mi-crop-weather State Michigan Crop Weather Released August 30, 2010 Week Ending Date August 29, 2010 Issue MI-CW3510 Agricultural Summary Dry Conditions Continued Seven days were suitable for fieldwork during the week ending August 29, according to the USDA, NASS, Michigan Field Office. Precipitation ranged from 0.26 inches in the east central Lower Peninsula to 1.55 inches in the eastern Upper Peninsula. Temperatures ranged from 1 to 2 degrees above normal in the Upper Peninsula, and 0 to 2 degrees below normal in the Lower Peninsula. Cooler temperatures were welcomed mid week, but the reprieve was short with temperatures around 90 degrees over the weekend. "It was a good week for fieldwork. Cooler temperatures and light rain was a welcomed relief from the previous week's heat. We could use an all day soaking rain to replace lost moisture from all the heat we have had recently," stated one reporter in the west central Lower Peninsula. Activities included harvesting, chopping corn, baling straw, apple picking, spraying, and tilling. Field Crops Report Field Crops Hot and dry temperatures continued to cause havoc for field crops. Soil in fields are generally too dry for crops to finish out the growing season on a strong note, and many have started regressing in quality. Effects are being noticed in fields. "A lack of moisture and high temperatures have taken a toll on crops," said one reporter from Lenawee County. Dry topsoil caused challenges for sugarbeet harvest, which began in select fields August 23. It was the earliest start on record. Dry Beans continued to turn and harvest began in a few areas. Yields were reported to be "normal" and have "excellent quality". Corn made rapid progress toward harvest. Variable moisture was reported in Clinton County as fields begin to dry up. Black layer was reported in advanced fields in southeast counties. Many farmers were chopping corn for silage before it gets too dry. It has been dry at a critical time for soybeans as they were setting pods. "Soybeans would benefit from rain, but the sooner it comes the better," said a reporter in Monroe County. Alfalfa seeding was done in various fields, while others continued to make second and third cuttings. More acres were being prepared for wheat planting in response to the strong market. In the Upper Peninsula severe dry conditions persisted as oats were being harvested. Fruit, Vegetable, and Specialty Crops Report Fruit Soils in the southeast and southwest remained dry. Growing degree days jumped to 20 days ahead of normal in the Grand Rapids area. Apples ranged from 61 to 70 mm in the northwest; early varieties continued to be harvested across the state. Apple size in the southeast has stalled due to dry conditions. European red mite numbers were building in the southwest and northwest. Harvest of late season peaches continued across the state. Peach size and quality were good in the southwest and southeast. European plums ranged from 37 mm in the northwest and continued to be harvested in the southwest and Grand Rapids areas. Regrowth of strawberries continued to be affected by limited rainfall and potato leafhoppers. Defoliation of cherry trees from leaf spot has been a concern. Pear harvest continued in the southeast and southwest. Frost damage and pear psylla continued to be seen in the southeast and southwest. Harvest of late variety blueberries neared completion. Phomopsis canker was a problem in many fields. Grapes began coloring across the state. Fall raspberry harvested continued. Vegetables Rain fell in some major vegetable areas, but soils remained dry. Large numbers of celery leaf tier moth were reported. Gummy leaf stem blight afflicted squash, cucumbers, melons, and pumpkins in the Macomb-Lapeer region. Downy mildew on cucumbers was confirmed in 25 counties. Aphid populations increased on vine crops. Crops harvested included: carrots, onions, winter squash, cabbage, yellow squash, celery, zucchini for fresh and processing, cucumbers for pickles, sweet corn, potatoes, snap beans, peppers, watermelon, tomatoes for fresh and processing, eggplant, radishes, leeks, and lettuce. Tomato harvest in the Macomb region peaked; the crop was abundant and had good quality. Onion yields in the Grand Rapids region varied; they were