Mi-crop-weather State Michigan Crop Weather Released October 4, 2004 Week Ending Date October 3, 2004 Issue MI-CW4004 Agricultural Summary Continued Dry Six days were suitable for fieldwork during the week ending October 3, according to the USDA-NASS-Michigan Statistical Office. Relatively dry weather was reported across much of the Sate. However, daytime temperatures moderated, and farmers reported scattered overnight frost in several areas. Severity ranged from light to the season's first killing frost. Temperatures ranged from 4 degrees below normal in the southwest Lower Peninsula to 1 degree above normal in the Upper Peninsula. The continued dry conditions, while favorable for dry down and harvesting progress, had growers concerned about soil moisture levels for wheat germination. The dry soils also made fall tillage difficult. Precipitation amounts ranged from 0.25 inches in the east central Lower Peninsula to 1.06 inches in the western Upper Peninsula. A grower in the southeast noted that it was a good week for harvesting, "Anything that was planted early is pretty well harvested. Later planted crops are getting close." A farmer in the Thumb agreed, but was hoping for a few more nice days before the first freeze, "We still need some good weather in order for the late corn to mature." Field Crops Report Field Crops Some rain fell across the State last week but not enough to improve soil moisture in most areas. The dry weather helped dry down corn and soybeans, but the corn crop could still use more heat to mature. Some late planted corn may have to go for silage or high moisture corn. Soybean harvest continued, with progress now normal for the date. Some growers reported very dry beans, which was leading to cracking. With the little rain that was received, regrowth of hay was slowed. Dry bean harvest was in full swing. Sugarbeet harvest continued, but the crop is in need of more rain. Some growers delayed harvest because of the dry conditions. Wheat planting continued, but dry conditions made tillage and sowing difficult. Fruit, Vegetable, and Specialty Crops Report Fruit Apple harvesting continued. The crop quality has been good to very good. Several growers have had diminished crop size and quality because of hail. Harvest was about half way completed. Concord grape harvest was 95 percent complete. There will be some abandonment. Vegetables Vegetable growers across the State continued to pick a variety of vegetable crops. Warm, dry weather helped crops mature and ensured timely harvesting. Some farmers reported scattered frost. Damage was limited as most susceptible crops were mature. Potato digging continued. Growers were still harvesting fresh market and processing tomatoes in several districts. Pumpkin picking progressed. One reporter noted that a truck shortage was delaying shipments to out of State markets. Squash harvest for processing was just getting underway in the west central. Zucchini harvest was almost wrapped up. Onion harvest continued. Soil Moisture and Crop Condition Tables Soil moisture for week ending 10/03/04 --------------------------------------------- : Very : : : Stratum : short : Short :Adequate:Surplus --------------------------------------------- : Percent : Topsoil : 36 46 18 0 Subsoil : 31 40 29 0 --------------------------------------------- Crop condition for week ending 10/03/04 ----------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Crop : poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent ----------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : All Hay : 8 13 38 32 9 Corn : 5 11 36 36 12 Pasture : 11 26 39 21 3 Soybeans : 4 9 34 42 11 ----------------------------------------------------------- Crop progress for week ending 10/03/04 ------------------------------------------------------------ : This : Last : Last :5-year Crop : week : week : year :average ------------------------------------------------------------ : Percent : All hay, third cutting : 82 81 89 91 All hay, fourth cutting : 31 28 18 38 Apples, harvested : 48 30 NA NA Corn, dough : 97 93 100 100 Corn, dent : 89 73 94 96 Corn, mature : 45 28 56 68 Corn, harvested : 5 1 4 8 Corn silage, harvested : 73 53 82 83 Dry beans, harvested : 86 56 83 66 Potatoes, harvested : 51 37 NA NA Soybeans, turning leaves : 89 71 99 97 Soybeans, dropping leaves : 61 39 88 83 Soybeans, harvested : 16 5 9 16 Winter wheat, planted : 41 28 37 34 Winter wheat, emerged : 9 4 8 8 ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 10/03/04 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 : 72 30 1,844 2,045 1.04 1.08 1.98 20.12 Marquette : 72 30 1,761 1,974 0.92 0.92 2.30 19.80 Stephenson : 81 28 2,112 2,262 1.35 1.38 2.32 19.10 Western UP : 81 27 1 1,866 2,044 1,927 1.06 1.09 2.01 18.08 20.27 2.57 : Cornell : 74 33 1,877 2,173 0.90 0.90 1.79 19.55 Sault St Marie : 74 34 1,621 1,923 0.66 0.66 1.98 18.01 Eastern UP : 74 28 1 1,652 1,916 1,704 0.90 0.90 2.01 17.29 19.18 2.57 : Beulah : 76 36 2,189 2,251 0.65 0.65 1.12 21.11 Lake City : 77 28 2,125 2,118 0.45 0.45 1.23 17.85 Old Mission : 78 36 2,119 2,232 0.61 0.62 0.79 19.20 Pellston : 76 26 2,006 2,117 1.06 1.07 2.18 16.32 Northwest : 78 26 0 2,060 2,143 2,207 0.65 0.66 1.24 17.92 18.42 2.75 : Alpena : 79 30 2,099 2,106 0.27 0.27 0.57 15.34 Houghton Lake : 76 32 2,236 2,246 0.24 0.26 0.99 16.47 Rogers City : 78 30 2,064 2,212 0.32 0.33 0.92 18.04 Northeast : 79 26 -1 2,129 2,209 2,135 0.30 0.30 0.89 16.52 18.23 2.40 : Fremont : 76 30 2,456 2,543 0.37 0.37 0.70 17.85 Hart : 74 30 2,302 2,381 0.82 0.82 1.39 20.16 Muskegon : 71 33 2,483 2,640 0.40 0.40 0.53 20.98 West Central : 76 30 -2 2,372 2,463 2,415 0.56 0.56 0.91 21.01 18.41 2.94 : Alma : 76 33 2,582 2,555 0.34 0.34 0.68 21.47 Big Rapids : 76 31 2,407 2,333 0.48 0.48 0.93 20.67 Central : 76 31 -1 2,520 2,440 2,492 0.37 0.37 0.70 20.50 19.20 2.59 : Bad Axe : 77 35 2,395 2,270 0.24 0.24 0.72 18.29 Pigeon : 76 34 2,373 2,253 0.27 0.28 0.83 19.35 Saginaw : 77 33 2,604 2,491 0.23 0.23 0.89 17.41 Standish : 78 29 2,343 2,222 0.24 0.24 0.99 18.32 East Central : 78 29 -1 2,392 2,325 2,503 0.25 0.26 0.78 18.60 17.08 2.41 : Fennville : 75 34 2,533 2,516 0.08 0.08 0.40 14.25 Grand Rapids : 75 34 2,825 2,609 0.48 0.48 0.93 22.29 Holland : 73 34 2,628 2,589 0.62 0.62 0.77 16.23 South Bend, IN : 75 36 2,976 2,788 0.39 0.39 0.85 23.61 Watervliet : 75 34 2,716 2,552 0.70 0.70 1.91 24.22 Southwest : 78 31 -4 2,716 2,613 2,731 0.53 0.53 1.12 21.84 19.73 2.99 : Belding : 76 33 2,569 2,477 0.43 0.44 1.00 22.61 Coldwater : 74 34 2,651 2,432 1.15 1.15 1.52 22.94 Lansing : 80 36 2,691 2,567 0.18 0.18 1.12 22.07 South Central : 80 33 -3 2,689 2,576 2,680 0.41 0.41 1.00 22.33 19.23 2.41 : Detroit : 75 36 3,011 2,851 0.22 0.22 0.87 20.09 Flint : 75 32 2,736 2,684 0.22 0.22 0.92 18.74 Romeo : 76 34 2,722 2,507 0.52 0.52 1.98 23.90 Tipton : 76 31 2,700 2,546 0.81 0.81 1.24 18.87 Toledo, OH : 74 33 3,040 2,854 0.46 0.46 1.21 17.83 Southeast : 77 31 -2 2,759 2,686 2,678 0.47 0.47 1.16 20.58 18.28 2.33 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.