Soil Moisture Deficit Heading into 2023

A lack of subsoil moisture is a concern for many Corn Belt farmers.  Ryan Buck of Goodhue in southeast Minnesota says there’s a substantial deficit after two years of dryness:

“There is really nothing there. You go down 10 inches and it’s basically powder.”

Drought conditions range from moderate to extreme in the southeast corner of the state:

“So we’re either going to need quite a bit of rain before it freezes up (and) winter hits to recharge the soil around here, otherwise, it’s going to have to rain a lot next spring when the frost comes back out.”

Buck says the crop performed surprisingly well considering “spotty rains” throughout the growing season.