mi-crop-weather State Michigan Crop Weather Released July 20, 2009 Week Ending Date July 19, 2009 Issue MI-CW2909 Agricultural Summary Continued Cool Six days were suitable for fieldwork during the week ending July 19, according to the USDA, NASS, Michigan Field Office. Precipitation varied from 0.10 inches in the northwest Lower Peninsula to 0.60 inches in the eastern Upper Peninsula. Average temperatures ranged from 5 degrees below normal in the eastern Upper Peninsula to 8 degrees below normal in the central, east central, south west Lower Peninsula and western Upper Peninsula. Cool weather this week has not helped crop growth. Moisture and heat is needed to help crops grow. Crop growth still looks a couple of weeks behind schedule due to weather conditions. Alfalfa is slow growing due to dry weather. One grower reported, "Crops generally look good, despite the cool, dry growing conditions. Some moisture and warmer temperatures are needed. Producers progressing on dry hay making, despite the poor drying conditions." Field Crops Report Field Crops Cool temperatures continued, resulting in crop progress remaining behind normal. A reporter in the southeast stated, "It looks more like mid-June around here than mid-July." Many reporters stated that the crop was at least two weeks behind normal and would benefit from heat and moisture. Wheat harvest was underway and is expected to be in full swing next week. Oats, in the central, were slow to turn. Corn and soybeans remained behind schedule. Corn was attempting to tassel in many areas of the State. Soybeans were slowly growing. Re-growth of alfalfa was slow. Many of the harvested acres, last week, were for haylage due to moisture levels. A reporter in the northeast stated, "Hay harvest was challenging with the constant threat of rain." Sugarbeets and dry beans continued to progress. Fruit, Vegetable, and Specialty Crops Report Fruit Apples were 36 mm in the northwest and 2 inches in the southeast; growers were hand thinning. Fire blight symptoms continued to increase. Apricot harvest was completed in the southwest. Hand picking of blueberries for fresh market and machine picking for processing were underway in the southwest; fruit size and quality were excellent. Peaches were 2 inches in diameter; harvest on sandy soils was underway in the southwest. Pears were 26 mm in the northwest and 1.75 inches in diameter in the southeast. Some harvest of Japanese plums was underway in the southwest. Raspberry harvest of summer red and black berries was in full swing; fall raspberries began to flower in the southeast. Strawberry harvest was completed in the northwest; renovation was completed in the southwest, where growers applied residual herbicides and fertilizers. Sweet cherry harvest wrapped up in southern Michigan, while harvest for the stem-on market was underway in the northwest. Tart cherry harvest began in the west central and was completed in the southwest except on heavier soils, where harvest neared completion. Cherry fruit fly activity was high and leaf spot infections were a concern; post harvest applications were recommended for growers to reduce fruit fly populations and leaf spot infections next season. Grapes were at berry touch in the northwest. Vegetables Growers across the State were harvesting a variety of vegetables including cabbage, red beets, radishes, peas, lettuce, broccoli, zucchini, and greens. Sweet corn development continued to be slow due to cooler temperatures; growers in most areas did not expect to begin harvest until the end of July or the first week of August. Downy mildew was confirmed in cucumber fields in three Michigan counties; all growers were advised to spray for downy mildew and monitor other vine crops. In the Grand Rapids area, melons were developing fruit and appeared to be growing well. Hard squash was in flower or fruiting. Early-planted onions had bulbs around two inches in diameter, while leeks attained a size of nearly one inch. Tomatoes and peppers were fruiting; growers are monitoring tomato fields for early blight and Septoria leaf spot. Celery transplanting was nearly complete, and the first harvest was underway. Growers reported that some of the more mature celery crop was killed or harmed by earlier field flooding, but that pest infestations were fairly light. In Oceana county, carrot