progress report. That was a big jump from 0% and 1%, respectively, the week prior.

Sugarbeets are some of the first crops to go into the ground each planting season. The commodity handles the cooler weather and temperatures better than other crops, such as corn or soybeans. Sugarbeets planted in the northern part of the region are still at risk for frost, which can greatly impact the crop.

“Sugarbeet seedlings are vulnerable to frost, like any other seedling in the ground. Of course, it varies with soil moisture, how much heat is retained in that soil, and things like the air movement at night. But of course, we want a good environment for that seedling to grow and develop,” Eric Branch, North Dakota State University Extension sugarbeet specialist, said.

Branch hopes that the region will experience some warm days now that many producers have their sugarbeets in the ground and are eager to start acquiring heat units. The heat units will allow the seedlings to grow and thrive in the soil. Branch is also hopeful that rain will be minimal, so growers can get out into the fields and make those early passes of fungicide and herbicide applications before the summer growing season.

Cercospora leaf spot is an issue that many producers have at the forefront of their minds when thinking about those early passes.

“Now is the time to have the game plan in place for how those applications are gonna be made and when those are gonna be made. Hopefully, the weather cooperates and the pieces fall together,” Branch said.

Planting season ushers in a busy time of year, which can cause more rushed decisions and actions than usual. Branch hopes that motorists, as well as those within the ag industry, take time during the hectic season to be mindful and stay safe when out on the roads and in the fields.

“I’ve got a research trial crew, we’re out driving about,” he said. “I hope for a safe planting season for all of us.”

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