mi-crop-weather State Michigan Crop Weather Released October 26, 2009 Week Ending Date October 25, 2009 Issue MI-CW4309 Agricultural Summary Rain Returns Three days were suitable for fieldwork during the week ending October 25, according to the USDA, NASS, Michigan Field Office. Precipitation varied from 0.93 inch in the central Lower Peninsula to 3.89 inches in the east central Lower Peninsula. Average temperatures ranged from 5 degrees below normal in the western Upper Peninsula to 2 degrees above normal in the south central and southeastern Lower Peninsula. More seasonal temperatures were experienced early in the week, as growers took advantage of the good weather to move harvest activities along. Growers worked to harvest a variety of crops and some progress was made on winter wheat planting. However, favorable conditions were short-lived when excessive rains returned and ended field activities for the week. Many growers continue to wait for warm, dry weather to further dry down corn before beginning harvest. Field Crops Report Field Crops Rains this past week halted harvest of field crops, and slowed crop dry down. "Some good drying weather will be needed to get the entire crop under cover," a reporter in the south central noted. Localized harvest did occur where conditions allowed. Moisture content of corn remains high as growers await drying weather. Progress of corn silage was behind schedule, but nearly complete. Soybean harvest continued where conditions allowed. Wheat planting continued as field conditions allowed, but growth of planted fields was slow. Some farmers decided not to plant wheat because of the delayed soybean harvest. Sugarbeet harvest and piling continued. Most farmers who were busy harvesting other crops have put off their sugarbeet harvest. Dry bean harvest was nearing completion across the State. Fruit, Vegetable, and Specialty Crops Report Fruit Apple harvest continued as weather permitted. In the southeast, growers were picking Crispin, Ida Red, and Fuji apple varieties. In the Grand Rapids area, the lack of processing markets had many growers considering not harvesting Ida Red and Rome varieties. Grape harvest was winding down. In the southwest, brix levels in Concord grapes continued to be below normal. Vegetables Harvest is complete for most vegetable crops across the State. In the southeast, a small amount of cabbage remains in a few locations, while in the Grand Rapids area, a few acres of celery for processing have not yet been harvested. In the southwest, most growers feel the growing season turned out to be average but only because of the decent weather that arrived in September. Across the State, growers have focused on removing plastic and stakes from their fields, performing tillage operations, and planting winter cover crops as weather conditions allow. Soil Moisture and Crop Condition Tables Soil moisture for week ending 10/25/09 --------------------------------------------- : Very : : : Stratum : short : Short :Adequate:Surplus --------------------------------------------- : Percent : Topsoil : 0 1 61 38 Subsoil : 0 5 83 12 --------------------------------------------- Crop condition for week ending 10/25/09 ----------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Crop : poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent ----------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : All Hay : 2 10 34 42 