mi-crop-weather

State
Michigan Crop Weather

Released 
September 11, 2006

Week Ending Date
September 10, 2006

Issue
MI-CW3606

Agricultural Summary




                                  Rain Returns                                  

Six days were suitable for fieldwork during the week ending September 10, 
according to the USDA, NASS, Michigan Field Office. Precipitation amounts 
ranged from 0.19 in the central Lower Peninsula to 0.60 inches in the western 
Upper Peninsula. Average temperatures ranged from 3 degrees below normal in 
the east central and southwest Lower Peninsula to normal in the eastern Upper 
Peninsula. Scattered showers helped late maturing crops but did not hamper 
harvest. Some areas were still in dry conditions. A farmer in the southwest 
region mentioned that, "Six-tenths of an inch of rain on September 5. That 
was enough to help complete the growing season without creating massive 
amounts of mud." A farmer in the northwest said that, "The corn is as good as 
it's going to get. A walk through the field showed most corn did not fill 
well, ears showed poor pollination, and only about 30 percent looked normal." 




Field Crops Report


                                  Field Crops                                   

Precipitation fell over the weekend and should help improve late maturing 
crops. Corn continued to mature, with many fields in the black layer stage.  
Silage harvest remained strong.  Soybean leaves continued turning.  In some 
soybean fields, plants started to drop their leaves.  Third and fourth 
cuttings of hay were slowed due to cool temperatures.  Potato harvest 
continued.  Dry bean harvest was in full swing.  Sugarbeet harvest will begin 
soon. Spread of cercospera leafspot has been slowed due to cool night 
temperatures.


Fruit, Vegetable, and Specialty Crops Report


                                     Fruit                                      

Insect pressure in fruit decreased in the south where coddling moth, Japanese 
beetle, and apple maggot catches were low.  Sooty blotch and flyspeck became 
more common and some growers reported pinpoint apple scab in the south.  
Coddling moth flight increased over the last two weeks and obliquebanded 
leafroller catches were high in the northwest.  Apple harvest of early 
varieties was underway across the State.  In the southwest, Gala and McIntosh 
growers harvested fruit not damaged from the August 23 storms.  Ginger Gold 
apples were harvested in the northwest.  Peach harvest was underway in the 
west central and nearing completion in the south.  Encore and other late 
varieties were being harvested in the southwest.  The southeast had extensive 
leaf drop due to bacterial spot infected fruit as well as Japanese beetle 
feeding.  Plum harvest continued in the southwest and southeast.  Brown rot 
was a problem.  Sweet and tart cherry blocks across the State were defoliated 
by cherry leaf spot. Cherry fruit flies were caught in high numbers in the 
northwest.  Pear harvest continued in the southwest.  Pear and blueberry 
harvest was nearly complete in the southeast.  In the southwest, harvest 
continued for Elliot and Jersey blueberry varieties.  Many producers in the 
southwest sustained crop loss due to the August 23 storm, resulting in a 
shift of harvested fruit for processing.  Downy mildew continued to be a 
widespread problem for Michigan grape producers.  Harvest began for Concord 
types in the southeast and Niagara in the southwest.  Marquis table grapes 
were ready for first picking in the northwest.  Sphinx moth larvae were large 
and their feeding injury was apparent in the northwest.




                                   Vegetables                                   

Vegetable crops throughout the State continued to be harvested. Pumpkins were 
sizing well. Celery and onion harvest continued in the southwest. Pepper 
harvest continued with the presence of aphids and very small corn borer 
larvae in some crops in the southeast. Harvest of summer squash slowed. 
Watermelon harvest progressed with good size and quality in some areas. 
Winter squash harvest began in light amounts in the southwest. Sweet corn 
harvest also continued with noticeable corn borer and earworm damage in the 
southwest. Tomato harvest for processing and fresh market continued with good 
quality.




