mi-crop-weather State Michigan Crop Weather Released June 1, 2009 Week Ending Date May 31, 2009 Issue MI-CW2209 Agricultural Summary Rain Returns Four days were suitable for fieldwork during the week ending May 31, according to the USDA, NASS, Michigan Field Office. Precipitation varied from 0.71 inches in the east central Lower Peninsula to 2.21 inches in the eastern Upper Peninsula. Average temperatures ranged from 7 degrees below normal in the northwest and northeast Lower Peninsula to 1 degree below normal in the southwest, south central and southeast Lower Peninsula. Farmers continued to work around wet spots as favorable weather conditions early in the week gave farmers the opportunity to get a majority of the crops planted before the precipitation returned. A reporter in the southwest commented, "Rains slowed field work but otherwise good progress was made on the days field work was possible. Overall crops look good." Cooler temperatures have slowed crop emergence. A grower in the south central reported, "Everything is growing slowly with it being cool and wet. A 2-inch rain this week has stopped fieldwork, and there are still spots of water in places." Field Crops Report Field Crops Wet weather returned and created difficulties for crop progress and hay harvest. Wheat development progressed. The crop was in Feekes growing stages 7 through headed. Traces of Septoria leaf blotch, Fusarium leaf spot, cephalosporium stripe and powdery mildew have been found in varying parts of the State. Oats and barley progressed, but were variable in stands due to the abundance of precipitation received in previous weeks. Oats were in Feekes growing stages 7 and 8. Rye was headed and turning color in the Southeast. Early planted soybean fields have emerged with some fields at the V1 leaf stage. With dry weather in recent weeks, corn planting was nearing completion. Early planted fields of corn have emerged and were approaching stage V3. However, later planted corn was in stage V1. Report of damage from sandhill cranes was reported in the Southwest. First cuttings of alfalfa were reported in areas where the crop was ready and weather permitted. Sugarbeets were replanted and progressed well. Dry bean planting continued. Fruit, Vegetable, and Specialty Crops Report Fruit Fruit development was generally near normal. Apple fruit was 13 to 15 mm in diameter in the southwest; trees were in petal fall in the west central area. Some natural fruit drop occurred. Peaches were 10 to 14 mm in diameter in the southwest and in shuck split in the southeast. Plums were 8 to 10 mm in the southwest and in late petal fall in the northwest. Strawberry bloom neared completion; a late harvest season was anticipated. Early variety raspberry bloom began. Sweet cherries were at 7 to 11 mm in the northwest. Tart cherries were at early shuck split in the northwest, where high levels of green fruit worm were reported; fruit were 10 to 12 mm in the southwest. Pears were 10 mm in the west central and were ready for thinning. Blueberries ranged from full bloom to petal fall. Mummyberry shoot strikes were common in some fields. Grape shoots were 8 to 12 inches long in the southwest and 1 to 3 inches long in the northwest. Vegetables With warmer temperatures and adequate soil moisture, vegetable growers moved quickly to make up for time lost due to previous wet weather. Most growers reported making good progress in their planting schedules this week. Carrot planting was nearly complete this week. Early carrots were in the second leaf. Onions on muck soils were in the second leaf, although onion emergence has been spotty in some fields. Direct seeded cucumbers were at the second and third leaf stage. Seeded cucumbers under tunnels were at their fifth to sixth true leaf and transplants were close to their tenth true leaf. Cabbage and celery transplanting continued this week. On muck soils, celery, onions, lettuce, radishes, turnips, leeks, and red beets are growing well. Sweet corn planting was nearly complete this week in the Southeast; the crop condition varied across the State. In the southwest, tomatoes under tunnels outgrew their tunnels and were close to flowering. Transplanting of tomatoes continued across the state, while transplanting of peppers, eggplant, watermelon and cantaloup began. Planting of squash, melons, pumpkins, and potatoes continued. Asparagus harvest continued this week. Growers were challenged to keep up with