mi-crop-weather State Michigan Crop Weather Released June 8, 2009 Week Ending Date June 7, 2009 Issue MI-CW2309 Agricultural Summary Cooler Than Normal Six days were suitable for fieldwork during the week ending June 7, according to the USDA, NASS, Michigan Field Office. Precipitation varied from 0.12 inches in the east central Lower Peninsula to 0.83 inches in the northwest Lower Peninsula. Average temperatures ranged from 9 degrees below normal in the western Upper Peninsula to 4 degrees below normal in the southwest and south central Lower Peninsula. Farmers took advantage of the days without precipitation and tirelessly worked to spray and get crops planted, and re- planted where necessary. Scattered precipitation was conducive to topsoil moisture, however, some fields remained too wet to plant as growers continued to plant in less than ideal conditions. Temperatures remained below normal further hindering crop development. One reporter stated "Crops are emerging slowly. Soil moisture is good but temperatures are cool. Warm weather is needed for hay growth and harvesting." Growers eagerly await the arrival of warmer temperatures to stimulate crop development. A grower in the east central commented, "Now that most crops are planted some warmer temperatures especially at night are needed to put a spark in everything so they will grow faster." Field Crops Report Field Crops Cooler temperatures have continued to slow the development of crops. Wheat continued to progress. Some fields have been sprayed with fungicide to protect the head and flag leaf. The crop was in Feekes growing stages 9 through flowering. Oats and barley progressed. Soybean planting progressed. Planting of the corn crop was nearly complete. The crop ranged from spike to stage V5. Reports of yellowing due to standing water and cool temperatures exist. First cuttings of alfalfa have been reported. However, the damp weather has impeded baling in some areas. Sugarbeets progressed well. Dry bean planting increased considerably. Fruit, Vegetable, and Specialty Crops Report Fruit Insect activity increased. Oriental fruit moth, codling moth, and plum curculio were noteworthy. Apple fruit was 15 to 20 mm in diameter in the southwest and 8 to 15 mm in the Grand Rapids area. Chemical thinning continued. Peaches were 14 to 18 mm in diameter in the southwest and 8 to 10 mm in the southeast. Plums were 10 to 12 mm in the southwest 7 mm in the northwest. Strawberries were coloring. Harvest began in the southeast, where strawberry clipper damage was reported. Raspberry bloom continued. Sweet cherries were at 12 mm in the northwest. Tart cherries were at 8 to 9 mm in the northwest, where a good fruit set was reported; fruit were 12 to 14 mm in the southwest, where the crop looked spotty. In the west central the crop was described as 50 to 60 percent of full. Pears were 9 mm in the northwest and 12 to 17 mm in the southeast. Blueberries ranged from petal fall to pea sized fruit. Fungicides were applied to control mummyberry. Grape shoots were 12 to 16 inches long in the southwest and 4 to 8 inches long in the northwest. Vegetables Drier weather this week allowed growers to get back on schedule; however, cool, cloudy days have kept plant growth somewhat behind schedule. Asparagus harvest continued this week. Growers reported lower than normal yields, although quality has been good. The condition of the carrot crop varied across the State. Growers in the east central region reported the crop was in good condition while earlier planted fields in the west central region were in poor condition from the heavy rains at the end of May. Replanted fields have shown slow emergence due to cool temperatures. On muck soils, radishes, lettuce, leeks and cabbage were growing well with new fields being planted as weather permitted. Onions, celery and red beets in the Grand Rapids area were doing quite well, but in the more poorly drained areas, crops showed signs of stress from excessive early season water combined with extended cool weather. Planting of Squash, melons, pumpkins, and cucumbers continued. Vine crops under low plastic tunnels were reported to be in very good