mi-crop-weather State Michigan Crop Weather Released October 13, 2009 Week Ending Date October 11, 2009 Issue MI-CW4109 Agricultural Summary Cold and Wet Three days were suitable for fieldwork during the week ending October 11, according to the USDA, NASS, Michigan Field Office. Precipitation varied from 0.61 inch in the west central Lower Peninsula to 1.89 inches in the eastern Upper Peninsula. Average temperatures ranged from 10 degrees below normal in the western Upper Peninsula to 8 degrees below normal in the west central and southwest Lower Peninsula. Cold temperatures, scattered rainfall, and high winds continued to hinder fieldwork. The additional rainfall was conducive to sugarbeet harvest and ground preparation, however harvest progress was limited. Growers await the arrival of warmer temperatures to finish harvesting crops for the season. Field Crops Report Field Crops Precipitation, cold temperatures, and windy conditions hindered fieldwork. Frost, throughout much of the State, assisted crops with drying down but ensured an end to the growing season for others. Wheat planting had ceased due to the late harvest of soybeans and rains. Growers were waiting for corn to fully mature for harvest; drying down will be slow due to tightly closed husks. In the northeast, corn for silage harvest continued, but was nearing completion in other areas. Soybeans were drying slowly. Alfalfa harvest was at a standstill. A farmer in the south central said, "Giving up on cutting more hay, too wet and no drying in sight." Cold temperatures were good for the sugarbeet crop. Piling will be considered later in the week; however this will be sooner than what was originally anticipated. The moisture was good for harvesting beets, but additional rainfall will impede harvesting. Dry bean harvest was challenging due to the abundance of moisture. Fruit, Vegetable, and Specialty Crops Report Fruit Harvest of early apple varieties was completed in the southwest. Growers reported harvesting a heavy crop of Golden Delicious apples. In the west central, harvest of Jonagold, Jonathan, and Red Delicious apples continued. Growers in the east were picking Golden Delicious and spot picking Empire varieties. In the Grand Rapids area, growers were picking Jonagold, Golden Delicious, and Jonathan apples varieties. Harvest of Concord grapes began in the southwest, where the recent weather conditions have delayed sugar accumulation. Vegetables Harvest of cool season crops, including cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower continued on a limited basis this week, but was wrapping up for most growers. In the southeast, potato harvest was nearing completion; a number of potato growers reported excellent yields and quality. Also in the southeast, pumpkin and winter squash harvests were finished, and tomato harvest was essentially complete. In the southwest, scattered frosts throughout the week and a hard freeze on October 11 brought warm season vegetable production to an end. Many vegetable producers kept busy this week preparing fields for winter cover crops and removing stakes, plastic row covers, and drip tape. Soil Moisture and Crop Condition Tables Soil moisture for week ending 10/11/09 --------------------------------------------- : Very : : : Stratum : short : Short :Adequate:Surplus --------------------------------------------- : Percent : Topsoil : 0 3 68 29 Subsoil : 1 13 73 13 --------------------------------------------- Crop condition for week ending 10/11/09 ----------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Crop : poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent ----------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : All Hay : 2 12 29 46 11 Corn : 5 12 25 44 14 Dry beans : 10 17 33 28 12 Pasture : 2 18 33 34 13 Soybeans : 3 13 32 40 12 ----------------------------------------------------------- Crop progress for week ending 10/11/09 ---------------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : 5-year Crop : week : week : year :average ---------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : All hay, third cutting : 90 87 91 95 All hay, fourth cutting : 45 42 43 52 Apples, harvested : 50 39 58 70 Corn, dent : 94 90 100 99 Corn, mature : 61 38 86 87 Corn, harvested : 3 2 14 18 Corn silage, harvested : 83 59 95 96 Dry beans, harvested : 67 57 73 87 Potatoes, harvested : 62 49 67 68 Soybeans, dropping leaves : 93 78 96 95 Soybeans, harvested : 7 3 39 43 Sugarbeets, harvested : 15 11 14 13 Winter wheat, planted : 35 27 52 61 Winter wheat, emerged : 19 10 14 21 ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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 10/12/09 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 : 54 25 1,845 1,970 1.40 2.66 4.24 16.10 Marquette : 50 23 1,701 1,840 1.40 2.66 4.24 18.15 Stephenson : 56 24 2,097 2,286 1.94 3.96 5.62 18.78 Western UP : 56 21 -10 1,829 1,925 1,972 1.47 2.63 4.09 17.13 20.93 2.57 : Cornell : 59 25 1,894 2,154 1.78 2.66 4.24 16.43 Sault St Marie : 57 29 1,726 1,872 1.42 2.40 2.84 16.05 Eastern UP : 59 22 -7 1,705 1,881 1,740 1.89 2.82 4.36 18.54 19.96 2.57 : Beulah : 56 30 2,142 2,490 0.97 1.89 3.67 21.25 Lake City : 57 25 2,029 2,328 0.86 1.59 4.91 22.30 Old Mission : 56 29 2,028 2,375 1.19 2.09 4.02 16.36 Pellston : 57 25 1,905 2,202 1.12 2.55 4.14 16.52 Northwest : 57 25 -7 1,977 2,284 2,260 1.03 2.11 4.36 17.46 19.21 2.75 : Alpena : 62 27 2,022 2,298 1.01 1.99 4.67 23.68 Houghton Lake : 57 27 2,051 2,372 0.70 1.23 3.91 20.07 Rogers City : 60 27 1,980 2,275 0.83 1.70 3.72 24.47 Northeast : 62 24 -7 2,011 2,301 2,183 0.86 1.57 4.00 21.64 18.95 2.40 : Fremont : 57 24 2,333 2,581 0.83 1.69 4.67 19.61 Hart : 57 27 2,195 2,471 0.56 1.05 2.89 19.71 Muskegon : 59 33 2,547 2,638 0.80 1.58 4.14 18.63 West Central : 59 24 -8 2,315 2,528 2,473 0.61 1.20 3.23 19.40 19.26 2.94 : Alma : 60 27 2,388 2,695 0.93 1.62 2.50 21.61 Big Rapids : 59 25 2,208 2,543 0.93 1.44 2.18 22.24 Central : 60 25 -7 2,301 2,605 2,554 0.81 1.40 2.40 20.31 19.98 2.59 : Bad Axe : 64 28 2,245 2,591 1.10 1.59 3.03 19.27 Pigeon : 64 29 2,213 2,497 1.00 1.48 2.79 19.44 Saginaw : 62 26 2,463 2,776 0.75 1.28 2.35 18.27 Standish : 63 26 2,192 2,443 0.92 1.41 3.34 18.82 East Central : 64 26 -7 2,237 2,601 2,569 1.00 1.58 3.01 19.83 17.78 2.41 : Fennville : 59 31 2,412 2,651 1.04 3.49 4.40 23.32 Grand Rapids : 61 28 2,680 2,986 1.23 1.93 3.44 24.75 Holland : 60 33 2,777 3,026 1.01 4.15 5.53 36.55 South Bend, IN : 61 30 2,829 3,108 0.84 2.55 2.91 24.64 Watervliet : 60 29 2,612 2,846 0.87 2.79 4.01 22.01 Southwest : 64 27 -8 2,624 2,869 2,804 0.83 2.66 3.92 23.35 20.71 2.99 : Belding : 58 25 2,349 2,649 1.00 1.84 3.07 21.51 Coldwater : 60 29 2,707 2,868 0.90 2.39 3.00 20.80 Lansing : 61 28 2,533 2,872 0.84 1.36 2.04 26.32 South Central : 62 25 -7 2,481 2,799 2,753 0.96 1.90 2.96 22.96 20.09 2.41 : Detroit : 61 33 2,912 3,194 1.02 1.77 2.68 21.73 Flint : 61 27 2,490 2,904 0.75 1.19 2.34 24.50 Romeo : 59 28 2,492 2,773 0.75 1.51 2.94 20.97 Tipton : 60 32 2,593 2,886 1.00 3.44 4.66 22.77 Toledo, OH : 60 31 2,903 3,174 1.13 3.70 4.77 23.20 Southeast : 64 25 -7 2,611 2,955 2,751 0.89 1.93 2.86 20.92 18.99 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.