mi-crop-weather State Michigan Crop Weather Released April 26, 2010 Week Ending Date April 25, 2010 Issue MI-CW1710 Agricultural Summary Early Planting Progress Six days were suitable for fieldwork during the week ending April 25, according to the USDA, NASS, Michigan Field Office. Precipitation varied from 1.16 inches in the southeastern Lower Peninsula to 0.01 inch in the western Upper Peninsula. Average temperatures ranged from 3 degrees below normal in the east central Lower Peninsula to 2 degrees above normal in the eastern Upper Peninsula. The week began with dry conditions, which allowed many farmers to progress in the field. Late in the week much of the state experienced some light rainfall, which prevented topsoil from drying out. Wet conditions slowed plantings, but benefited the already planted crops. Cool temperatures and morning frost caused some injury to fruit crops, but crop was ahead of normal. Field activities for the week focused primarily on planting and spraying corn and soybeans. Field Crops Report Field Crops Above average temperatures aided growers in preparing and planting crops for the 2010 crop year. Planting was slowed by weekend rains. Wheat was progressing. There was almost no powdery mildew reported in the Thumb. In the southeast and Thumb, wheat was top dressed. In central Michigan, some fields may be plowed under due to poor stands. Oats were planted in much of the state. Barley was getting established. Alfalfa was seeded in some areas and fertilized in others. In the southeast, it is anticipated that the first cutting will be very soon. Corn and soybeans were being planted. Corn planting progress was the highest since 1976. On warm ground, in the south central, soybeans were germinating very quickly. Growers expect that all sugarbeets would be emerged by the end of April. The presence of flea beetles was large. Fruit, Vegetable, and Specialty Crops Report Fruit Due to warm early spring weather, fruit development was more advanced this year than in any of the past 15 years. The extent of freeze damage from the two stretches of cold weather, April 10 and April 17-19, is yet to be determined. There has been some freeze injury, particularly in low areas. Dry soil conditions allowed producers to plant trees and small fruits in the southwest and southeast. Apples ranged from tight cluster in the west central to king bloom in the southwest. Spotted tentiform leafminer was flying. Peaches were early to full bloom in the west central and were full bloom in the southeast and the Grand Rapids area. European plums were at white bud/popcorn in the west central and at full bloom to shuck in the southwest. Strawberries were at trusses in the crown to trusses emerged across the southern part of the state. Sweet cherries ranged from 50-100 percent bloom in the northwest to past bloom and petals withering in the southwest. Tart cherries were at white bud/popcorn with few open flowers in the west central and were in full bloom in the southwest and southeast; growers in the northwest reported some damage. Pears were at open cluster in the west central and in full bloom in the southwest and southeast. Blueberries were at early pink bud in the southeast and pink bud to bud burst in the southwest. Grapes were at early bud swell in the northwest and at bud swell to bud burst in the southwest. Vegetables Growers were taking advantage of the unseasonably warm temperatures, experienced in recent weeks, by laying black plastic and planting some early season crops. In southwest Michigan, recent frosts have not created any problems; however, the impact of frost damage, in the Grand Rapids area, has yet to be determined. Onion, carrot, celery, lettuce, beets, parsley, peas, and radish seeding or transplanting was underway. Cabbage has been established for several weeks. Planting of tomatoes and cucumbers was underway in protective low tunnels. Overwintered spinach in the southeast was ready for cutting. Hothouse rhubarb was being