mi-crop-weather State Michigan Crop Weather Released May 9, 2011 Week Ending Date May 8, 2011 Issue MI-CW1911 Agricultural Summary Cool Spring Four days were suitable for fieldwork during the week ending May 8, according to the USDA, NASS, Michigan Field Office. Precipitation ranged from 0.03 inches to 0.09 inches in the Upper Peninsula and 0.02 to 0.13 inches in the Lower Peninsula. Temperatures ranged from 2 to 3 degrees below normal in the Upper Peninsula and from 1 to 5 degrees below normal in the Lower Peninsula. The sun and drying temperatures were a welcomed sight towards the end of the week. This was the first decent week for field activity this spring. Farmers were selective on which fields to plant relative to soil moisture and drainage. Livestock operations were finishing up lambing. Calving was still underway. Field activities included, manure hauling and application, planting of various crops, and nitrogen and herbicide application on wheat. Field Crops Report Field Crops Producers started making marginal progress in select fields as temperatures warmed in the latter part of the week. Fields started to dry out, but many were still too saturated to support equipment. Soil temperatures remained cool. While most fields were drying out, several wet spots and some standing water could be found on heavy soils. Fertilizer and manure were applied in fields that allowed. Wheat was in Feekes growth stage 6 in the southeast. Yellowing was found in low ground. Overall, wheat and alfalfa growth advanced slowly. Corn and soybean planting progressed, especially over the weekend on well drained soils. Early planted sugarbeets struggled due to crusting and drown out. A few fields needed replanting while other fields looked excellent. Fruit, Vegetable, and Specialty Crops Report Fruit Tree and green tissue growth advanced slowly due to cooler air and soil temperatures at the start of the week. Fruit buds continue to develop slowly. Growers were busy applying fertilizer, tree planting, and pruning stone fruits. Limited amount of preventive sprays were applied as a result of several windy days. Apple scab has been a growing problem as a result of the cool wet spring. Tart and sweet cherries are at bud burst in northwest lower Michigan and in bloom in southwest lower Michigan. Apricots were starting to bloom. Blueberries ranged from bud burst to early pink in more advanced varieties. Varying amounts of winter damage has been found in buds. Blackberries were between bud burst and half inch green. Vegetables The warm, dry conditions in the latter part of the week allowed vegetable growers to begin catching up on their fieldwork. Vegetable crops across the State were off to a slow start this year due to the continued cool temperatures and wet fields. Some early asparagus picking will begin in West Central Michigan later this week. Planting of cool season vegetables are averaging about one week behind normal this season. In Southwest Michigan, open field planting of warm season crops had not started yet. As conditions allow, vegetable growers will move forward quickly to get their fields planted. Soil Moisture and Crop Condition Tables Soil moisture for week ending 05/08/11 --------------------------------------------- : Very : : : Stratum : short : Short :Adequate:Surplus --------------------------------------------- : Percent : Topsoil : 0 0 54 46 Subsoil : 0 1 58 41 --------------------------------------------- Crop condition for week ending 05/08/11 ----------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Crop : poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent ----------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Pasture : 4 10 32 46 8 Winter Wheat : 2 7 19 59 13 ----------------------------------------------------------- Crop progress for week ending 05/08/11 ---------------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : 5-year Crop : week : week : year :average ---------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Asparagus, harvested : 4 0 9 11 Barley, planted : 16 3 87 56 Barley, emerged : 2 1 58 29 Corn, planted : 8 1 72 49 Oats, planted : 40 17 95 82 Oats, emerged : 10 5 77 52 Soybeans, planted : 3 0 33 20 Sugarbeets, planted : 45 17 100 95 ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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 05/08/11 1/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : :Cumulative growing: : Temperature : degree days 2/ : Precipitation :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : : : : : : : : : Normal Station : : :Departure: : : :This:Last :Last : Since :------------- :Maximum :Minimum : from :2011 :2010 :Normal:week: two :four :April 1: Since : For : : : normal : : : : :weeks:weeks: :April 1:month ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ironwood : 72 25 85 189 0.09 1.30 2.40 3.70 Marquette : 70 26 81 178 0.04 1.82 3.04 4.58 Stephenson : 69 24 102 237 0.03 1.81 3.65 4.51 Western UP : 72 20 -3 85 194 119 0.03 1.22 2.31 3.57 3.11 3.37 : Cornell : 68 29 69 207 0.07 1.71 3.53 4.41 Sault St Marie : 69 31 72 184 0.00 2.69 4.36 5.53 Eastern UP : 70 21 -2 71 183 65 0.09 1.82 3.64 4.76 3.33 3.01 : Beulah : 73 30 117 243 0.05 2.08 3.89 7.11 Lake City : 69 28 121 234 0.07 2.36 4.22 6.23 Old Mission : 68 30 99 244 0.00 1.93 3.32 4.42 Pellston : 69 26 114 232 0.01 2.28 4.33 5.43 Northwest : 73 26 -4 105 228 147 0.02 2.05 3.60 5.19 3.43 2.61 : Alpena : 65 31 99 223 0.04 2.95 4.91 6.66 Houghton Lake : 70 32 135 253 0.08 2.62 4.46 6.30 Rogers City : 64 30 68 204 0.04 1.08 2.91 4.64 Northeast : 70 30 -1 108 238 134 0.05 2.43 4.39 6.18 3.34 2.76 : Fremont : 69 29 140 279 0.02 2.06 3.79 5.22 Hart : 69 28 121 246 0.09 1.83 3.39 4.32 Muskegon : 72 32 138 276 0.00 1.93 4.21 5.29 West Central : 72 28 -5 130 262 177 0.03 2.03 3.80 4.92 3.80 2.67 : Alma : 67 36 136 278 0.01 2.57 4.43 5.75 Big Rapids : 66 30 119 282 0.03 3.55 6.50 8.75 Central : 71 30 -2 135 280 196 0.02 2.47 4.35 5.70 3.86 2.79 : Bad Axe : 65 37 127 269 0.17 2.44 4.95 7.22 Pigeon : 65 37 133 273 0.09 2.18 4.13 5.95 Saginaw : 67 38 158 304 0.03 2.57 4.80 6.40 Standish : 66 35 127 268 0.07 3.38 5.62 7.20 East Central : 67 34 -3 130 276 186 0.08 2.58 4.86 6.42 3.23 2.63 : Fennville : 72 31 150 310 0.04 2.38 4.56 5.54 Grand Rapids : 71 33 178 343 0.02 3.13 6.22 7.30 Holland : 71 34 204 340 0.05 2.61 4.61 5.87 South Bend, IN : 71 32 203 359 0.40 3.67 6.15 7.85 Watervliet : 71 33 167 330 0.15 2.67 5.21 6.24 Southwest : 74 28 -5 170 332 221 0.13 2.71 5.16 6.22 4.00 3.01 : Belding : 69 33 146 294 0.01 2.98 5.74 6.72 Coldwater : 72 33 179 348 0.33 1.75 4.14 5.27 Lansing : 68 35 160 334 0.02 1.80 4.53 5.62 South Central : 72 31 -3 160 321 221 0.10 2.25 4.75 5.84 3.81 2.92 : Detroit : 71 36 191 368 0.10 2.16 4.79 6.36 Flint : 69 36 180 326 0.12 1.87 4.45 5.81 Romeo : 68 38 154 291 0.12 1.84 3.68 4.82 Tipton : 70 38 178 333 0.26 3.00 5.26 6.81 Toledo, OH : 68 37 172 373 0.12 2.06 4.06 5.27 Southeast : 71 30 -2 174 342 206 0.12 2.09 4.22 5.44 3.81 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.