Soil Moisture and Crop Condition Tables


                                             
    Soil moisture for week ending 09/10/06   
---------------------------------------------
         :  Very  :        :        :        
 Stratum : short  : Short  :Adequate:Surplus 
---------------------------------------------
         :              Percent              
         :                                   
Topsoil  :   6        24       67       3    
Subsoil  :   5        31       62       2    
---------------------------------------------




                                                                
             Crop progress for week ending 09/10/06             
----------------------------------------------------------------
                            :  This  :  Last  :  Last  : 5-year 
            Crop            :  week  :  week  :  year  :average 
----------------------------------------------------------------
                            :              Percent              
                            :                                   
All hay, third cutting      :   84       76       75       67   
All hay, fourth cutting     :   20       17       17        8   
Apples, harvested           :   16        7       19       NA   
Blueberries, harvested      :   95       92       99       99   
Corn, dough                 :   96       93       98       84   
Corn, dent                  :   84       69       84       53   
Corn, mature                :   15       10       27       10   
Corn silage, harvested      :   37       30       45       24   
Dry beans, dropping leaves  :   93       86       74       46   
Dry beans, harvested        :   20        7       15        7   
Peaches, harvested          :   75       69       88       95   
Potatoes, harvested         :   25       20       28       NA   
Soybeans, turning leaves    :   55       27       76       48   
Soybeans, dropping leaves   :   15        3       37       16   
----------------------------------------------------------------


                                                           
          Crop condition for week ending 09/10/06          
-----------------------------------------------------------
             :  Very  :        :        :        :         
     Crop    :  poor  :  Poor  :  Fair  :  Good  :Excellent
-----------------------------------------------------------
             :                   Percent                   
             :                                             
All Hay      :   1         9       23       48       19    
Corn         :   1         4       17       56       22    
Dry beans    :   2         6        8       82        2    
Pasture      :   2        14       31       45        8    
Soybeans     :   1         5       21       54       19    
-----------------------------------------------------------




                                                                      
       Percent of Fall season (1961-1990) in which first freeze       
      occurred on or before the date (mo/day) given in the table      
----------------------------------------------------------------------
       Station      :   90%   :   70%   :   50%   :   30%   :   10%   
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Alma                :  10/24     10/15     10/08     10/20      9/25  
Alpena              :  10/07      9/29      9/24      9/18      9/08  
Bad Axe             :  10/28     10/19     10/13     10/06      9/27  
Caro                :  10/06      9/27      9/23      9/17      9/07  
Chatham             :  10/06      9/25      9/17      9/08      8/24  
Coldwater           :  10/17     10/10     10/05      9/30      9/23  
Eau Claire          :  11/05     10/28     10/22     10/16     10/07  
Grand Rapids        :  10/24     10/15     10/09     10/03      9/25  
Hesperia            :  10/12     10/03      9/26      9/20      9/11  
Lansing             :  10/15     10/08     10/03      9/27      9/19  
Lapeer              :  10/16     10/06      9/28      9/19      9/03  
Monroe              :  11/02     10/26     10/20     10/15     10/06  
Saginaw             :  10/30     10/22     10/16     10/10     10/02  
Sandusky            :  10/25     10/16     10/09      9/30      9/16  
S.S. Marie          :  10/12     10/02      9/25      9/18      9/08  
Standish            :  10/12     10/01      9/24      9/16      9/05  
Stephenson          :   9/29      9/23      9/18      9/12      9/03  
Traverse City       :  10/20     10/10     10/02      9/25      9/13  
----------------------------------------------------------------------