pesticide applications due to recent rains and wind; however, cooler weather has kept pests such as asparagus beetles under control. Soil Moisture and Crop Condition Tables Soil moisture for week ending 05/31/09 --------------------------------------------- : Very : : : Stratum : short : Short :Adequate:Surplus --------------------------------------------- : Percent : Topsoil : 0 3 68 29 Subsoil : 0 4 69 27 --------------------------------------------- Crop condition for week ending 05/31/09 ----------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Crop : poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent ----------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : All Hay : 1 4 25 55 15 Barley : 1 1 19 75 4 Oats : 0 2 27 65 6 Pasture : 0 6 26 44 24 Winter Wheat : 1 6 26 54 13 ----------------------------------------------------------- Crop progress for week ending 05/31/09 ---------------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : 5-year Crop : week : week : year :average ---------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : All hay, first cutting : 13 4 24 19 Asparagus, harvested : 45 25 54 58 Barley, emerged : 86 64 57 84 Corn, planted : 91 77 97 93 Corn, emerged : 60 27 77 74 Dry beans, planted : 5 4 9 7 Oats, planted : 93 92 100 100 Oats, emerged : 78 75 95 96 Potatoes, planted : 90 72 85 83 Potatoes, emerged : 49 25 34 47 Soybeans, planted : 62 43 89 76 Soybeans, emerged : 25 8 42 44 Winter wheat, headed : 26 1 29 45 ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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 05/31/09 1/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : :Cumulative growing: : Temperature : degree days 2/ : Precipitation :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : : : : : : : : : Normal Station : : :Departure: : : :This:Last :Last : Since :------------- :Maximum :Minimum : from :2009 :2008 :Normal:week: two :four :April 1: Since : For : : : normal : : : : :weeks:weeks: :April 1:month ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ironwood : 72 28 299 230 1.29 1.41 2.59 5.34 Marquette : 66 30 222 180 1.29 1.41 2.59 5.35 Stephenson : 74 32 334 316 3.16 3.23 4.98 7.32 Western UP : 75 27 -5 276 228 302 1.41 1.55 2.77 5.51 5.65 3.37 : Cornell : 65 33 266 257 2.19 2.35 3.69 6.23 Sault St Marie : 65 31 211 199 1.71 2.07 3.81 4.97 Eastern UP : 70 30 -5 215 208 209 2.21 2.39 4.03 6.51 5.44 3.01 : Beulah : 74 34 362 388 1.72 1.78 2.84 5.73 Lake City : 68 31 363 386 1.94 2.09 3.66 6.99 Old Mission : 69 33 306 339 1.14 1.16 1.69 3.30 Pellston : 64 25 296 335 1.17 1.25 2.31 3.44 Northwest : 74 25 -7 317 343 361 1.43 1.50 2.52 4.60 5.30 2.61 : Alpena : 71 29 333 348 1.71 1.71 3.02 5.96 Houghton Lake : 68 32 358 390 1.21 1.38 2.71 6.96 Rogers City : 69 32 332 318 1.41 1.47 2.63 6.07 Northeast : 72 29 -7 343 365 336 1.47 1.55 2.75 6.28 5.28 2.76 : Fremont : 73 36 414 439 0.73 0.73 2.19 6.67 Hart : 69 34 385 388 1.73 1.73 4.72 8.40 Muskegon : 75 41 430 391 0.92 0.98 1.66 6.40 West Central : 82 31 -4 412 409 413 1.41 1.42 3.57 7.23 5.83 2.67 : Alma : 72 38 410 447 1.37 1.41 2.66 9.61 Big Rapids : 75 34 438 457 0.93 0.97 2.21 6.43 Central : 75 34 -4 420 449 449 0.97 1.03 2.25 7.35 5.86 2.79 : Bad Axe : 75 35 384 415 0.68 0.68 2.00 7.09 Pigeon : 72 38 372 412 0.97 0.97 2.34 6.82 Saginaw : 74 38 420 474 0.44 0.48 1.49 7.38 Standish : 74 34 386 402 0.71 0.73 2.01 6.29 East Central : 75 30 -4 376 435 430 0.71 0.73 1.98 7.17 5.18 2.63 : Fennville : 81 41 455 413 1.66 1.68 2.67 7.81 Grand Rapids : 78 44 505 504 1.35 1.36 2.57 8.06 Holland : 80 45 500 498 1.23 1.29 2.89 9.73 South Bend, IN : 82 45 555 527 0.99 1.00 2.50 6.14 Watervliet : 81 43 501 470 0.78 0.87 1.98 6.98 Southwest : 84 41 -1 505 490 485 0.85 0.91 2.11 7.50 6.42 3.01 : Belding : 77 33 422 455 0.79 0.86 2.31 7.66 Coldwater : 81 45 534 466 0.97 1.05 4.05 8.24 Lansing : 79 40 461 501 2.05 2.11 4.09 10.56 South Central : 82 33 -1 478 479 485 0.87 0.93 2.92 8.36 6.11 2.92 : Detroit : 79 44 548 544 0.94 0.97 2.89 7.90 Flint : 78 36 473 531 1.08 1.12 2.53 7.87 Romeo : 77 39 459 456 0.77 0.82 1.57 3.68 Tipton : 80 40 519 504 1.01 1.51 3.44 7.89 Toledo, OH : 79 45 567 544 1.06 1.06 2.75 7.52 Southeast : 80 35 -1 501 507 461 0.72 0.82 2.50 7.04 6.06 2.85 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Issued by the USDA, NASS, Michigan Field Office in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Commer 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.