mi-crop-weather State Michigan Crop Weather Released May 17, 2010 Week Ending Date May 16, 2010 Issue MI-CW2010 Agricultural Summary Cold and Wet Three days were suitable for fieldwork during the week ending May 16, according to the USDA, NASS, Michigan Field Office. Precipitation varied from 0.11 inches in the eastern Upper Peninsula to 2.08 inches in the southwest Lower Peninsula. Average temperatures ranged from 1 degree below normal in the eastern Upper Peninsula to 7 degrees below normal in the central Lower Peninsula. Cold and wet conditions put fieldwork at a standstill again this week. Low spots in fields have standing water. Frost reported on two days. Damage is expected but the extent of it is still unknown. "Several heavy rainstorms last week shut down field work and planting. Hoping the rain holds out and farmers can get back into fields for more planting," a reporter in the eastern central region stated. Calving is about half-finished. Field Crops Report Field Crops Continued cool and wet conditions slowed planting across most of the State. Corn planting was limited by rains across most of the State. Many fields with low spots still contain a large amount of standing water. Early planted fields were nipped by frost and combined with cold and wet conditions were yellowed. Most were expected to recover with warmer temperatures. Soybeans planted prior to the cool wet weather have not emerged on many fields. Frost did not appear to do too much damage to early emerging fields. Oats and barley stands were in very good shape. Planting was nearing completion. Wheat progressed and was in Feekes growing stages 7 to 8. Reports of powdery mildew continued in some areas. Stands were growing well but some unevenness was noted. Alfalfa was growing well but has slowed due to cool conditions. Height ranged from 14-18 inches tall. The first cutting could get underway in the southeast when the soil dries out. Sugarbeet stands were well established. Fruit, Vegetable, and Specialty Crops Report Fruit On Sunday, May 9, and Monday, May 10, low temperatures were below freezing. In the southwest these freezes were light, but in the west central there is expected to be about a 50 percent reduction in crop yield potential across all fruit crops. Apples ranged from full bloom to petal fall in the west central to fruit size of 6 to 8 mm in diameter in the southwest and southeast. Oriental fruit moths were trapped in high numbers. Peaches were in the shuck in the west central and Grand Rapids areas, and fruit was at 7 to 9 mm in diameter in the southeast. European plums were at late petal fall in the northwest, and fruit was 6 to 8 mm in diameter in the southwest. Plum curculio egg laying scars were found in the southwest. Strawberries ranged from starting to bloom with first flowers becoming visible in the Grand Rapids area to blooming with thimble-size fruit in the southeast and southwest. Sweet cherries were starting to come out of the shuck in the Grand Rapids area, and fruit size was 12 to 14 mm in diameter with pit hardening beginning in the southwest. Tart cherries were at late petal fall in the northwest, and fruit was 8 to 12 mm in diameter in the southwest. Pear fruit was at 7 to 8 mm in size in the northwest and southeast with fruit at about 10 to 12 mm in diameter in the southwest. Pear psylla were laying eggs in the southwest while eggs were hatching in the southeast. Blueberries were at full bloom in the southeast and near full bloom and petal fall in the southwest and Grand Rapids area. Grapes were at late bud burst in the northwest; shoots were about 6 to 9 inches long, and flower clusters were visible in the southwest and southeast. Vegetables Progress was impacted by cooler temperatures, frost and abundant rains. Carrots were emerging with acceptable stands. Sweet corn, continued to emerge, however additional growth was slow. In the southwest, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, and yellow squash were progressing well under protective low tunnels. In the Grand Rapids area, tomatoes growing under cover had significant frost damage, as did melons and sweet corn. Potato