growers monitored fields for disease and pests. In asparagus, new fern growth was developing slowly in the cool weather. In the southeast, "new" potato harvest for the retail market was underway. In the East Central region, wholesale snap bean harvest began, while in the West Central region, green beans were flowering. Soil Moisture and Crop Condition Tables Soil moisture for week ending 07/19/09 --------------------------------------------- : Very : : : Stratum : short : Short :Adequate:Surplus --------------------------------------------- : Percent : Topsoil : 12 42 45 1 Subsoil : 6 35 58 1 --------------------------------------------- Crop condition for week ending 07/19/09 ----------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Crop : poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent ----------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : All Hay : 2 9 29 50 10 Corn : 2 9 26 54 9 Dry beans : 5 13 46 31 5 Oats : 1 3 27 64 5 Pasture : 7 11 35 39 8 Soybeans : 3 7 32 49 9 Winter Wheat : 1 4 21 58 16 ----------------------------------------------------------- Crop progress for week ending 07/19/09 ------------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last :5-year Crop : week : week : year :average ------------------------------------------------------------- : Inches : Corn, height : 46 38 54 55 : : Percent : All hay, second cutting : 54 28 47 51 Blueberries, harvested : 74 23 25 21 Corn, silked : 5 1 24 34 Dry beans, blooming : 7 1 9 19 Oats, headed : 93 87 99 98 Oats, turning yellow : 42 25 52 60 Soybeans, blooming : 27 16 59 54 Strawberries, harvested : 91 88 94 99 Tart cherries, harvested : 17 13 24 51 Winter wheat, turning yellow : 97 87 100 100 Winter wheat, harvested : 13 1 41 48 ------------------------------------------------------------- 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 07/19/09 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 : 73 39 868 908 0.76 0.79 1.40 8.44 Marquette : 81 43 759 848 0.76 0.79 1.40 8.45 Stephenson : 85 40 1,015 1,127 0.10 0.14 0.37 9.02 Western UP : 85 33 -8 850 910 979 0.59 0.62 1.20 8.55 11.27 3.42 : Cornell : 77 44 930 994 0.63 0.65 0.93 7.47 Sault St Marie : 75 43 745 843 0.69 0.78 2.00 8.32 Eastern UP : 81 39 -5 764 856 810 0.60 0.75 1.94 9.23 10.45 3.19 : Beulah : 81 48 1,048 1,210 0.00 0.16 1.29 9.78 Lake City : 82 39 1,006 1,157 0.04 0.12 1.11 11.08 Old Mission : 78 45 953 1,136 0.04 0.40 1.90 6.60 Pellston : 78 37 903 1,102 0.27 0.36 1.39 5.71 Northwest : 82 37 -7 945 1,110 1,121 0.10 0.30 1.31 7.61 10.15 2.99 : Alpena : 81 42 958 1,143 0.31 0.39 1.72 9.64 Houghton Lake : 79 36 996 1,208 0.09 0.24 0.72 9.85 Rogers City : 78 48 953 1,086 0.16 0.94 1.65 9.70 Northeast : 82 36 -7 971 1,160 1,078 0.22 0.46 1.18 9.56 9.99 3.18 : Fremont : 79 46 1,156 1,289 0.36 0.82 1.05 9.68 Hart : 81 44 1,084 1,209 0.10 0.23 0.76 12.38 Muskegon : 79 49 1,241 1,265 0.60 0.82 1.12 10.26 West Central : 85 42 -7 1,145 1,242 1,239 0.32 0.54 1.06 11.08 10.32 2.54 : Alma : 81 47 1,176 1,368 0.09 0.29 0.76 13.65 Big Rapids : 81 44 1,148 1,329 0.14 0.48 0.79 10.40 Central : 81 44 -8 1,153 1,336 1,300 0.16 0.47 0.85 11.15 11.09 2.97 : Bad Axe : 80 46 1,051 1,318 0.39 0.42 1.38 11.08 Pigeon : 81 44 1,051 1,282 0.06 0.17 1.03 11.03 Saginaw : 82 48 1,185 1,425 0.09 0.41 1.56 12.18 Standish : 80 45 1,067 1,248 0.03 0.07 0.84 10.33 East Central : 82 44 -8 1,058 1,332 1,284 0.14 0.28 1.35 11.69 10.10 2.92 : Fennville : 81 48 1,221 1,293 0.63 1.17 1.60 13.73 Grand Rapids : 82 50 1,350 1,498 0.85 2.20 3.45 16.45 Holland : 84 52 1,428 1,497 0.82 1.26 1.56 20.86 South Bend, IN : 86 49 1,486 1,572 0.48 0.95 1.05 13.20 Watervliet : 83 49 1,326 1,427 0.55 0.88 1.08 12.23 Southwest : 86 44 -8 1,341 1,445 1,400 0.57 0.97 1.24 13.43 11.87 3.09 : Belding : 79 43 1,160 1,328 0.28 0.44 0.70 11.14 Coldwater : 83 47 1,393 1,429 0.00 0.18 0.33 13.03 Lansing : 82 47 1,255 1,466 0.01 0.41 0.72 15.56 South Central : 84 43 -8 1,254 1,426 1,393 0.24 0.80 1.10 13.72 11.61 3.22 : Detroit : 85 52 1,440 1,608 0.28 1.32 1.90 14.58 Flint : 82 45 1,237 1,517 0.91 1.42 1.95 16.26 Romeo : 82 49 1,227 1,416 0.16 0.36 3.54 10.56 Tipton : 82 48 1,322 1,447 0.06 0.54 0.69 12.46 Toledo, OH : 86 51 1,478 1,587 0.16 0.42 0.72 11.94 Southeast : 86 43 -7 1,315 1,491 1,364 0.28 0.58 1.22 12.13 11.38 3.11 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.