12 Corn : 3 10 25 48 14 Dry beans : 11 16 30 33 10 Pasture : 3 17 40 30 10 Soybeans : 3 9 31 45 12 Winter Wheat : 4 5 24 45 22 ----------------------------------------------------------- Crop progress for week ending 10/25/09 ---------------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : 5-year Crop : week : week : year :average ---------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : All hay, fourth cutting : 61 54 61 69 Apples, harvested : 72 61 89 89 Corn, mature : 81 69 99 99 Corn, harvested : 6 3 33 41 Corn silage, harvested : 95 92 100 100 Dry beans, harvested : 89 79 96 97 Potatoes, harvested : 91 81 91 89 Soybeans, harvested : 51 28 86 73 Sugarbeets, harvested : 38 22 38 37 Winter wheat, planted : 73 53 91 88 Winter wheat, emerged : 34 23 56 59 ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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 10/25/09 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 : 55 32 1,855 1,997 2.09 2.26 5.52 18.26 Marquette : 63 30 1,708 1,869 2.09 2.26 5.52 20.31 Stephenson : 66 30 2,112 2,337 2.23 2.43 6.75 21.07 Western UP : 67 22 -5 1,839 1,954 2,025 1.98 2.14 5.24 19.17 22.05 2.57 : Cornell : 59 34 1,942 2,195 2.07 2.29 4.96 17.98 Sault St Marie : 54 33 1,728 1,912 1.95 2.16 4.44 18.00 Eastern UP : 64 27 -3 1,718 1,915 1,777 2.14 2.35 5.77 20.63 21.10 2.57 : Beulah : 59 32 2,157 2,541 1.39 1.56 3.83 22.69 Lake City : 59 24 2,046 2,361 1.84 1.88 4.15 24.14 Old Mission : 61 32 2,042 2,427 1.27 1.51 4.81 17.74 Pellston : 57 29 1,915 2,242 1.30 1.47 4.77 17.84 Northwest : 61 24 -1 1,990 2,327 2,323 1.38 1.52 4.63 18.89 20.44 2.75 : Alpena : 63 34 2,036 2,347 1.66 1.83 4.04 25.37 Houghton Lake : 58 35 2,062 2,409 1.71 1.72 3.50 21.79 Rogers City : 61 37 1,991 2,315 1.29 1.42 3.41 25.78 Northeast : 63 29 -1 2,023 2,341 2,243 1.40 1.52 3.51 23.05 20.05 2.40 : Fremont : 63 31 2,364 2,635 2.00 2.03 4.22 21.63 Hart : 62 33 2,226 2,525 1.19 1.29 3.21 21.00 Muskegon : 63 40 2,581 2,698 2.26 2.31 4.43 20.89 West Central : 63 21 0 2,345 2,583 2,542 1.74 1.80 3.55 21.17 20.63 2.94 : Alma : 66 29 2,423 2,744 1.54 1.57 3.42 23.34 Big Rapids : 66 26 2,237 2,595 0.55 0.59 2.34 22.82 Central : 66 26 1 2,332 2,656 2,626 0.93 0.95 2.69 21.30 21.16 2.59 : Bad Axe : 61 23 2,275 2,642 0.67 0.72 2.64 19.94 Pigeon : 62 36 2,242 2,552 1.00 1.02 3.29 20.46 Saginaw : 66 37 2,500 2,834 0.89 0.93 2.35 19.20 Standish : 61 32 2,216 2,495 1.46 1.46 3.19 20.28 East Central : 95 -17 1 2,529 2,656 2,642 3.89 3.93 5.95 23.74 18.88 2.41 : Fennville : 67 37 2,449 2,722 2.38 2.53 6.42 25.78 Grand Rapids : 68 35 2,722 3,062 2.65 2.66 5.14 27.40 Holland : 69 33 2,823 3,091 2.68 2.72 7.38 39.22 South Bend, IN : 70 33 2,882 3,188 1.64 1.81 4.39 26.45 Watervliet : 69 34 2,652 2,919 1.91 2.01 5.34 24.01 Southwest : 71 25 1 2,666 2,940 2,892 1.96 2.06 5.17 25.39 22.04 2.99 : Belding : 66 36 2,382 2,706 2.29 2.30 4.92 23.81 Coldwater : 70 34 2,758 2,949 0.45 0.55 3.31 21.35 Lansing : 69 37 2,571 2,930 1.51 1.53 3.01 27.83 South Central : 70 26 2 2,519 2,860 2,837 1.48 1.53 3.79 24.48 21.14 2.41 : Detroit : 72 34 2,968 3,262 1.01 1.02 3.04 22.74 Flint : 66 37 2,531 2,968 1.15 1.17 2.55 25.65 Romeo : 69 34 2,541 2,819 1.25 1.26 2.80 22.22 Tipton : 69 29 2,638 2,953 1.28 1.30 5.09 24.06 Toledo, OH : 72 33 2,960 3,247 0.84 1.01 4.70 24.20 Southeast : 72 22 2 2,657 3,022 2,835 1.02 1.08 3.23 22.00 20.11 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.