Mi-crop-weather State Michigan Crop Weather Released May 2, 2005 Week Ending Date May 1, 2005 Issue MI-CW1905 Agricultural Summary Cold Temperatures Continue Four days were suitable for fieldwork during the week ending May 1, according to the USDA-NASS-Michigan Statistical Office. This week saw below normal temperatures throughout most of the State. These low temperatures hindered the emergence of crops in the field and hampered drying out of wet fields. The Upper Peninsula and west central, central, southwest, and south central Lower Peninsula remained abnormally dry according to NOAA's United States Drought Monitor early in the week. Precipitation amounts ranged from 0.12 inches in the southwest and south central Lower Peninsula to 0.49 inches in the eastern Upper Peninsula. Average temperatures ranged from 5 degree below normal in the eastern Upper Peninsula to 8 degrees below normal in the western Upper Peninsula. A producer in the central Lower Peninsula noted, "cooler temperatures are keeping the soil from drying too rapidly." Another farmer commented, "the fruit trees are starting to blossom, but being cold and windy, the pollinators will not be out." Field Crops Report Below normal temperatures last week slowed down fieldwork but prevented further drying of soils in dry areas of the State. Wet fields did not dry out due to the cooler temperatures. In some areas, farmers were able to continue tillage and planting on the drier soils. Oat, barley, and corn planting continued last week and was well ahead of the 5-year average. Emergence continues to be consistent with the 5-year average, but still lags as a percent of the total planted. Soybean planting slowed last week due to the cool temperatures and wet fields. Sugarbeet planting was almost complete, on pace with last year. Alfalfa stands could be stunted in dry areas unless they receive some rains. Winter wheat stands remain mostly good and only 5 percent was rated poor or very poor. A report from the northeast Lower Peninsula mentioned that, "some wheat fields have a blueish-red color due to the cold and wet conditions." Fruit, Vegetable, and Specialty Crops Report Fruit Cold temperatures appear to have caused limited damage to Michigan's fruit crops. As a result of the cold temperatures, insect activity was minimal last week. In the southwest, apple blooms began to open. Apples were ahead of normal in the southeast, with most in tight cluster to pre-pink, and even a few at pink stage. For the Grand Rapids area, most apple varieties were in open cluster to early pink stage. Tart cherries were in full bloom in the southwest and leaves were beginning to unfold. There seemed to be little damage from frost. In the Northwest, freeze damage occurred in cherries. Preliminary evaluations of Montmorency tart cherries showed damage ranging from some to none, depending on the orchard site. In the southeast sweet cherries were in full bloom. Growers were hopeful they had enough pollination before the cold temperatures to save the crop. In the Ridge area, sweet cherries were blooming. In the southwest, peach bloom ended. Due to the cold snap, the crop was reduced for some varieties and sites, and in some areas there will be no peach crop. In the southeast peaches were at pink bud with a very few early blossoms opening. Peaches were nearing full bloom across the Ridge. In the southwest, plum bloom ended and pear bloom continued. In the southeast, pears were mostly at bud burst to open cluster. In southwest grown grapes, the most advanced Concord shoots were about one inch long. Summer raspberry leaves came out in the southwest. Raspberries were at bud break and fall raspberries continued to emerge from the ground in the southeast. In the southeast, blueberries were at bud burst. Blueberries were showing a range of development from one-fourth inch green to early pink throughout the Ridge. Vegetables Vegetable growers' activities were hindered due to the cold weather and rain across much of the State. The precipitation was much needed but held back fieldwork progress. Many of the emerged asparagus