mi-crop-weather State Michigan Crop Weather Released August 6, 2012 Week Ending Date August 5, 2012 Issue MI-CW3212 Agricultural Summary Field Crops Six days were suitable for field work last week. It was another warm week with above average temperatures. According to Jeff Andresen, State Climatologist for Michigan, "the 7 month period January through July of 2012 was the warmest such period on record at most locations across the State." A few scattered showers fell late in the week in southern Michigan. Rain fell in varying amounts across northwest Michigan early in the week with a touch of rain later in the week. Rainfall totaled nearly an inch in some areas while others received less than a quarter inch. Relatively widespread rainfall during the last week of July helped stabilize corn and other crops in some areas, but long term moisture deficits continued. Soybeans and dry beans continued to bloom and set pods. Sugarbeets started growing again. Cercospora leafspot appeared and most acreage had the second application of fungicide applied. Harvest is scheduled to begin August 15 on a limited basis. Fruit Harvest of early apple varieties began. Peach harvest continued. The blueberry harvest passed its peak. Vegetables Temperatures were again above average this past week. Scattered showers across the State provided relief to dry fields; however, new weed growth was noticeable because of these rains. Watermelon, muskmelon, other cucurbits, cabbage and leafy greens continued to be harvested in the southeast. Pepper harvest was in the beginning stages in the southeast region, while pepper growers in the southwest region reported seeing an increase in aphid populations. Eggplant fields were bearing fruit. Summer squash and zucchini harvest continued across the State with flowers growing rapidly. Fall squash and pumpkin growers in the southwest region reported finding large numbers of male flowers in their plants. Pickle harvest was underway in the central region; downy mildew was confirmed in cucumbers in the southwest region. In other vine and Solonaceous crops, mites continued to be a problem. Western bean cutworm trap catches continued to taper off in sweet corn fields in the central region while the risk for western bean cutworms was changed to moderate in the southeast. Soil Moisture and Crop Condition Tables Soil moisture for week ending 08/05/12 --------------------------------------------- : Very : : : Stratum : short : Short :Adequate:Surplus --------------------------------------------- : Percent : Topsoil : 32 32 35 1 Subsoil : 42 37 21 0 --------------------------------------------- Crop condition for week ending 08/05/12 ----------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Crop : poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent ----------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : All Hay : 25 30 27 17 1 Corn : 25 27 26 20 2 Dry beans : 9 11 35 39 6 Pasture : 29 32 28 10 1 Soybeans : 14 24 29 28 5 ----------------------------------------------------------- Crop progress for week ending 08/05/12 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ : This : Last : Last : 5-year Crop : week : week : year : average ------------------------------------------------------------------------ : Days : Days Suitable for Fieldwork : 6 5 -- -- : : Percent : All hay, second cutting : 86 79 73 76 All hay, third cutting : 35 19 13 19 Corn, silked : 97 89 85 83 Dry beans, blooming : 98 90 85 71 Dry beans, setting pods : 65 32 28 29 Oats, harvested : 91 76 9 35 Soybeans, blooming : 96 86 84 84 Soybeans, setting pods : 76 42 40 50 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 08/05/12 1/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : :Cumulative growing: : Temperature : degree days 2/ : Precipitation :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : : : : : : : : : Normal Station : : :Departure: : : :This:Last :Last : Since :------------- :Maximum :Minimum : from :2012 :2011 :Normal:week: two :four :April 1: Since : For : : : normal : : : : :weeks:weeks: :April 1:month ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ironwood : 85 57 1,573 1,399 0.12 1.48 1.76 11.93 Marquette : 85 53 1,530 1,341 0.23 1.76 2.33 12.56 Stephenson : 89 53 1,752 1,480 0.03 0.43 1.22 9.99 Western UP : 89 53 12 1,597 1,333 1,258 0.12 1.40 1.74 10.91 13.37 3.69 : Cornell : 86 51 1,646 1,458 0.58 1.55 1.63 10.56 Sault St Marie : 91 54 1,541 1,344 0.35 0.76 1.01 8.74 Eastern UP : 91 48 5 1,550 1,305 1,075 0.26 1.20 1.72 10.74 12.55 3.53 : Beulah : 90 58 1,837 1,634 0.53 2.58 2.87 11.97 Lake City : 90 51 1,761 1,570 0.74 7.07 7.30 18.45 Old Mission : 94 52 1,723 1,500 0.33 0.76 1.01 12.07 Pellston : 92 46 1,633 1,466 1.39 2.25 2.90 12.21 Northwest : 94 46 5 1,699 1,509 1,425 0.58 2.33 3.01 13.03 11.77 3.11 : Alpena : 94 59 1,711 1,461 0.05 1.47 1.63 10.03 Houghton Lake : 89 51 1,834 1,662 0.69 2.80 3.14 14.71 Rogers City : 97 55 1,607 1,332 0.63 1.30 1.61 9.67 Northeast : 97 48 5 1,700 1,513 1,378 0.56 2.06 2.35 11.90 11.85 3.12 : Fremont : 91 53 1,951 1,779 0.26 1.81 3.23 10.20 Hart : 90 55 1,870 1,668 1.07 1.87 4.93 11.71 Muskegon : 95 60 2,104 1,927 0.73 1.73 2.91 10.33 West Central : 95 51 4 1,918 1,736 1,562 0.87 1.93 3.70 10.93 11.87 3.60 : Alma : 89 58 1,930 1,768 0.79 4.07 5.60 14.44 Big Rapids : 90 55 1,875 1,666 0.47 2.10 3.42 15.52 Central : 94 54 5 1,907 1,731 1,631 0.48 2.42 3.72 12.38 12.93 3.64 : Bad Axe : 91 59 1,835 1,677 0.24 1.27 1.39 7.37 Pigeon : 91 55 1,786 1,674 0.34 0.83 1.08 5.47 Saginaw : 90 59 2,087 1,891 0.79 3.05 3.60 11.64 Standish : 89 59 1,875 1,612 0.37 1.96 2.67 9.44 East Central : 91 55 5 1,846 1,711 1,616 0.40 2.02 2.59 9.13 11.80 2.93 : Fennville : 94 55 1,963 1,801 1.14 2.13 3.06 9.62 Grand Rapids : 93 59 2,205 2,022 0.52 1.69 2.37 10.38 Holland : 86 57 2,016 2,712 1.34 1.89 2.50 9.48 South Bend, IN : 92 61 2,315 2,124 2.25 3.90 8.40 14.28 Watervliet : 93 59 2,088 1,951 0.99 1.98 3.38 9.75 Southwest : 96 48 4 2,081 1,987 1,759 1.06 2.04 3.27 10.04 13.68 3.18 : Belding : 92 51 1,943 1,779 0.58 0.82 1.53 7.94 Coldwater : 93 58 2,164 2,007 0.66 0.96 2.11 6.26 Lansing : 96 58 2,134 1,924 0.44 1.06 1.67 8.43 South Central : 96 51 5 2,024 1,873 1,741 0.66 1.49 2.53 8.91 13.48 3.36 : Detroit : 93 60 2,313 2,132 0.27 1.53 1.72 9.20 Flint : 95 59 2,129 1,965 0.21 1.65 2.24 12.81 Romeo : 89 59 1,999 1,864 0.32 1.43 1.91 11.02 Tipton : 96 59 2,054 1,962 0.27 0.44 0.82 6.34 Toledo, OH : 93 60 2,099 1,982 0.31 1.03 1.77 8.34 Southeast : 97 50 5 2,080 1,979 1,722 0.38 1.40 2.38 9.39 13.00 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.