mi-crop-weather State Michigan Crop Weather Released October 27, 2008 Week Ending Date October 26, 2008 Issue MI-CW4308 Agricultural Summary Cold and Wet Five days were suitable for fieldwork during the week ending October 26, according to the USDA, NASS, Michigan Field Office. Precipitation varied from 0.44 inches in the southeastern Lower Peninsula to 1.10 inches in the southwestern Lower Peninsula. Average temperatures ranged from 5 degrees below normal in the northeastern, central, southwestern, south central, and southeastern Lower Peninsula to 2 degrees below normal in the eastern Upper Peninsula. Freezing temperatures were experienced across the State. Rains, especially near the end of the week, slowed or halted fieldwork in many areas. A reporter in the northern Lower Peninsula stated, "What a nasty week with freezing temperatures and 4 days of rain. Fall work has come to a stop. Remaining corn and apples still need to be harvested. Fuel prices have come down, which has helped with fieldwork." Despite the delay in harvest and fieldwork, rain has helped recently planted crops. "Rain showers should help wheat and cover crops germinate," a grower in the south central region reported. Field Crops Report Field Crops Rains interrupted harvest and other field activities. Corn harvest continued where conditions allowed. Growers monitored the crop's moisture level. There were reports that hi-moisture corn harvest was nearly complete. Soybean harvest continued but was approaching completion. Alfalfa cutting neared completion with growers getting a third or fourth cutting. The haying season has come to an end for most farmers. Dry bean harvest neared completion. Winter wheat planting continued where field conditions allowed. The crop continued to emerge in the moist soils. The crop should benefit from recent rains. Sugarbeet harvest continued. Piling began early this past week. Fruit, Vegetable, and Specialty Crops Report Fruit Apple harvest neared completion. Grape harvest will be completed this week. Fall clean-up activities began in some orchards and vineyards across the state. Vegetables The inclement weather conditions toward the end of the week postponed harvest activities. Farmers faced the challenge of fields being dry enough to continue vegetable harvest. There were some areas that reported frost, but the colder weather did not harm tomato vines. Carrot and onion harvest continued. Pumpkin picking neared completion. Potato harvest neared completion. Processing squash harvest was moving along with minimal problems. Harvest of processing celery continued. Soil Moisture and Crop Condition Tables Soil moisture for week ending 10/26/08 --------------------------------------------- : Very : : : Stratum : short : Short :Adequate:Surplus --------------------------------------------- : Percent : Topsoil : 2 7 77 14 Subsoil : 3 13 76 8 --------------------------------------------- Crop condition for week ending 10/26/08 ----------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Crop : poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent ----------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : All Hay : 2 12 36 42 8 Corn : 3 10 29 42 16 Pasture : 3 20 41 30 6 Soybeans : 14 20 25 34 7 Winter Wheat : 1 1 57 29 12 ----------------------------------------------------------- Crop progress for week ending 10/26/08 ---------------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : 5-year Crop : week : week : year :average ---------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : All hay, third cutting : 97 94 100 100 All hay, fourth cutting : 62 53 75 75 Apples, harvested : 91 79 96 NA Corn, harvested : 35 24 47 41 Dry beans, harvested : 96 93 100 99 Potatoes, harvested : 92 83 93 NA Soybeans, harvested : 88 74 73 74 Sugarbeets, harvested : 41 19 34 48 Winter wheat, planted : 92 85 93 90 Winter wheat, emerged : 59 41 74 62 ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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 10/26/08 1/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : :Cumulative growing: : Temperature : degree days 2/ : Precipitation :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : : : : : : : : : Normal Station : : :Departure: : : :This:Last :Last : Since :------------- :Maximum :Minimum : from :2008 :2007 :Normal:week: two :four :April 1: Since : For : : : normal : : : : :weeks:weeks: :April 1:month ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ironwood : 51 25 1,997 2,494 0.68 0.80 1.80 18.15 Marquette : 53 21 1,869 2,377 1.24 1.33 3.07 19.97 Stephenson : 60 23 2,329 2,698 0.43 0.53 1.27 18.52 Western UP : 60 15 -4 2,006 2,477 2,027 0.59 0.69 1.57 17.11 22.10 2.57 : Cornell : 53 26 2,177 2,586 0.51 0.82 1.99 16.65 Sault St Marie : 53 26 1,912 2,335 0.45 0.99 2.29 18.05 Eastern UP : 53 20 -2 1,895 2,362 1,779 0.50 0.86 2.21 18.85 21.15 2.57 : Beulah : 57 24 2,540 2,888 0.78 0.97 2.37 22.29 Lake City : 52 20 2,361 2,675 1.40 1.68 3.12 26.82 Old Mission : 55 30 2,429 2,786 0.63 0.83 1.54 14.79 Pellston : 53 15 2,242 2,661 0.91 1.11 2.08 18.67 Northwest : 57 15 -4 2,328 2,698 2,326 0.80 1.02 2.00 19.25 20.48 2.75 : Alpena : 54 20 2,349 2,708 0.55 0.78 1.42 19.85 Houghton Lake : 52 18 2,410 2,707 0.87 1.07 1.52 22.58 Rogers City : 52 21 2,262 2,713 0.73 0.99 1.62 21.08 Northeast : 54 15 -5 2,334 2,689 2,246 0.75 0.98 1.60 21.53 20.09 2.40 : Fremont : 55 26 2,637 3,002 1.14 1.46 2.91 20.59 Hart : 55 22 2,527 2,875 0.66 0.97 1.95 20.94 Muskegon : 58 30 2,702 3,138 1.46 1.84 3.47 22.80 West Central : 60 19 -3 2,585 2,957 2,545 0.98 1.30 2.92 23.05 20.69 2.94 : Alma : 55 27 2,759 3,129 0.81 1.20 1.96 20.26 Big Rapids : 55 22 2,621 2,794 1.28 1.50 2.45 21.06 Central : 55 22 -5 2,666 2,962 2,630 1.08 1.33 2.25 19.86 21.20 2.59 : Bad Axe : 55 29 2,647 2,992 0.77 1.36 1.90 24.15 Pigeon : 58 28 2,554 2,880 0.74 1.01 1.81 18.10 Saginaw : 55 29 2,837 3,172 0.66 1.01 1.93 20.85 Standish : 55 26 2,497 2,857 1.19 1.32 2.25 22.34 East Central : 58 26 -4 2,608 2,975 2,646 0.76 1.06 2.10 21.40 18.92 2.41 : Fennville : 59 28 2,725 3,094 1.22 1.65 4.00 31.37 Grand Rapids : 68 29 3,065 3,468 1.30 1.58 3.05 28.76 Holland : 61 30 3,095 3,375 1.60 1.90 4.27 30.25 South Bend, IN : 65 29 3,191 3,626 1.26 1.94 2.78 29.37 Watervliet : 60 29 2,922 3,323 1.07 1.50 3.11 27.33 Southwest : 68 25 -5 2,951 3,309 2,897 1.10 1.52 3.11 28.90 22.12 2.99 : Belding : 56 24 2,708 3,027 1.08 1.33 2.52 19.64 Coldwater : 67 27 2,953 3,136 0.79 1.25 1.76 22.79 Lansing : 59 26 2,933 3,234 0.84 1.23 2.91 22.81 South Central : 67 24 -5 2,845 3,158 2,841 0.92 1.29 2.40 23.82 21.18 2.41 : Detroit : 65 32 3,268 3,534 0.31 0.73 1.26 17.77 Flint : 58 27 2,971 3,214 0.41 0.82 2.21 22.43 Romeo : 58 29 2,823 3,172 0.19 0.64 1.23 20.63 Tipton : 67 28 2,958 3,193 0.75 1.05 1.36 23.73 Toledo, OH : 65 29 3,251 3,473 0.42 1.13 1.47 21.48 Southeast : 67 24 -5 2,963 3,268 2,839 0.44 0.85 1.58 22.08 20.14 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.