cut and shipped. Asparagus was emerging and harvest was underway in the southeast and southwest. The weather has the Industry expecting harvest target dates for sometime in May 2010 in the West Central. Soil Moisture and Crop Condition Tables Soil moisture for week ending 04/25/10 --------------------------------------------- : Very : : : Stratum : short : Short :Adequate:Surplus --------------------------------------------- : Percent : Topsoil : 6 16 73 5 Subsoil : 2 19 75 4 --------------------------------------------- Crop condition for week ending 04/25/10 ----------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Crop : poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent ----------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Pasture : 1 7 27 55 10 Winter Wheat : 1 4 19 61 15 ----------------------------------------------------------- Crop progress for week ending 04/25/10 ---------------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : 5-year Crop : week : week : year :average ---------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Barley, planted : 53 34 16 27 Barley, emerged : 9 2 0 3 Corn, planted : 32 6 3 12 Oats, planted : 83 71 46 53 Oats, emerged : 46 28 9 11 ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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 04/25/10 1/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : :Cumulative growing: : Temperature : degree days 2/ : Precipitation :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : : : : : : : : : Normal Station : : :Departure: : : :This:Last :Last : Since :------------- :Maximum :Minimum : from :2010 :2009 :Normal:week: two :four :April 1: Since : For : : : normal : : : : :weeks:weeks: :April 1:month ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ironwood : 67 20 121 55 0.02 0.18 0.44 0.44 Marquette : 66 19 114 43 0.02 0.18 0.44 0.44 Stephenson : 65 20 143 75 0.00 0.11 0.61 0.61 Western UP : 70 15 0 124 51 54 0.01 0.14 0.44 0.44 1.89 2.28 : Cornell : 63 27 97 54 0.00 0.17 0.75 0.75 Sault St Marie : 67 29 115 39 0.00 0.14 1.16 1.16 Eastern UP : 68 21 2 103 37 25 0.03 0.21 0.98 0.98 2.01 2.43 : Beulah : 64 27 145 74 1.28 1.35 3.19 3.19 Lake City : 66 25 143 81 0.45 0.47 2.65 2.65 Old Mission : 65 26 150 59 0.18 0.26 2.59 2.59 Pellston : 69 20 149 57 0.00 0.02 1.04 1.04 Northwest : 69 20 -1 141 65 71 0.38 0.45 2.32 2.32 2.21 2.69 : Alpena : 64 22 133 62 0.00 0.03 1.98 1.98 Houghton Lake : 66 25 151 76 0.33 0.48 1.99 1.99 Rogers City : 65 29 126 65 0.00 0.00 1.99 1.99 Northeast : 68 22 -1 144 68 64 0.12 0.23 1.96 1.96 2.10 2.52 : Fremont : 66 28 168 92 0.33 0.33 2.06 2.06 Hart : 64 26 151 79 0.21 0.22 2.55 2.55 Muskegon : 68 32 168 90 0.11 0.13 2.05 2.05 West Central : 68 25 -1 160 88 88 0.27 0.29 2.29 2.29 2.54 3.16 : Alma : 66 32 172 91 1.60 1.67 3.77 3.77 Big Rapids : 67 28 173 98 0.67 0.75 2.06 2.06 Central : 67 28 -1 172 93 99 0.91 1.00 2.48 2.48 2.46 3.07 : Bad Axe : 64 28 168 74 0.48 0.60 1.42 1.42 Pigeon : 62 25 164 69 0.52 0.61 1.71 1.71 Saginaw : 65 33 187 90 0.84 0.87 2.16 2.16 Standish : 64 25 169 83 0.52 0.63 2.23 2.23 East Central : 65 25 -3 162 79 96 0.60 0.68 2.25 2.25 2.04 2.55 : Fennville : 69 31 202 94 0.20 0.25 1.76 1.76 Grand Rapids : 68 34 215 109 0.44 0.57 3.79 3.79 Holland : 69 34 212 104 0.11 0.11 2.64 2.64 South Bend, IN : 67 32 233 126 1.19 1.20 2.35 2.35 Watervliet : 66 32 212 101 0.48 0.54 2.47 2.47 Southwest : 70 28 -1 207 107 115 0.43 0.49 2.48 2.48 2.73 3.41 : Belding : 66 30 184 87 0.35 0.37 2.54 2.54 Coldwater : 69 27 220 116 1.58 1.62 2.13 2.12 Lansing : 70 30 209 96 0.12 0.17 2.44 2.44 South Central : 70 27 -1 199 103 115 0.79 0.86 2.61 2.61 2.59 3.19 : Detroit : 72 36 226 126 0.87 1.15 2.25 2.25 Flint : 68 28 204 107 0.43 0.47 3.32 3.32 Romeo : 71 31 170 105 1.18 1.21 2.70 2.70 Tipton : 71 31 205 116 1.78 1.95 2.62 2.62 Toledo, OH : 71 33 225 139 2.58 2.69 5.18 5.18 Southeast : 72 27 -1 205 115 105 1.16 1.30 2.64 2.64 2.67 3.21 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.