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 09/10/06 1/                        
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               :                           :Cumulative growing:                                      
               :        Temperature        :  degree days 2/  :            Precipitation             
               :-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               :        :        :         :     :     :      :    :     :     :       :   Normal    
    Station    :        :        :Departure:     :     :      :This:Last :Last : Since :-------------
               :Maximum :Minimum :  from   :2006 :2005 :Normal:week: two :four :April 1: Since : For 
               :        :        : normal  :     :     :      :    :weeks:weeks:       :April 1:month
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ironwood       :   79       30              2,110 2,132        0.55 0.55  2.07   13.39               
Marquette      :   82       30              1,931 2,044        0.47 0.47  2.58   14.64               
Stephenson     :   85       37              2,179 2,229        0.98 0.98  2.63   12.87               
Western UP     :   85       30       -2     2,057 2,105 1,765  0.60 0.60  2.15   14.06   17.62  3.58 
               :                                                                                     
Cornell        :   83       34              2,086 2,129        1.02 1.03  2.22   16.12               
Sault St Marie :   79       40              1,966 2,006        0.26 0.26  1.37   10.17               
Eastern UP     :   83       29        0     1,956 1,979 1,556  0.51 0.51  2.75   14.44   16.49  3.55 
               :                                                                                     
Beulah         :   78       41              2,296 2,442        0.35 0.35  5.32   17.72               
Lake City      :   79       36              2,147 2,210        0.39 0.41  3.66   20.63               
Old Mission    :   82       37              2,221 2,307        0.25 0.25  2.14   10.56               
Pellston       :   80       31              2,170 2,231        0.07 0.07  0.76   11.91               
Northwest      :   82       31       -1     2,157 2,255 1,998  0.30 0.30  2.67   15.04   15.42  3.66 
               :                                                                                     
Alpena         :   81       38              2,209 2,145        0.29 0.38  3.16   15.43               
Houghton Lake  :   79       34              2,217 2,275        0.37 0.37  2.67   15.09               
Rogers City    :   79       36              2,153 2,225        0.41 0.43  2.62   11.63               
Northeast      :   82       34       -1     2,203 2,224 1,935  0.37 0.40  2.71   14.56   15.47  3.47 
               :                                                                                     
Fremont        :   81       44              2,467 2,574        0.36 0.39  0.54   15.24               
Hart           :   81       45              2,315 2,457        0.23 0.25  0.42   17.47               
Muskegon       :   79       51              2,507 2,645        0.75 0.87  1.12   14.96               
West Central   :   81       40       -1     2,395 2,521 2,178  0.43 0.47  0.91   14.52   15.79  3.19 
               :                                                                                     
Alma           :   82       45              2,507 2,551        0.18 0.30  1.53   17.29               
Big Rapids     :   82       45              2,432 2,407        0.13 0.25  0.97   18.42               
Central        :   82       45       -1     2,466 2,470 2,249  0.19 0.31  1.34   17.51   16.69  3.09 
               :                                                                                     
Bad Axe        :   84       42              2,376 2,530        0.15 0.31  1.08   14.19               
Pigeon         :   83       40              2,340 2,350        0.24 0.46  1.56   12.59               
Saginaw        :   83       45              2,513 2,521        0.15 0.26  3.09   16.31               
Standish       :   83       39              2,312 2,305        0.39 0.43  1.36   17.34               
East Central   :   84       39       -3     2,357 2,451 2,249  0.28 0.40  1.93   15.59   14.84  2.70 
               :                                                                                     
Fennville      :   79       50              2,411 2,637        0.03 1.03  2.28   14.70               
Grand Rapids   :   83       51              2,685 2,777        0.33 0.96  1.41   17.49               
Holland        :   82       50              2,646 2,730        0.22 0.85  0.98    8.34               
South Bend, IN :   81       53              2,720 2,935        0.76 2.83  3.94   24.30               
Watervliet     :   82       50              2,622 2,803        0.25 1.44  2.74   15.27               
Southwest      :   83       48       -3     2,593 2,742 2,446  0.22 1.24  2.14   15.00   16.97  3.26 
               :                                                                                     
Belding        :   84       47              2,460 2,531        0.74 0.88  1.35   14.30               
Coldwater      :   82       51              2,514 2,658        0.34 0.98  2.22   15.27               
Lansing        :   81       52              2,589 2,782        0.38 0.86  2.47   16.00               
South Central  :   84       47       -2     2,559 2,712 2,405  0.32 0.73  1.51   14.82   16.95  2.79 
               :                                                                                     
Detroit        :   83       55              2,871 2,951        0.10 1.09  1.66   17.38               
Flint          :   82       49              2,482 2,650        0.76 0.93  1.62   18.97               
Romeo          :   84       47              2,613 2,609        0.41 1.08  2.73   16.95               
Tipton         :   83       51              2,566 2,722        0.12 0.86  2.09   16.86               
Toledo,  OH    :   84       52              2,841 2,903        0.00 0.84  2.30   21.11               
Southeast      :   84       46       -2     2,616 2,766 2,402  0.39 1.10  2.61   18.33   16.23  2.43 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/  Issued by the USDA, NASS, Michigan Field Office in cooperation with the U.S. Department of       
    Commerce, Michigan State University's 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.