mi-crop-weather State Michigan Crop Weather Released May 3, 2010 Week Ending Date May 2, 2010 Issue MI-CW1810 Agricultural Summary Warm with Varied Precipitation Five days were suitable for fieldwork during the week ending May 2, according to the USDA, NASS, Michigan Field Office. Precipitation varied from 0.95 inches in the eastern Upper Peninsula to 3.84 inches in the southeastern Lower Peninsula. Average temperatures ranged from 4 degrees above normal in the southeastern Lower Peninsula to 6 degrees above normal in the eastern Upper Peninsula. There were extended periods of warm temperatures followed by some extremely cold nights that damaged some fruit in southwest Michigan. Farmers in the central region were cautious of planting a lot of corn due to cool soil temperatures and fear of frost. Farmers were able to perform fieldwork this past week where conditions allowed. Light and variable rains were a welcome relief over the weekend where soils were drying. A grower in the central part of the state reported, "Recent rains have resulted in improvement of both wheat and oats." "Dry weather is a concern, although rains over the weekend helped," a reporter in the southwest stated. Field crop planting was well ahead of normal. Field Crops Report Field Crops Across the State, cool soils hindered development of some crops, while others, like alfalfa benefitted from the cool weather. Rains last week were welcomed; however, more was needed. Wheat progressed and was in Feekes growing stages 4 to 6. However, some fields were plowed up due to poor stands. At this point, disease pressure was limited. Alfalfa was growing well and ranged from 8-12 inches tall. Several growers stated that development of wheat and alfalfa was "about 10 days ahead of normal." Oats and barley were planted and was emerging. Pasture growing slowly. Corn and soybeans planting continued, but was halted due to rains last week. Seed corn fields were being prepped for planting in the coming weeks. Corn and soybean planting progress was the highest on record. Sugarbeet planting was complete and all have emerged. However, there were some fields to be replanted due to several problems-including crusting, poor emergence, frost damage, and seedling disease. Flea beetle presence was large. Fruit, Vegetable, and Specialty Crops Report Fruit Growing degree days were still about 8 to 15 days ahead of normal around the state. The full extent of freeze damage has yet to be determined. Apples ranged from pink to late pink in the west central to full bloom with early varieties at petal fall in the southwest. Spotted tentiform leafminer was flying, and the weekend rain was an apple scab infection event. Peaches were in full bloom in the west central and were in the shuck in the southwest. European plums were at full bloom in the west central and northwest and in the shuck in the southwest. Strawberries were at trusses emerging from the crown to trusses out of the crown across the southern part of the state. Sweet cherries were out of full bloom in the Grand Rapids area to in the shuck, with early varieties at shuck split in the southwest. Tart cherries were at 30 to 80 percent bloom in the west central and were past full bloom to shuck in the southwest. Pears were at 40 to 60 percent open blossoms in the west central to petal fall in the southwest. Blueberries were at early to late pink to early bloom stages in the Grand Rapids area and in pink bud to bloom in the southwest. There has been a fair amount of cold damage in the southeast. Grapes were at early bud swell in the northwest; and shoots were about an inch to two inches and flowers open in the southwest. Vegetables Growers continued to lay black plastic and plant some early season crops. Recent rains aided growers in the southwest in shaping beds and laying plastic. Onion, carrot, sweet corn, celery, lettuce, beets, parsley, peas, and radish seeding or transplanting continued. Irrigation was being widely used on carrots. Sweet corn, in the southeast, was about two to three leaf stages. Cabbage has been established for several weeks. Planting of tomatoes and