planting continued as conditions permit. Asparagus harvest has been slowed due to extensive frost. Emerged spears, in Oceana County, were killed and no new spears have emerged with cooler than normal temperatures. English peas were eight to ten inches tall in southwest Michigan. Flowering is expected next week. Celery, onions, beets, lettuce, radishes on muck, or other lowland soils, had little frost damage. Cabbage progress continued with cool temperatures. However, fields that were treated earlier for maggots have begun to show maggots, as conditions have been good for maggot growth. Snap bean progress continued. Soil Moisture and Crop Condition Tables Soil moisture for week ending 05/16/10 --------------------------------------------- : Very : : : Stratum : short : Short :Adequate:Surplus --------------------------------------------- : Percent : Topsoil : 1 4 41 54 Subsoil : 1 7 52 40 --------------------------------------------- Crop condition for week ending 05/16/10 ----------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Crop : poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent ----------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Barley : 0 1 63 30 6 Corn : 3 13 46 30 8 Oats : 1 3 30 55 11 Pasture : 2 7 24 54 13 Winter Wheat : 1 2 15 61 21 ----------------------------------------------------------- Crop progress for week ending 05/16/10 ---------------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : 5-year Crop : week : week : year :average ---------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Barley, planted : 89 89 76 75 Barley, emerged : 73 61 43 47 Corn, planted : 81 75 38 70 Corn, emerged : 45 25 5 23 Oats, emerged : 88 79 57 71 Soybeans, planted : 36 35 14 40 Soybeans, emerged : 9 8 1 5 ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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 05/16/10 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 25 220 167 0.56 1.53 2.22 2.64 Marquette : 72 23 205 131 0.56 1.53 2.22 2.64 Stephenson : 67 24 273 208 0.21 1.36 1.56 2.17 Western UP : 72 19 -3 224 155 170 0.46 1.42 2.15 2.58 3.97 3.37 : Cornell : 70 26 230 167 0.12 1.18 1.23 1.61 Sault St Marie : 71 31 217 122 0.22 0.94 0.99 2.15 Eastern UP : 75 20 -1 209 130 103 0.11 1.13 1.20 2.08 4.14 3.01 : Beulah : 72 29 279 222 0.75 2.21 4.37 6.28 Lake City : 70 25 268 224 0.71 1.60 3.54 5.74 Old Mission : 65 27 277 188 0.44 1.89 2.56 4.97 Pellston : 71 21 264 186 0.32 1.56 1.70 2.74 Northwest : 72 21 -4 259 196 206 0.46 1.84 2.85 4.80 4.10 2.61 : Alpena : 67 29 250 195 0.58 2.11 2.52 4.50 Houghton Lake : 70 24 286 220 0.62 1.28 2.04 3.70 Rogers City : 65 31 226 200 0.54 2.18 2.49 4.48 Northeast : 70 24 -5 267 208 192 0.57 1.71 2.28 4.12 4.08 2.76 : Fremont : 68 28 313 245 1.27 1.81 2.67 4.40 Hart : 69 29 281 225 0.66 1.24 1.62 3.96 Muskegon : 69 35 313 248 1.50 1.94 2.76 4.70 West Central : 69 25 -4 297 246 244 1.02 1.63 2.37 4.39 4.50 2.67 : Alma : 66 30 314 249 1.91 2.47 4.56 6.73 Big Rapids : 66 27 308 259 2.27 3.34 4.64 6.69 Central : 67 27 -7 312 250 269 1.88 2.52 3.99 5.72 4.59 2.79 : Bad Axe : 67 30 302 232 1.51 2.41 3.14 4.08 Pigeon : 64 37 301 226 1.45 2.22 3.06 4.25 Saginaw : 67 33 341 255 1.69 2.36 3.50 4.82 Standish : 66 27 306 238 1.51 1.99 3.42 5.13 East Central : 67 27 -6 296 236 255 1.67 2.47 3.53 5.17 3.97 2.63 : Fennville : 68 29 347 274 2.45 2.80 4.05 5.61 Grand Rapids : 67 31 382 304 2.34 2.85 3.83 7.18 Holland : 69 31 382 304 4.34 5.49 6.22 8.75 South Bend, IN : 80 33 408 336 2.21 3.33 5.67 6.83 Watervliet : 73 31 375 291 1.94 2.67 3.84 5.83 Southwest : 80 27 -5 376 301 296 2.08 2.76 3.89 5.94 4.98 3.01 : Belding : 66 26 326 249 1.75 2.19 3.84 6.03 Coldwater : 79 30 396 317 1.02 2.06 4.85 5.39 Lansing : 66 30 372 277 1.97 3.18 3.88 6.20 South Central : 79 26 -6 358 288 296 1.77 2.88 4.26 6.08 4.78 2.92 : Detroit : 69 37 412 345 1.38 2.35 4.18 5.56 Flint : 66 27 365 290 1.50 2.89 3.96 6.85 Romeo : 67 32 330 275 1.40 2.53 5.72 7.24 Tipton : 75 33 382 325 1.79 2.94 5.94 6.78 Toledo, OH : 83 32 436 350 0.48 1.31 4.46 7.06 Southeast : 83 27 -5 378 317 279 1.62 2.78 5.07 6.55 4.70 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.