mi-crop-weather State Michigan Crop Weather Released July 12, 2010 Week Ending Date July 11, 2010 Issue MI-CW2810 Agricultural Summary Hot and Humid Six days were suitable for fieldwork during the week ending July 11, according to the USDA, NASS, Michigan Field Office. Precipitation varied from 0.35 inches in the east central Lower Peninsula to 2.22 inches in the eastern Upper Peninsula. Above average temperatures ranged from 6 degrees above normal for the western Upper Peninsula to 8 degrees above normal in the northwest, northeast, central, east central, and southeast Lower Peninsula and eastern Upper Peninsula. The much-needed rain was helpful during the hot and humid week. Many farmers were able to begin wheat harvest this week. The recent rain raised concerns about possible wheat sprouting. First cutting hay is about complete with second cutting of fields beginning. "A good week, fields are drying out and we got just the right amount of rain,' stated one reporter in the southwestern Lower Peninsula. Another producer in the central Lower Peninsula reported, "Dry beans and sugar beets are still suffering from too much water." Field Crops Report Field Crops Field crop development was about a week ahead of normal. Rain in southern counties will boost growth. Corn was nearly one-third silked. The first cutting of alfalfa wound down as the second cutting got underway. Wheat harvest was ahead of schedule. Moisture was 15-20 percent in the east central area; yields and quality were very good. In the southeast, however, yields have been down substantially from last year. The oat harvest began, and barley was virtually finished heading. Sugarbeet fields were wet in some areas but needed rain elsewhere. Many growers have sprayed for leafspot control. Soybeans were over one-third blooming, and pods began setting in many fields. Drybeans showed some water damage; bloom has begun. Fruit, Vegetable, and Specialty Crops Report Fruit The fruit crop season was about 1 to 2 weeks ahead of normal in the Grand Rapids and southeast areas. Crops on sandy soils showed signs of drought stress in the southwest. Apples were sizing well in the Grand Rapids and southwest areas, and fruit size was about 2.25 to 2.5 inches in the southeast. Fire blight continued to spread in the southwest and west central areas. Harvest of early varieties of peaches began in the southwest and Grand Rapids areas. European plums were about 1.5 inches in length and 1.25 in width in the southeast; early variety plums were beginning to ripen in the southwest. Strawberry harvest has finished in the northwest and Grand Rapids areas, and renovation was generally complete in the southwest and southeast areas. Sweet cherries were nearing the end of harvest in the northwest, and harvest has finished in the southwest and southeast areas. Cherry leaf spot symptoms were becoming common in the southwest. Tart cherry harvest was underway in the northwest, and harvest continued in the west central and southwest areas. Bruising from wind was evident in the southwest and northwest areas. Pears ranged from 1.5 to 1.75 inches in the southeast to about 2 inches in diameter in the southwest. Early varieties of blueberries started to turn color in the southeast; harvest was well underway in the southwest. Mummyberry fruit symptoms continued to appear as the fruit ripens in the southwest. Grapes were close to berry touch in the southeast; fruit on primary shoots were closing with most of the berries touching and buckshot sized on secondary shoots in the southwest. Summer raspberries harvest has begun in the northwest, and harvest continued in the southwest and southeast. Vegetables Hot and humid days last week aided vegetable development and harvest but kept growers busy with irrigation. In Oceana County, asparagus harvest was complete and growers were tallying final numbers for this year's crop. Major asparagus pests, such as common asparagus beetle, rust, purple spot and asparagus miner, were active. Harvest of cabbage, yellow squash, zucchini and cucumbers was ongoing in the southwest and Grand Rapids areas. Harvest of potatoes, garlic, and snap beans continued. Carrots continued to progress. Cercospora and Alternaria (carrot leaf blight) were reported. Sweet corn developed quickly with the hot weather, but showed signs of moisture stress in the Macomb County area. Early varieties were tasseled and silked in Oceana County. In the Grand Rapids area, sweet corn fields grown under plastic were for sale. Onions and leeks looked good in drier areas but had significant damage on wetter soils. In the Grand Rapids area, growers continued to transplant celery but were harvesting other celery