condition. Yellowing was reported in sweet corn stands across the State. Cooler temperatures have kept sweet corn growth to a minimum. Tomatoes and peppers were being established, with some beginning to flower. Tunneled tomatoes in some areas in the east central region have nearly full- sized fruit. Potato planting was nearly complete in southern Michigan; early planted fields were being hilled. Soil Moisture and Crop Condition Tables Soil moisture for week ending 06/07/09 --------------------------------------------- : Very : : : Stratum : short : Short :Adequate:Surplus --------------------------------------------- : Percent : Topsoil : 1 12 75 12 Subsoil : 0 5 84 11 --------------------------------------------- Crop condition for week ending 06/07/09 ----------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Crop : poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent ----------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : All Hay : 1 5 27 50 17 Barley : 1 1 38 56 4 Corn : 1 4 26 61 8 Oats : 0 2 22 68 8 Pasture : 1 5 23 47 24 Winter Wheat : 1 5 24 56 14 ----------------------------------------------------------- Crop progress for week ending 06/07/09 ---------------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : 5-year Crop : week : week : year :average ---------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : All hay, first cutting : 36 13 34 37 Asparagus, harvested : 62 45 70 73 Barley, emerged : 98 86 81 93 Corn, planted : 98 91 100 96 Corn, emerged : 82 60 94 88 Dry beans, planted : 35 5 31 25 Oats, emerged : 91 78 100 99 Oats, headed : 1 1 12 20 Potatoes, planted : 99 90 96 94 Potatoes, emerged : 82 49 57 67 Soybeans, planted : 80 62 94 87 Soybeans, emerged : 53 25 77 69 Winter wheat, headed : 58 26 78 79 ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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 06/07/09 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 : 75 30 341 311 0.35 1.64 2.35 5.69 Marquette : 73 32 259 262 0.35 1.64 2.35 5.70 Stephenson : 78 35 393 405 0.59 3.75 4.52 7.91 Western UP : 78 26 -9 320 308 377 0.38 1.83 2.59 5.92 6.34 3.61 : Cornell : 72 34 336 346 0.21 2.15 2.97 5.94 Sault St Marie : 73 36 251 284 0.12 1.83 3.78 5.09 Eastern UP : 74 30 -6 260 288 271 0.22 2.36 3.61 6.61 6.06 3.26 : Beulah : 75 37 416 496 1.66 3.38 4.13 7.39 Lake City : 74 31 413 494 1.80 3.74 5.39 8.79 Old Mission : 79 33 360 447 0.61 1.75 2.21 3.91 Pellston : 76 27 347 440 0.07 1.24 2.01 3.51 Northwest : 79 27 -8 366 447 446 0.83 2.29 3.19 5.45 5.88 3.03 : Alpena : 78 32 381 452 0.29 2.00 3.02 6.25 Houghton Lake : 74 31 409 503 0.98 2.19 3.64 7.94 Rogers City : 77 32 386 401 0.56 1.97 3.02 6.63 Northeast : 78 29 -8 396 472 420 0.59 2.06 3.16 6.87 5.84 2.90 : Fremont : 73 37 483 560 0.06 0.79 1.79 6.73 Hart : 72 34 438 501 0.58 2.31 4.55 8.98 Muskegon : 72 41 503 516 0.91 1.83 2.38 7.31 West Central : 73 30 -7 475 527 507 0.49 1.89 3.44 7.72 6.57 2.94 : Alma : 76 39 482 567 0.18 1.55 2.38 9.79 Big Rapids : 76 33 519 570 0.31 1.24 1.92 6.74 Central : 76 33 -6 495 568 549 0.24 1.21 1.99 7.59 6.58 3.36 : Bad Axe : 77 36 437 532 0.05 0.73 1.31 7.14 Pigeon : 77 37 425 534 0.07 1.04 1.55 6.89 Saginaw : 77 40 485 605 0.15 0.59 1.17 7.53 Standish : 77 33 445 519 0.21 0.92 1.83 6.50 East Central : 77 33 -7 431 558 528 0.12 0.84 1.52 7.30 5.83 3.08 : Fennville : 74 40 536 545 0.21 1.87 2.57 8.02 Grand Rapids : 76 42 588 645 0.55 1.90 2.70 8.61 Holland : 77 44 594 628 0.51 1.74 3.05 10.24 South Bend, IN : 82 41 661 685 0.28 1.27 2.48 6.42 Watervliet : 77 42 589 606 0.37 1.15 2.21 7.35 Southwest : 82 35 -4 597 627 590 0.35 1.25 2.32 7.91 7.15 3.55 : Belding : 74 37 499 582 0.15 0.94 1.96 7.81 Coldwater : 79 43 628 617 0.36 1.33 4.19 8.60 Lansing : 76 43 537 638 0.32 2.37 3.84 10.88 South Central : 79 37 -4 558 613 591 0.32 1.24 2.73 8.73 6.89 3.57 : Detroit : 78 45 633 691 0.27 1.21 2.91 8.17 Flint : 74 38 544 674 0.13 1.21 2.24 8.00 Romeo : 78 37 538 595 0.01 0.93 1.54 3.84 Tipton : 80 42 603 636 0.25 1.26 3.50 8.14 Toledo, OH : 82 45 661 682 0.49 1.73 2.90 8.19 Southeast : 82 35 -5 583 646 564 0.21 0.97 2.46 7.29 6.80 3.36 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.