mi-crop-weather State Michigan Crop Weather Released July 26, 2010 Week Ending Date July 25, 2010 Issue MI-CW3010 Agricultural Summary Warm Temperatures with Showers Five days were suitable for fieldwork during the week ending July 25, according to the USDA, NASS, Michigan Field Office. Precipitation ranged from 0.38 inches to 0.48 inches in the Upper Peninsula, and 0.77 inches to 2.98 inches in the Lower Peninsula. Temperatures ranged from 1 degree below normal to 1 degree above normal in the Upper Peninsula. Temperatures in the northern Lower Peninsula were 1 degree above normal, and ranged from 2 to 3 degrees above normal in the central and southern Lower Peninsula. Much of the Lower Peninsula saw measurable precipitation this week only avoiding a few areas, while conditions in the Upper Peninsula stayed on the dry side. "It keeps getting dryer every day, and hay will be real short if we do not get some good rains," stated one reporter in the Upper Peninsula. One producer in the northwest Lower Peninsula stated, "Favorable growing conditions continued. This is one of the nicer growing seasons in memory; corn is looking great. Making dry hay continues to be a problem, and we may be approaching the point of too much rain. I don't ever remember saying that this time of year." Field Crops Report Field Crops Some appreciated rain came through and put fears of being too dry to a minimum for much of the state. Areas in the thumb and extreme southern counties had the largest amount of stress due to dry fields before healthy rain amounts of up to three inches in some areas came through at the end of the week. The major concerns were uneven growth and drown spots. Corn once again looked strong no matter what stage it was being reported. The crop was setting ears and starting to dough in advanced fields. Soybeans were looking stronger as they started setting pods in southern counties. Alfalfa cuttings made slow progress during the dry portion of the week. Few were starting third cuttings. Quality of the crop remained satisfactory to most farmers. Wheat harvest slowed down as most of the crop has been taken in. Oat and barley harvest made progress as the crops became mature, although some areas were too wet to get much finished. "All field crops are running well ahead of normal and look great," stated one reporter." Fruit, Vegetable, and Specialty Crops Report Fruit Growing degree days were about 10 days ahead of normal and the season about 2 weeks ahead of normal in the southeast. July has been hot and dry and soils were dry in the southwest. Apples ranged from 53 to 55 mm in the northwest, and fruit size was about 2.25 to 3 inches in the southwest and southeast. Yellow Transparent and Lodi apples were being harvested. Codling moth numbers increased in the southeast. Peaches were 2.25 inches in the southeast; harvest of early varieties continued in the southeast, southwest, and northwest. European plums remained at about 1 inch in length and 1.5 in width and continue to color in the southeast. Strawberry leaf growth has started in the southeast. Growth in the southwest has been poor due to drought conditions and potato leafhoppers. Leaf drop continued in sweet and tart cherries across the southeast as a result of cherry leaf spot infections. Early defoliation has been seen in the southwest. Pears ranged from 1.75 to 2.5 inches in diameter in the southwest and southeast areas. Early varieties have started to color in the southeast. Harvest of blueberries continued. Robin feeding has been a problem this year in the southeast. Grapes were at berry touch in the southeast. Summer raspberry harvest continued in the southwest and northwest. Harvest has started to wrap up in the southeast. Vegetables Warm days last week continued and encouraged vegetable development and harvest, but concern remained high as diseases and insect pressure was prevalent. Rains experienced last week were welcomed as some areas remained dry. Harvest of cabbage, yellow squash, zucchini, for both fresh and processing, cucumbers for pickles, potatoes, garlic, and snap beans continued. Growers in the Grand Rapids and Macomb County areas continued to transplant cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower. Cucumber and pickle vines were damaged as a result of foliar leaf diseases and harvest traffic as the season wraps up in earlier planted fields. Snap beans in Grand Rapids significant damage from Mexican bean beetle damage where fields were left untreated. Carrots and parsnips continued to progress. Sweet corn harvest continued and quality was good. Onions and leeks were developing and sizing well. Some fields in the Grand Rapids area showed fallen tops. In the Grand Rapids area, celery transplanting was