cucumbers continued under protective tunnels. Overwintered spinach did well. Cutting and shipping of hothouse rhubarb continued. Potatoes were emerging in early planted fields. Asparagus was emerging and harvest was underway. Last week's frost damaged about half of the emerged spears in the Oceana area. Cole crops were planted. English peas, in the southwest, were emerged but not flowering. Soil Moisture and Crop Condition Tables Soil moisture for week ending 05/02/10 --------------------------------------------- : Very : : : Stratum : short : Short :Adequate:Surplus --------------------------------------------- : Percent : Topsoil : 4 16 68 12 Subsoil : 5 19 69 7 --------------------------------------------- Crop condition for week ending 05/02/10 ----------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Crop : poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent ----------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Oats : 1 9 27 50 13 Pasture : 2 8 34 41 15 Winter Wheat : 1 3 18 54 24 ----------------------------------------------------------- Crop progress for week ending 05/02/10 ---------------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : 5-year Crop : week : week : year :average ---------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Barley, planted : 74 53 31 40 Barley, emerged : 42 9 13 13 Corn, planted : 53 32 5 27 Corn, emerged : 3 1 0 1 Oats, planted : 90 83 61 72 Oats, emerged : 64 46 22 31 Soybeans, planted : 18 0 1 7 Soybeans, emerged : 2 0 NA NA Sugarbeets, planted : 100 100 87 90 ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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 05/02/10 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 : 71 24 170 75 0.67 0.69 1.00 1.11 Marquette : 72 23 160 62 0.67 0.69 1.00 1.11 Stephenson : 75 22 206 108 0.20 0.20 0.81 0.81 Western UP : 77 18 5 174 71 86 0.72 0.73 1.04 1.16 2.58 3.37 : Cornell : 71 25 177 88 0.05 0.05 0.43 0.43 Sault St Marie : 74 30 162 55 0.05 0.05 0.75 1.21 Eastern UP : 74 22 6 153 59 44 0.04 0.07 0.76 0.95 2.69 3.01 : Beulah : 82 29 213 124 0.88 2.16 3.82 4.07 Lake City : 79 26 202 120 1.49 1.94 3.83 4.14 Old Mission : 85 28 215 89 0.49 0.67 2.84 3.08 Pellston : 75 20 207 90 0.14 0.14 0.98 1.18 Northwest : 85 20 5 201 101 108 0.67 1.02 2.71 2.96 2.92 2.61 : Alpena : 82 25 188 94 0.41 0.41 2.17 2.39 Houghton Lake : 81 25 219 110 0.43 0.76 2.15 2.42 Rogers City : 82 29 175 98 0.31 0.31 2.09 2.30 Northeast : 82 25 6 205 102 98 0.45 0.57 2.17 2.41 2.79 2.76 : Fremont : 78 26 238 135 0.53 0.86 2.17 2.59 Hart : 78 25 214 120 0.17 0.38 2.29 2.72 Muskegon : 78 30 236 144 0.71 0.82 2.23 2.76 West Central : 78 25 5 226 135 132 0.47 0.74 2.33 2.76 3.36 2.67 : Alma : 80 32 236 135 0.49 2.09 3.93 4.26 Big Rapids : 81 28 242 137 0.63 1.30 3.07 3.35 Central : 81 28 4 240 134 147 0.56 1.47 2.95 3.20 3.35 2.79 : Bad Axe : 82 31 229 122 0.25 0.73 1.58 1.67 Pigeon : 84 31 231 112 0.32 0.84 2.01 2.03 Saginaw : 82 34 257 133 0.30 1.14 2.20 2.46 Standish : 82 27 231 121 0.91 1.43 2.94 3.14 East Central : 84 27 4 224 121 140 0.45 1.06 2.34 2.70 2.76 2.63 : Fennville : 79 27 269 153 1.05 1.25 2.31 2.81 Grand Rapids : 81 34 294 167 0.54 0.98 3.77 4.33 Holland : 81 31 285 165 0.71 0.86 2.64 3.39 South Bend, IN : 78 30 304 200 1.15 2.34 2.98 3.50 Watervliet : 79 31 283 163 0.69 1.17 2.70 3.16 Southwest : 81 26 4 280 171 167 0.75 1.14 2.63 3.19 3.59 3.01 : Belding : 79 28 253 136 1.30 1.65 3.47 3.84 Coldwater : 79 31 294 190 1.21 2.79 3.31 3.33 Lansing : 80 30 284 156 0.58 0.70 2.81 3.02 South Central : 81 27 4 272 164 168 0.63 1.28 2.86 3.11 3.32 2.92 : Detroit : 83 36 308 211 0.96 1.83 3.17 3.21 Flint : 80 27 278 174 0.64 1.07 3.81 3.96 Romeo : 81 34 252 166 3.19 3.82 5.21 5.34 Tipton : 79 29 281 190 1.22 3.00 3.84 3.84 Toledo, OH : 82 32 310 213 0.86 2.95 5.54 5.55 Southeast : 83 26 4 280 191 155 1.35 2.36 3.76 3.84 3.33 2.85 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Issued by the USDA, NASS, Michigan Field Office in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Commerce, Michigan State University 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.