fields. Tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant looked good and were growing rapidly. Some tomatoes that were grown under high tunnels were being harvested. Watermelons were growing well and had tennis ball sized fruit in the southwest. Cantaloupe harvest was underway in southwest Michigan. Pumpkins were flowering and runnering. Squash vine borers were out earlier than normal. Additionally, some foliar diseases were reported on pumpkins. Parsnips, radishes, turnips, and red beets looked good in the Grand Rapids area. Harvest of radishes was on-going but planting continued in other fields. Soil Moisture and Crop Condition Tables Soil moisture for week ending 07/11/10 --------------------------------------------- : Very : : : Stratum : short : Short :Adequate:Surplus --------------------------------------------- : Percent : Topsoil : 7 24 63 6 Subsoil : 6 21 68 5 --------------------------------------------- Crop condition for week ending 07/11/10 ----------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Crop : poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent ----------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : All Hay : 1 5 20 52 22 Barley : 0 13 25 41 21 Corn : 1 5 16 47 31 Dry beans : 3 11 32 38 16 Oats : 0 3 21 51 25 Pasture : 0 3 20 56 21 Soybeans : 1 5 22 49 23 Winter Wheat : 1 4 17 54 24 ----------------------------------------------------------- Crop progress for week ending 07/11/10 ------------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last :5-year Crop : week : week : year :average ------------------------------------------------------------- : Inches : Corn, height : 60 42 38 47 : : Percent : All hay, first cutting : 91 86 95 96 All hay, second cutting : 40 28 26 33 Barley, headed : 96 93 64 13 Blueberries, harvested : 18 15 21 12 Dry beans, blooming : 9 NA 1 5 Oats, headed : 97 94 87 94 Oats, turning yellow : 52 NA 24 32 Oats, harvested : 6 NA 0 0 Soybeans, blooming : 40 26 15 23 Strawberries, harvested : 98 86 86 89 Tart cherries, harvested : 46 15 12 28 Winter wheat, turning yellow : 99 96 85 96 Winter wheat, harvested : 43 NA 1 12 ------------------------------------------------------------- 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 07/11/10 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 : 84 54 1,054 790 1.65 1.97 5.71 11.85 Marquette : 84 54 1,017 669 1.65 1.97 5.71 11.85 Stephenson : 86 54 1,212 899 1.83 2.41 8.31 13.42 Western UP : 86 46 6 1,060 737 843 1.80 2.12 5.73 11.92 10.30 3.42 : Cornell : 85 53 1,135 817 2.21 3.16 7.42 12.92 Sault St Marie : 85 53 1,041 667 0.29 0.31 2.99 8.21 Eastern UP : 86 53 8 1,013 676 685 2.22 2.50 6.20 11.96 9.68 3.19 : Beulah : 87 60 1,232 945 0.52 0.53 2.99 10.90 Lake City : 92 54 1,215 908 0.92 0.92 3.18 12.69 Old Mission : 88 57 1,197 850 0.17 0.17 2.14 10.78 Pellston : 86 48 1,171 812 0.61 0.95 5.42 12.05 Northwest : 92 48 8 1,169 847 974 0.39 0.45 2.73 10.75 9.35 2.99 : Alpena : 91 54 1,145 850 1.14 1.53 3.08 11.38 Houghton Lake : 88 53 1,276 901 1.74 1.74 3.05 10.86 Rogers City : 91 54 1,057 858 0.80 1.48 5.09 13.29 Northeast : 91 53 7 1,190 871 935 1.54 1.76 3.98 12.12 9.12 3.18 : Fremont : 90 59 1,372 1,049 0.42 0.63 1.86 7.81 Hart : 88 60 1,289 981 0.92 0.92 4.88 10.27 Muskegon : 90 64 1,447 1,114 0.41 0.41 3.19 9.89 West Central : 90 57 8 1,343 1,033 1,083 0.51 0.56 3.46 9.54 9.58 2.54 : Alma : 92 60 1,418 1,055 1.17 1.17 4.56 15.37 Big Rapids : 91 59 1,320 1,006 0.61 1.86 3.14 13.52 Central : 92 58 8 1,368 1,032 1,143 0.79 1.10 3.18 12.10 10.20 2.97 : Bad Axe : 92 59 1,317 934 0.11 0.11 3.15 12.72 Pigeon : 92 54 1,309 935 0.04 0.04 2.26 9.62 Saginaw : 92 62 1,492 1,068 0.82 0.82 3.28 10.88 Standish : 91 57 1,277 957 0.35 0.35 2.95 13.36 East Central : 94 54 8 1,317 974 1,124 0.35 0.35 2.75 11.70 9.32 2.92 : Fennville : 91 61 1,393 1,106 1.39 1.39 5.81 17.12 Grand Rapids : 92 62 1,557 1,230 1.53 1.53 6.70 17.70 Holland : 93 64 1,555 1,297 1.58 1.58 4.91 18.91 South Bend, IN : 93 60 1,584 1,346 0.51 0.51 4.49 15.23 Watervliet : 93 60 1,496 1,204 0.60 0.63 4.27 13.83 Southwest : 95 53 7 1,501 1,219 1,229 0.79 0.81 4.73 15.33 10.98 3.09 : Belding : 90 58 1,388 1,055 0.80 0.81 3.72 13.62 Coldwater : 93 59 1,558 1,263 0.45 0.45 2.53 13.30 Lansing : 92 60 1,514 1,134 0.46 0.47 2.28 11.97 South Central : 93 58 7 1,459 1,147 1,225 1.18 1.19 3.79 14.18 10.78 3.22 : Detroit : 94 64 1,633 1,295 0.56 0.56 2.69 13.22 Flint : 94 60 1,509 1,119 1.42 1.42 3.09 12.06 Romeo : 96 62 1,427 1,101 0.66 0.66 1.79 11.17 Tipton : 93 62 1,490 1,197 0.52 0.52 2.92 15.61 Toledo, OH : 95 61 1,662 1,334 0.63 0.63 1.72 14.32 Southeast : 96 53 8 1,515 1,220 1,194 0.87 0.87 2.66 14.08 10.55 3.11 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.