lowered by the extremely hot summer and dry conditions. Pumpkin maturity was ahead of schedule. Soil Moisture and Crop Condition Tables Soil moisture for week ending 08/29/10 --------------------------------------------- : Very : : : Stratum : short : Short :Adequate:Surplus --------------------------------------------- : Percent : Topsoil : 32 39 28 1 Subsoil : 19 48 32 1 --------------------------------------------- Crop condition for week ending 08/29/10 ----------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Crop : poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent ----------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : All Hay : 1 6 29 46 18 Corn : 2 5 21 45 27 Dry beans : 3 15 27 39 16 Pasture : 4 15 34 36 11 Soybeans : 2 5 23 47 23 ----------------------------------------------------------- Crop progress for week ending 08/29/10 ---------------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : 5-year Crop : week : week : year :average ---------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : All hay, second cutting : 93 91 85 94 All hay, third cutting : 57 50 38 54 All hay, fourth cutting : 11 3 2 4 Apples, harvested : 14 7 7 6 Blueberries, harvested : 98 91 89 89 Corn, dough : 94 87 62 81 Corn, dent : 74 54 12 39 Corn, mature : 16 6 0 3 Corn silage, harvested : 31 9 1 8 Dry beans, setting pods : 100 89 90 98 Dry beans, turning leaves : 64 39 15 45 Dry beans, dropping leaves : 32 12 3 20 Dry beans, harvested : 2 0 0 2 Oats, harvested : 100 96 82 96 Peaches, harvested : 88 72 54 59 Potatoes, harvested : 9 8 17 17 Soybeans, turning leaves : 21 4 1 11 Sugarbeets, harvested : 3 0 0 0 ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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 08/29/10 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 : 88 43 1,955 1,453 0.02 1.28 3.13 18.51 Marquette : 87 34 1,897 1,329 0.06 1.48 3.33 18.71 Stephenson : 88 41 2,197 1,655 0.04 0.50 2.34 17.91 Western UP : 89 34 2 1,950 1,398 1,614 0.02 1.36 3.20 18.30 15.99 3.69 : Cornell : 84 44 2,101 1,517 0.00 0.09 0.44 16.42 Sault St Marie : 85 47 1,976 1,340 0.17 2.02 3.87 13.08 Eastern UP : 85 40 1 1,916 1,330 1,414 0.12 1.55 2.41 16.49 15.15 3.53 : Beulah : 90 50 2,310 1,724 0.13 1.08 1.95 15.35 Lake City : 90 41 2,183 1,639 0.07 1.13 1.88 19.57 Old Mission : 90 50 2,219 1,607 0.16 2.07 3.31 15.93 Pellston : 88 45 2,091 1,521 0.15 2.01 4.07 16.76 Northwest : 90 41 1 2,159 1,577 1,821 0.12 1.45 2.47 15.40 14.20 3.11 : Alpena : 90 46 2,134 1,631 0.06 1.33 2.48 17.14 Houghton Lake : 88 44 2,287 1,665 0.20 1.02 1.79 16.22 Rogers City : 90 49 2,019 1,603 0.12 2.37 4.51 20.59 Northeast : 90 44 0 2,179 1,621 1,766 0.12 1.51 2.72 18.45 14.22 3.12 : Fremont : 90 46 2,466 1,863 0.05 1.14 1.81 11.34 Hart : 89 46 2,363 1,768 0.05 2.11 3.09 16.69 Muskegon : 88 47 2,681 2,043 0.01 0.90 1.77 14.78 West Central : 90 45 0 2,457 1,861 1,985 0.09 1.46 2.36 14.74 14.59 3.60 : Alma : 93 49 2,542 1,934 0.01 0.10 2.66 19.41 Big Rapids : 85 46 2,380 1,783 0.06 1.93 3.48 18.81 Central : 93 45 -1 2,453 1,849 2,057 0.08 1.01 2.85 16.45 15.49 3.64 : Bad Axe : 93 52 2,400 1,799 0.03 0.04 0.33 17.34 Pigeon : 92 48 2,361 1,767 0.02 0.14 0.72 13.92 Saginaw : 92 47 2,648 1,981 0.02 0.64 2.46 14.79 Standish : 92 45 2,317 1,757 0.04 0.57 2.31 20.03 East Central : 93 45 -1 2,396 1,822 2,051 0.03 0.26 1.51 16.21 13.89 2.93 : Fennville : 90 48 2,522 1,957 0.00 0.57 1.85 23.98 Grand Rapids : 93 49 2,782 2,181 0.04 0.66 1.63 22.06 Holland : 93 49 2,747 2,278 0.04 1.09 2.29 29.85 South Bend, IN : 92 50 2,809 2,318 0.03 0.54 0.94 20.00 Watervliet : 92 49 2,680 2,122 0.07 0.61 1.77 19.25 Southwest : 93 45 -2 2,668 2,139 2,227 0.05 0.70 1.80 21.16 15.92 3.18 : Belding : 90 44 2,464 1,881 0.01 0.95 1.82 16.66 Coldwater : 94 46 2,691 2,190 0.00 0.16 0.71 16.80 Lansing : 94 46 2,697 2,069 0.00 0.04 0.44 13.94 South Central : 95 44 -2 2,585 2,031 2,197 0.01 0.30 1.14 18.11 15.98 3.36 : Detroit : 91 47 2,886 2,339 0.00 0.25 0.58 19.19 Flint : 94 47 2,662 2,016 0.01 0.01 0.32 13.45 Romeo : 93 49 2,560 2,012 0.00 0.40 0.47 13.43 Tipton : 92 49 2,617 2,071 0.00 0.51 1.23 21.23 Toledo, OH : 93 49 2,880 2,357 0.03 0.77 2.42 21.13 Southeast : 95 43 -2 2,660 2,161 2,189 0.00 0.29 0.90 18.29 15.41 3.12 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.