Mi-crop-weather State Michigan Crop Weather Released September 27, 2004 Week Ending Date September 26, 2004 Issue MI-CW3904 Agricultural Summary Warm and Dry Seven days were suitable for fieldwork during the week ending September 26, according to the USDA-NASS-Michigan Statistical Office. Clear skies and above normal temperatures were the rule across the State. The warm weather pushed crops towards maturity. The dry, sunny conditions also helped dry down corn and soybeans and were conducive to harvest progress. Temperatures ranged from 4 degree above normal in the southwest and south central Lower Peninsula to 11 degrees above normal in the western Upper Peninsula. The warm temperatures pushed most districts to near normal cumulative growing degree days. Precipitation for the week was virtually nonexistent across the State. Many areas reported being on the verge of too dry. The lack of moisture had some growers holding off on fall tillage and planting. Precipitation amounts ranged from none in five Lower Peninsula districts to 0.03 inches in the western Upper Peninsula. A farmer in the southwest commented, "The warm weather has helped the late planted corn mature." Growers in the northeast echoed the sentiment, "This week was hot and dry. The warm weather was excellent for the corn crop. It really helped it mature." Field Crops Report Field Crops Warm temperatures across the State continued with soil moisture becoming short in most areas. The dry weather helped dry down late crops. Hay harvest continued. Third cutting neared completion. Fourth cutting progressed nicely. Dry conditions left some stands short. Corn progressed due to the warm weather and fields were drying rapidly. Corn harvest for silage continued. Soybean harvest was underway in some counties. Dry bean harvest was in full swing under dry conditions. Sugarbeet harvest was getting underway, but the crop is in need of a little rain. Wheat planting continued. Fruit, Vegetable, and Specialty Crops Report Fruit Apple harvest progressed rapidly in the southwest due to a relatively light crop. Growers were picking Golden Delicious, Jonathans, and early Red Delicious to meet demand. In the southeast, apples have been abundant this year. The crop showed excellent quality, with good size and color. Many of the apple varieties were picking out normal to above normal. Pack out should be excellent. In the west central, Spys, Golden Delicious, Jonathans, and Empires were being harvested. So far in the Ridge area, early harvested apple varieties have had great color and excellent flavor. Maturity was running a bit behind average, but clear sunny days and cooler nights have led to excellent crop potential. In the northwest, apples were generally coming in late, with Gala ripening notably later than normal. It was a very challenging year for apple thinning due to cool weather during bloom and fruit set. So far the apple crop has been of high quality. Fall raspberry harvest continued in the southwest. Fruit rots, especially gray mold and blue mold, have been a problem for some growers. Concord grape harvest moved along rapidly in the southwest. Early sites have produced excellent sugar thanks to warm sunny days and a light crop load. In the southeast, grape berry moth damage was higher than normal. Japanese beetle has been increasing as a pest problem on grapes and other fruit crops each season. Visit Michigan State University Extension Service's "Fruit Crop Advisory Team Alert" website at www.ipm.msu.edu/fruitCAT.htm for a complete summary of the 2004 fruit growing season. Vegetables Continued warm temperatures helped advance the maturity of a wide variety of vegetable crops across the State. Dry and warm temperatures made for good harvesting conditions, although many areas reported needing some moisture. Farmers continued to harvest both fresh market and processing tomatoes. Processing harvest was still in full swing in the southeast and growers were picking late fresh market plantings in several areas. Potato digging moved along, with harvest progress somewhat variable across districts. Celery harvest was almost three-fourths complete. Warm weather was conducive to large sizing in the crop. Sweet corn supply was good in the southeast, but growers reported some corn earworm damage. Pumpkin harvest was well underway in the southeast. Maturity was earlier than usual. In the southwest, zucchini harvest neared completion. In the southeast, pepper harvest was in full swing and the onion crop neared 75 percent harvested. Soil Moisture and Crop Condition Tables Soil moisture for week ending 09/26/04 --------------------------------------------- : Very : : : Stratum : short : Short :Adequate:Surplus --------------------------------------------- : Percent : Topsoil : 24 49 26 1 Subsoil : 15 43 41 1 --------------------------------------------- Crop condition for week ending 09/26/04 ----------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Crop : poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent ----------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : All Hay : 6 17 35 34 8 Corn : 4 12 36 36 12 Dry beans : 4 16 34 36 10 Pasture : 10 23 43 20 4 Soybeans : 3 8 35 43 11 ----------------------------------------------------------- Crop progress for week ending 09/26/04 ------------------------------------------------------------ : This : Last : Last :5-year Crop : week : week : year :average ------------------------------------------------------------ : Percent : All hay, third cutting : 81 76 87 86 All hay, fourth cutting : 28 18 12 27 Apples, harvested : 30 22 NA NA Corn, dough : 93 87 99 99 Corn, dent : 73 55 85 90 Corn, mature : 28 10 32 50 Corn, harvested : 1 0 2 5 Corn silage, harvested : 53 19 66 69 Dry beans, dropping leaves : 96 67 98 86 Dry beans, harvested : 56 17 64 50 Potatoes, harvested : 37 30 NA NA Soybeans, turning leaves : 71 50 94 92 Soybeans, dropping leaves : 39 15 68 68 Soybeans, harvested : 5 0 4 8 Winter wheat, planted : 28 9 26 20 Winter wheat, emerged : 4 0 1 2 ------------------------------------------------------------ Contact Information U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service Michigan Statistical Office P.O. Box 26248 Lansing, MI 48909-6248 517-324-5300; or 800-453-7501 Fax 517-324-5299 email: nass-mi@nass.usda.gov Web Page: http:/www.nass.usda.gov/mi Weather Information Table Michigan Weather Summary for Week Ending 09/26/04 1/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : :Cumulative growing: : Temperature : degree days 2/ : Precipitation :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : : : : : : : : : Normal Station : : :Departure: : : :This:Last :Last : Since :------------- :Maximum :Minimum : from :2004 :2003 :Normal:week: two :four :April 1: Since : For : : : normal : : : : :weeks:weeks: :April 1:month ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ironwood : 81 45 1,788 2,045 0.04 0.70 1.31 19.08 Marquette : 82 49 1,708 1,974 0.00 0.84 1.69 18.88 Stephenson : 82 41 2,036 2,254 0.03 0.56 1.03 17.75 Western UP : 82 41 11 1,810 2,043 1,885 0.03 0.66 1.26 17.03 19.61 3.58 : Cornell : 77 45 1,827 2,166 0.00 0.58 1.38 18.65 Sault St Marie : 78 46 1,571 1,919 0.00 0.18 1.35 17.35 Eastern UP : 82 38 10 1,602 1,912 1,669 0.00 0.53 1.26 16.39 18.57 3.55 : Beulah : 85 44 2,151 2,243 0.00 0.12 0.54 20.82 Lake City : 83 36 2,065 2,112 0.00 0.26 0.78 17.40 Old Mission : 88 40 2,058 2,228 0.01 0.05 0.22 18.59 Pellston : 86 36 1,946 2,113 0.01 0.27 1.40 15.26 Northwest : 88 36 9 2,006 2,138 2,155 0.01 0.15 0.67 17.37 17.59 3.66 : Alpena : 86 41 2,031 2,094 0.00 0.06 0.36 15.07 Houghton Lake : 84 34 2,175 2,240 0.02 0.18 0.76 16.23 Rogers City : 85 40 2,001 2,202 0.01 0.20 0.74 17.72 Northeast : 87 34 8 2,065 2,199 2,083 0.01 0.18 0.70 16.22 17.52 3.47 : Fremont : 84 39 2,393 2,533 0.00 0.08 0.33 17.48 Hart : 84 39 2,243 2,372 0.00 0.39 0.57 18.92 Muskegon : 81 39 2,424 2,622 0.00 0.08 0.13 20.58 West Central : 84 39 6 2,310 2,451 2,354 0.00 0.23 0.36 20.39 17.68 3.19 : Alma : 85 37 2,518 2,537 0.00 0.10 0.36 20.55 Big Rapids : 85 37 2,354 2,315 0.00 0.24 0.45 20.19 Central : 85 37 6 2,458 2,423 2,429 0.00 0.12 0.36 19.99 18.45 3.09 : Bad Axe : 87 42 2,332 2,246 0.00 0.02 0.57 18.05 Pigeon : 88 42 2,308 2,234 0.01 0.03 0.57 19.08 Saginaw : 87 41 2,532 2,467 0.00 0.00 0.67 17.18 Standish : 86 38 2,275 2,207 0.00 0.00 0.75 18.08 East Central : 88 38 5 2,326 2,304 2,438 0.01 0.04 0.54 18.59 16.50 2.70 : Fennville : 86 43 2,455 2,500 0.00 0.18 0.32 14.97 Grand Rapids : 85 43 2,760 2,592 0.00 0.05 0.45 21.81 Holland : 85 39 2,566 2,570 0.00 0.11 0.17 15.61 South Bend, IN : 85 48 2,912 2,769 0.00 0.36 0.88 23.22 Watervliet : 86 43 2,650 2,529 0.00 0.97 1.21 23.52 Southwest : 87 37 4 2,646 2,594 2,657 0.00 0.42 0.64 21.09 18.98 3.26 : Belding : 85 45 2,503 2,464 0.01 0.03 0.58 22.18 Coldwater : 85 46 2,583 2,424 0.00 0.00 0.37 21.75 Lansing : 85 44 2,627 2,544 0.00 0.33 0.94 21.89 South Central : 86 41 4 2,616 2,554 2,609 0.00 0.21 0.59 22.04 18.66 2.79 : Detroit : 85 51 2,936 2,823 0.00 0.00 0.65 19.87 Flint : 85 42 2,674 2,657 0.00 0.22 0.70 18.52 Romeo : 86 45 2,658 2,481 0.00 0.02 1.48 23.38 Tipton : 89 44 2,636 2,522 0.00 0.00 0.43 18.06 Toledo, OH : 87 44 2,974 2,821 0.00 0.00 1.01 17.37 Southeast : 90 40 5 2,695 2,659 2,609 0.00 0.03 0.79 20.16 17.76 2.43 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Issued by the Federal/State Michigan Agricultural Statistics Service in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Commerce, Michigan State University's Cooperative Extension Service, Agricultural Meteorologist, Department of Geography, and Crop Advisory Team ALERTS. 2/ Growing degree days (GDD) is the sum of daily mean temperatures minus 50 per day, 86 maximum And 50 minimum. The GDD is accumulative from April 1.