mi-crop-weather State Michigan Crop Weather Released August 15, 2011 Week Ending Date August 14, 2011 Issue MI-CW3311 Agricultural Summary Comfortable Relief Five days were suitable for fieldwork during the week ended August 14, according to the USDA, NASS, Michigan Field Office. Precipitation ranged from 0.13 inches to 0.52 inches in the Upper Peninsula and 1.04 to 1.95 inches in the Lower Peninsula. Temperatures were 1 to 2 degrees above normal in the Upper Peninsula and ranged from 1 degree below to 1 degree above normal in the Lower Peninsula. Nice seasonal temperatures coupled with a fair amount of rainfall had crops looking good. "Enough rain finally hit most of the growing area to do some good," said a reporter from Tuscola County. Nighttime temperatures fell into the mid 50's in southern counties; a drop in temperatures from recent weeks. Humid conditions subsided bringing a much more enjoyable week for fieldwork. Field Crops Report Field Crops Corn was at variable growth stages, with advanced fields finished pollinating and late fields approaching VT. Western bean cutworm moth flight was on the decline. Gray leaf spot was reported in some seed corn fields. Soybeans were in the R3 to R4 in the southeast Lower Peninsula and R4 to R5 in the southwest Lower Peninsula. Japanese beetles were the predominant leaf feeders, with grasshoppers and bean leaf beetles also present. Aphids were still prevalent in the western Lower Peninsula. Insect levels were not at economically damaging thresholds in most fields. Alfalfa growth recovered with the recent rain fall. Third cutting will depend upon the forecast. Yields were reported as good in central Michigan. Potato leafhoppers remained the main insect pest and caused yellowing, affecting growth, yield and quality. Oat and barley harvest progressed as weather allowed. Excessive heat during grain fill may have contributed to lower yields. Dry beans progressed nicely in central Michigan, and were setting pods. White mold and western bean cutworm were still a concern. Sugarbeets benefitted greatly from rain. Fruit, Vegetable, and Specialty Crops Report Fruit The tart cherry harvest approached completion in the northwest. The quality has been high. The harvest of blueberries continued. Soft fruit has been a problem due to the heat and rain delays. Labor shortages have forced some growers to mechanically harvest fruit intended to be hand-picked. Apples were 2.5 to 2.75 inches in the south. The harvest dates for major varieties will likely be about five days later than predicted earlier. Pristine apples were picked. Stanley plums were coloring. Redhaven peach harvest began-about 5 days later than anticipated. Pears were 2 to 2.5 inches in the south. Grape berry moth flight continued in grape vineyards. Vegetables Seasonably warm temperatures and moderate rainfall were prevalent across the State last week. In Southwest Michigan, cantaloupe harvest was underway and watermelon harvest was expected to begin soon. Bacterial spot was observed in some pepper and tomato plantings. Potato harvest began. Chip potato harvest began last week in Central Michigan. In eastern counties, carrot harvest started. Sweet corn harvest continued; yields looked good. In West Central Michigan celery harvest continued. Some early blight was observed. Lettuce and radish yields varied by location. Vine crops were maturing quickly. Some downy mildew was evident in cucumbers. Growers were reporting lower snap bean yields in early plantings this year Soil Moisture and Crop Condition Tables Soil moisture for week ending 08/14/11 --------------------------------------------- : Very : : : Stratum : short : Short :Adequate:Surplus --------------------------------------------- : Percent : Topsoil : 3 16 74 7 Subsoil : 3 