spears were killed due to three nights of frost in the west central. Carrot planting continued. Growers continued irrigating for germination and to prevent wind erosion. Soil Moisture and Crop Condition Tables Soil moisture for week ending 05/01/05 --------------------------------------------- : Very : : : Stratum : short : Short :Adequate:Surplus --------------------------------------------- : Percent : Topsoil : 5 22 61 12 Subsoil : 3 24 64 9 --------------------------------------------- Crop condition for week ending 05/01/05 ----------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Crop : poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent ----------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Pasture : 0 10 47 32 11 Winter Wheat : 3 2 31 55 9 ----------------------------------------------------------- Crop progress for week ending 05/01/05 ------------------------------------------------------------ : This : Last : Last :5-year Crop : week : week : year :average ------------------------------------------------------------ : Percent : Asparagus, harvested : 10 NA NA NA Barley, planted : 70 50 56 40 Barley, emerged : 23 10 28 21 Corn, planted : 36 25 38 18 Corn, emerged : 1 0 2 1 Oats, planted : 89 70 81 63 Oats, emerged : 34 12 41 33 Potatoes, planted : 21 15 19 23 Soybeans, planted : 8 6 11 5 ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 05/01/05 1/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : :Cumulative growing: : Temperature : degree days 2/ : Precipitation :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : : : : : : : : : Normal Station : : :Departure: : : :This:Last :Last : Since :------------- :Maximum :Minimum : from :2005 :2004 :Normal:week: two :four :April 1: Since : For : : : normal : : : : :weeks:weeks: :April 1:month ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ironwood : 52 27 140 79 0.08 0.12 0.77 0.79 Marquette : 49 26 110 56 0.62 1.27 2.37 2.37 Stephenson : 56 27 128 138 0.17 0.42 1.27 1.27 Western UP : 59 22 -8 119 74 81 0.23 0.48 1.22 1.22 2.43 3.37 : Cornell : 60 29 109 83 0.92 1.13 1.33 1.33 Sault St Marie : 52 27 88 25 0.27 0.65 1.24 1.24 Eastern UP : 60 26 -5 97 46 41 0.49 0.92 1.45 1.45 2.56 3.01 : Beulah : 57 31 191 115 0.40 1.31 1.31 1.31 Lake City : 56 23 156 119 0.17 1.04 1.05 1.05 Old Mission : 55 29 148 89 0.30 1.19 1.19 1.19 Pellston : 56 23 128 96 0.14 1.22 1.32 1.32 Northwest : 57 23 -6 148 97 102 0.24 1.16 1.18 1.18 2.80 2.61 : Alpena : 55 23 95 97 0.40 1.64 1.72 1.72 Houghton Lake : 55 22 158 136 0.06 0.62 0.68 0.68 Rogers City : 54 24 131 96 0.25 1.26 1.32 1.32 Northeast : 57 22 -6 137 118 92 0.23 1.23 1.28 1.28 2.65 2.76 : Fremont : 58 25 201 167 0.09 0.40 0.40 0.40 Hart : 57 26 185 136 0.18 0.67 0.71 0.71 Muskegon : 58 28 190 159 0.21 0.42 0.43 0.43 West Central : 62 25 -7 190 147 125 0.16 0.43 0.44 0.44 3.28 2.67 : Alma : 58 29 193 191 0.18 0.65 0.65 0.65 Big Rapids : 58 28 191 174 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Central : 58 25 -6 192 183 140 0.14 0.50 0.50 0.50 3.23 2.79 : Bad Axe : 55 28 144 136 0.39 1.70 1.74 1.74 Pigeon : 56 32 117 138 0.37 0.84 0.86 0.86 Saginaw : 58 32 142 177 0.30 1.35 1.37 1.37 Standish : 56 31 141 166 0.31 1.36 1.37 1.37 East Central : 59 28 -6 132 158 133 0.32 1.32 1.34 1.34 2.66 2.63 : Fennville : 61 31 214 165 0.06 0.58 0.61 0.62 Grand Rapids : 60 31 208 223 0.13 0.80 0.81 0.81 Holland : 61 30 210 184 0.20 0.82 0.82 0.82 South Bend, IN : 64 30 239 236 0.07 0.97 1.00 1.03 Watervliet : 62 31 226 203 0.12 0.77 0.78 0.79 Southwest : 65 27 -7 223 211 158 0.12 0.80 0.82 0.83 3.52 3.01 : Belding : 58 25 201 188 0.15 1.23 1.23 1.23 Coldwater : 194 192 0.00 0.73 0.74 0.74 Lansing : 60 30 212 209 0.06 1.05 1.06 1.06 South Central : 64 25 -6 207 213 159 0.12 0.74 0.74 0.74 3.24 2.92 : Detroit : 62 34 200 219 0.46 1.54 1.54 1.77 Flint : 58 30 189 220 0.16 1.30 1.30 1.30 Romeo : 60 32 180 195 0.84 2.00 2.01 2.27 Tipton : 61 30 210 204 0.42 1.35 1.38 1.42 Toledo, OH : 56 35 193 235 0.62 2.29 2.31 2.46 Southeast : 64 29 -6 193 212 147 0.43 1.92 1.94 2.08 3.27 2.85 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.