complete but harvest of other celery fields continued. There were reports of foliar and fusarium diseases. Tomato, pepper, and eggplant harvest continued. Some fields were experiencing high levels of early blight. Processing tomatoes were several weeks away from first harvest. Vine crops, such as pumpkins, fall squash, watermelon, and cantaloupes had fruit and were sizing. These crops looked good aside from downy mildew. Romaine lettuce harvest continued in Macomb County. Radishes, beets, turnips, and lettuce were growing well on muck soils. Soil Moisture and Crop Condition Tables Soil moisture for week ending 07/25/10 --------------------------------------------- : Very : : : Stratum : short : Short :Adequate:Surplus --------------------------------------------- : Percent : Topsoil : 5 16 65 14 Subsoil : 5 16 70 9 --------------------------------------------- Crop condition for week ending 07/25/10 ----------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Crop : poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent ----------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : All Hay : 1 4 20 48 27 Barley : 0 6 18 61 15 Corn : 1 6 14 44 35 Dry beans : 3 11 31 39 16 Oats : 0 3 21 52 24 Pasture : 3 4 26 49 18 Soybeans : 2 4 23 44 27 ----------------------------------------------------------- Crop progress for week ending 07/25/10 ------------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last :5-year Crop : week : week : year :average ------------------------------------------------------------- : Inches : Corn, height : 79 67 54 66 : : Percent : All hay, first cutting : 96 93 100 100 All hay, second cutting : 59 50 56 63 All hay, third cutting : 5 NA 5 6 Barley, harvested : 4 NA NA NA Blueberries, harvested : 48 32 51 35 Corn, silked : 83 65 20 57 Corn, dough : 11 4 0 2 Dry beans, blooming : 56 47 16 39 Dry beans, setting pods : 18 9 3 11 Oats, turning yellow : 94 83 57 77 Oats, harvested : 24 9 5 10 Peaches, harvested : 18 14 8 10 Soybeans, blooming : 76 61 44 70 Soybeans, setting pods : 31 18 9 29 Tart cherries, harvested : 94 88 24 58 Winter wheat, harvested : 97 84 34 73 ------------------------------------------------------------- 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 07/25/10 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 : 80 53 1,298 954 0.35 1.29 3.26 13.14 Marquette : 81 54 1,258 832 0.35 1.29 3.26 13.14 Stephenson : 86 52 1,492 1,104 0.74 1.58 3.99 15.00 Western UP : 86 46 -1 1,306 908 1,082 0.38 1.34 3.55 13.35 12.05 3.42 : Cornell : 85 52 1,403 1,003 0.39 1.31 4.36 14.12 Sault St Marie : 79 57 1,304 837 0.21 0.69 1.00 8.90 Eastern UP : 85 47 1 1,265 844 908 0.48 1.13 3.66 13.12 11.18 3.19 : Beulah : 82 59 1,548 1,147 0.87 1.90 2.43 12.80 Lake City : 82 58 1,507 1,099 2.23 4.18 5.10 16.87 Old Mission : 83 58 1,490 1,051 1.29 1.41 1.58 12.19 Pellston : 83 52 1,438 989 0.27 0.44 1.39 12.49 Northwest : 83 52 1 1,456 1,037 1,233 1.00 1.63 2.12 12.42 10.79 2.99 : Alpena : 83 58 1,435 1,051 2.75 3.00 4.53 14.38 Houghton Lake : 82 54 1,572 1,094 2.16 2.45 4.19 13.31 Rogers City : 82 59 1,339 1,047 2.65 2.74 4.22 16.03 Northeast : 83 54 1 1,481 1,064 1,189 2.38 3.15 4.91 15.27 10.71 3.18 : Fremont : 83 60 1,705 1,262 0.79 1.69 2.32 9.50 Hart : 83 60 1,615 1,186 1.93 3.23 4.15 13.50 Muskegon : 84 64 1,817 1,353 2.01 3.10 3.51 12.99 West Central : 84 59 2 1,684 1,249 1,358 1.57 2.71 3.27 12.25 10.73 2.54 : Alma : 86 61 1,758 1,296 0.59 1.34 2.51 16.71 Big Rapids : 87 58 1,653 1,197 0.72 1.21 3.07 14.73 Central : 87 57 3 1,703 1,243 1,422 0.77 1.25 2.35 13.35 11.63 2.97 : Bad Axe : 85 63 1,644 1,158 1.44 4.14 4.25 16.86 Pigeon : 85 59 1,628 1,154 1.03 3.37 3.41 12.99 Saginaw : 86 62 1,844 1,302 0.91 1.20 2.02 12.08 Standish : 85 59 1,592 1,169 1.71 3.97 4.32 17.33 East Central : 86 58 2 1,643 1,194 1,407 1.16 2.76 3.11 14.46 10.65 2.92 : Fennville : 85 61 1,731 1,325 3.88 4.99 6.38 22.11 Grand Rapids : 87 63 1,926 1,469 2.28 2.71 4.24 20.41 Holland : 85 60 1,913 1,552 3.38 7.08 10.24 27.57 South Bend, IN : 94 66 1,961 1,604 3.17 3.52 4.03 18.75 Watervliet : 90 63 1,858 1,439 2.86 3.49 4.12 17.32 Southwest : 94 60 3 1,855 1,457 1,532 2.98 3.86 4.80 19.32 12.51 3.09 : Belding : 84 57 1,715 1,268 0.94 1.22 2.03 14.84 Coldwater : 90 60 1,912 1,506 2.35 2.37 2.82 15.67 Lansing : 90 61 1,875 1,376 1.47 1.52 1.99 13.49 South Central : 93 57 3 1,804 1,374 1,520 2.00 2.77 3.94 16.93 12.26 3.22 : Detroit : 91 65 2,014 1,562 3.75 4.92 5.48 18.14 Flint : 89 58 1,864 1,351 0.29 1.07 2.49 13.13 Romeo : 91 61 1,773 1,339 0.48 1.66 2.16 12.67 Tipton : 93 61 1,840 1,431 4.11 4.19 4.71 19.80 Toledo, OH : 96 63 2,046 1,601 3.49 3.67 4.21 17.90 Southeast : 96 56 3 1,868 1,465 1,495 2.10 2.98 3.83 17.04 11.98 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.