mi-crop-weather State Michigan Crop Weather Released October 17, 2005 Week Ending Date October 16, 2005 Issue MI-CW4305 Agricultural Summary Warm and Dry Six days were suitable for fieldwork during the week ending October 16, according to the USDA, NASS, Michigan Field Office. Precipitation amounts ranged from none in the south central Lower Peninsula to 0.29 inches in the eastern Upper Peninsula. Average temperatures ranged from 1 degree above normal in the southwest Lower Peninsula to 4 degrees above normal in the northwest and central Lower Peninsula. Farmers were busy harvesting with minimal delays due to rain. A farmer in the northwest said, "It was perfect weather for picking corn, but we still need rain to keep up with adequate soil moisture." A farmer from the south central mentioned, "Dry weather sped up harvest progress in our area. Machines are running around the clock if the trucks can keep up." Field Crops Report Field Crops Corn harvest continued with most of the corn fully matured. Soybean harvest continued at a fast pace. There were reports that a killing frost was needed on late planted soybeans to kill the green stems. The third cutting of alfalfa was almost complete. For sugarbeets, temperatures continued to be too warm to start stockpiling beets. Winter wheat planting was almost completed. There were reports that more wheat may be planted due to the above normal fall temperatures and due to fertilizer costs expected to increase from high petroleum prices. Fruit, Vegetable, and Specialty Crops Report Fruit In the southwest, Red Delicious and Golden Delicious apple harvest was nearing completion. Growers were starting to pick fresh market varieties such as Fuji. Harvest continued in the west central, with Rome and Ida Red varieties still to be picked. Growers have been waiting for cold temperatures to improve fruit color. In the northwest, harvest was nearing completion. Grape harvest ended in the southwest. Vegetables Harvest of late season vegetable crops continued. Carrot harvest continued. Celery harvest wrapped up. Onion harvest continued. Potato harvest progressed. Pumpkin harvest moved along. Squash harvest for processing continued. Soil Moisture and Crop Condition Tables Soil moisture for week ending 10/16/05 --------------------------------------------- : Very : : : Stratum : short : Short :Adequate:Surplus --------------------------------------------- : Percent : Topsoil : 18 41 40 1 Subsoil : 24 49 26 1 --------------------------------------------- Crop condition for week ending 10/16/05 ----------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Crop : poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent ----------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Corn : 2 7 24 45 22 Pasture : 12 18 41 26 3 ----------------------------------------------------------- Crop progress for week ending 10/16/05 ---------------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : 5-year Crop : week : week : year :average ---------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : All hay, third cutting : 96 93 96 96 All hay, fourth cutting : 47 45 70 57 Apples, harvested : 76 73 80 NA Corn, mature : 97 95 87 91 Corn, harvested : 37 26 18 19 Potatoes, harvested : 78 70 79 NA Soybeans, harvested : 82 67 50 47 Sugarbeets, harvested : 12 11 8 18 Winter wheat, planted : 90 71 81 73 Winter wheat, emerged : 47 27 36 33 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Contact Information U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service Michigan Field 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 10/16/05 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 : 65 28 2,531 1,853 0.22 0.22 2.09 14.90 Marquette : 63 32 2,399 1,834 0.25 3.01 5.90 19.30 Stephenson : 69 29 2,638 2,198 0.23 1.31 2.96 12.32 Western UP : 69 28 2 2,516 1,901 1,991 0.23 2.32 4.14 16.31 21.29 2.57 : Cornell : 66 34 2,520 1,934 0.28 4.20 6.88 16.31 Sault St Marie : 63 38 2,398 1,670 0.47 0.82 3.73 14.84 Eastern UP : 66 24 3 2,382 1,710 1,753 0.29 2.54 5.48 16.79 20.32 2.57 : Beulah : 68 33 2,889 2,262 0.18 0.25 2.71 18.86 Lake City : 68 30 2,603 2,192 0.24 0.24 3.48 18.13 Old Mission : 68 33 2,766 2,190 0.23 0.25 2.63 14.61 Pellston : 67 28 2,696 2,078 0.17 0.80 3.08 15.44 Northwest : 68 27 4 2,703 2,126 2,283 0.24 0.62 3.10 17.16 19.62 2.75 : Alpena : 69 31 2,586 2,169 0.11 0.22 2.52 15.73 Houghton Lake : 67 27 2,715 2,299 0.15 0.15 3.49 13.94 Rogers City : 69 29 2,609 2,176 0.19 0.30 2.74 17.90 Northeast : 71 25 2 2,646 2,194 2,205 0.18 0.25 2.75 16.84 19.34 2.40 : Fremont : 69 35 3,044 2,545 0.00 0.01 1.14 8.44 Hart : 69 31 2,938 2,386 0.01 0.02 1.30 12.78 Muskegon : 67 38 3,149 2,565 0.00 0.02 3.00 11.65 West Central : 69 30 3 3,018 2,457 2,499 0.01 0.03 1.95 11.67 19.73 2.94 : Alma : 71 35 3,049 2,670 0.01 0.01 0.93 12.03 Big Rapids : 71 35 2,933 2,482 0.00 0.00 0.00 8.62 Central : 71 35 4 2,986 2,573 2,581 0.01 0.01 0.92 10.51 20.41 2.59 : Bad Axe : 69 39 3,014 2,479 0.00 0.13 4.68 17.88 Pigeon : 67 36 2,819 2,454 0.02 0.07 2.29 12.07 Saginaw : 71 39 3,028 2,689 0.07 0.07 4.41 17.97 Standish : 71 34 2,864 2,423 0.14 0.17 4.47 20.13 East Central : 71 34 3 2,918 2,519 2,597 0.06 0.16 3.49 16.16 18.15 2.41 : Fennville : 71 36 3,129 2,622 0.00 0.08 0.34 6.25 Grand Rapids : 70 38 3,279 2,907 0.06 0.06 2.45 20.13 Holland : 69 40 3,243 2,708 0.00 0.00 2.00 5.79 South Bend, IN : 72 39 3,471 3,060 0.00 0.00 2.18 13.44 Watervliet : 71 38 3,327 2,801 0.00 0.01 1.41 11.41 Southwest : 73 35 1 3,264 2,804 2,837 0.01 0.02 1.46 11.17 21.17 2.99 : Belding : 70 35 3,002 2,652 0.00 0.01 2.66 16.04 Coldwater : 71 39 3,130 2,745 0.00 0.03 1.90 14.81 Lansing : 71 40 3,306 2,780 0.00 0.00 1.89 17.66 South Central : 74 32 2 3,187 2,789 2,785 0.00 0.02 2.02 14.02 20.47 2.41 : Detroit : 74 46 3,515 3,105 0.02 0.02 1.31 13.98 Flint : 72 41 3,146 2,819 0.01 0.01 4.88 16.69 Romeo : 70 43 3,082 2,802 0.02 0.02 3.60 16.81 Tipton : 75 39 3,206 2,792 0.03 0.04 1.99 16.07 Toledo, OH : 74 40 3,431 3,128 0.04 0.04 1.88 14.12 Southeast : 75 33 3 3,226 2,915 2,783 0.02 0.03 2.63 16.41 19.36 2.33 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Issued by the USDA, NASS, Michigan Field Office 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.