23 70 4 --------------------------------------------- Crop condition for week ending 08/14/11 ----------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Crop : poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent ----------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : All Hay : 1 8 24 49 18 Barley : 0 8 37 43 12 Corn : 3 9 23 49 16 Dry beans : 7 10 24 42 17 Oats : 0 6 29 55 10 Pasture : 3 12 32 42 11 Soybeans : 2 6 27 50 15 ----------------------------------------------------------- Crop progress for week ending 08/14/11 ---------------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : 5-year Crop : week : week : year :average ---------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : All hay, second cutting : 83 74 86 78 Barley, harvested : 62 27 83 17 Blueberries, harvested : 78 75 87 71 Corn, silked : 96 90 100 95 Corn, dough : 34 18 72 51 Dry beans, blooming : 97 88 95 90 Dry beans, setting pods : 84 39 83 71 Oats, turning yellow : 96 94 100 98 Oats, harvested : 56 9 93 69 Peaches, harvested : 35 30 50 37 Soybeans, blooming : 96 87 95 95 Soybeans, setting pods : 67 48 85 77 Tart cherries, harvested : 96 90 100 96 Winter wheat, harvested : 96 90 100 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 08/14/11 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 : 81 48 1,544 1,707 0.23 1.38 2.25 12.85 Marquette : 80 49 1,487 1,670 0.19 1.28 1.86 13.54 Stephenson : 84 48 1,647 1,944 0.01 0.58 1.23 11.86 Western UP : 84 42 1 1,512 1,716 1,394 0.13 1.16 1.93 12.26 14.29 3.69 : Cornell : 81 52 1,538 1,858 0.44 1.11 1.73 12.00 Sault St Marie : 80 53 1,499 1,720 1.06 2.13 2.36 17.03 Eastern UP : 85 41 2 1,446 1,685 1,207 0.52 1.18 1.83 14.31 13.45 3.53 : Beulah : 81 56 1,811 2,016 0.48 2.39 3.30 19.55 Lake City : 82 47 1,737 1,919 1.18 3.01 4.14 18.24 Old Mission : 81 51 1,672 1,940 1.53 2.44 3.31 14.00 Pellston : 82 46 1,623 1,850 0.89 1.92 2.21 15.47 Northwest : 82 46 1 1,677 1,888 1,576 1.04 2.32 2.94 15.83 12.66 3.11 : Alpena : 82 52 1,630 1,873 2.20 2.97 3.92 19.09 Houghton Lake : 82 47 1,841 2,011 1.48 1.84 3.57 16.07 Rogers City : 82 54 1,505 1,761 1.05 1.22 1.46 13.58 Northeast : 83 47 1 1,684 1,915 1,527 1.56 2.12 3.07 16.43 12.77 3.12 : Fremont : 83 49 1,954 2,168 0.27 0.51 1.87 15.67 Hart : 81 49 1,842 2,070 1.09 1.61 2.84 14.24 Muskegon : 82 54 2,128 2,339 4.32 5.20 8.29 20.10 West Central : 83 49 1 1,916 2,158 1,723 1.65 2.45 3.97 17.06 12.74 3.60 : Alma : 80 53 1,946 2,235 2.81 4.66 8.07 22.60 Big Rapids : 80 51 1,840 2,090 1.79 8.02 8.79 25.33 Central : 80 49 0 1,914 2,155 1,794 1.95 4.90 6.99 19.94 13.70 3.64 : Bad Axe : 81 53 1,860 2,103 0.74 2.03 5.14 19.65 Pigeon : 81 54 1,855 2,083 1.95 3.02 4.23 16.32 Saginaw : 81 53 2,081 2,337 1.52 2.18 4.02 18.62 Standish : 82 50 1,783 2,039 3.33 4.77 5.90 20.96 East Central : 82 50 0 1,853 2,138 1,781 1.76 2.72 4.80 19.12 12.47 2.93 : Fennville : 81 53 1,979 2,213 0.54 1.32 5.43 19.84 Grand Rapids : 81 55 2,222 2,449 1.71 3.16 8.83 25.45 Holland : 80 53 2,949 2,408 1.27 5.99 10.03 27.25 South Bend, IN : 86 59 2,336 2,476 0.62 1.47 2.49 24.11 Watervliet : 81 53 2,140 2,358 0.96 2.16 5.82 21.59 Southwest : 86 50 -1 2,178 2,349 1,935 1.11 2.38 5.72 22.24 14.41 3.18 : Belding : 81 50 1,953 2,172 3.06 3.74 7.33 21.23 Coldwater : 84 50 2,192 2,385 0.24 1.13 3.42 15.51 Lansing : 81 54 2,114 2,372 1.01 1.82 5.87 21.13 South Central : 84 50 -1 2,052 2,289 1,914 1.16 2.33 6.40 21.11 14.28 3.36 : Detroit : 85 57 2,343 2,547 0.87 1.63 7.11 21.21 Flint : 83 52 2,160 2,344 0.71 1.16 7.34 23.21 Romeo : 82 53 2,046 2,256 0.91 2.35 3.38 18.10 Tipton : 84 55 2,155 2,313 1.08 1.59 4.76 19.49 Toledo, OH : 83 54 2,179 2,557 1.07 1.82 4.86 17.96 Southeast : 86 48 0 2,141 2,390 1,898 1.15 1.97 5.31 18.58 13.82 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.