mi-crop-weather
                                                                                
State
Michigan Crop Weather
                                                                                
Released 
April 30, 2007
                                                                                
Week Ending Date
April 29, 2007
                                                                                
Issue
MI-CW1707
                                                                                
Agricultural Summary
                                                                                
                                  Wet and Mild                                  
                                                                                
Three days were suitable for fieldwork during the week ending April 29, 
according to the USDA, NASS, Michigan Field Office. Precipitation amounts 
ranged from 0.04 inches in the western Upper Peninsula to 1.85 inches in the 
southwest Lower Peninsula. Average temperatures ranged from 3 degrees above 
normal in the west central and southwest Lower Peninsula to 5 degrees above 
normal in the Upper Peninsula and in the northeast and southeast Lower 
Peninsula. The additional rain provided less than ideal conditions for 
fieldwork. A farmer in the northwest mentioned that, "Some warm weather 
allowed for some fieldwork on lighter soils, but the rain at mid-week brought 
that to a halt." A farmer in the southwest said that, "We should be in high 
gear next week with corn planting. We are still waiting for a window of dry 
weather to get serious about putting in corn." 
                                                                                
Field Crops Report
                                                                                
                                  Field Crops                                   
                                                                                
Planting progressed for most crops despite the wet conditions. Some areas 
were too wet to start fieldwork.  Corn planting continued in drier fields. 
Few acres of  soybeans were planted due to cool soil temperatures. Winter 
wheat looks good so far this spring and was not affected by the recent cold 
snap.  There were reports that poor quality stands were being replanted to 
corn.  Oat and barley planting progressed as normal.  Alfalfa stands were in 
good condition with little damage from winterkill.  Sugarbeets were mostly 
planted and stands look good.
                                                                                
Fruit, Vegetable, and Specialty Crops Report
                                                                                
                                     Fruit                                      
April temperatures were variable throughout the month.  Areas across the 
State experienced snow and cold until last week, when temperatures warmed to 
more seasonable values.  Damage from the early April freezes is still being 
assessed.  Damage was variable across the State.  In the southwest, apple 
leaves were injured, and a there was loss of about 75 percent of the tart 
cherry buds.  In the southeast, the most severely damaged crops were sweet 
and tart cherries.  Growers in the central areas lost up to 50 percent of 
their peach crop.  Experts say that it is too early to estimate damage in the 
northwest.
                                                                                
Last week apples in the southwest were at pink and open cluster.  Early 
varieties were blooming.  In the northwest, apples were in early tight 
cluster.  Blueberries ranged from swollen bud to half-inch green.  Peaches 
were in full pink in the west central and blooming in the southern areas.  
Pears were blooming in the southwest, at open cluster to popcorn in the 
southeast, at beginning of flower separation in the west central and were at 
late bud burst in the northwest.  Plums were blooming in the south, showing 
white bud in the west central, and at bud burst in the northwest.  Sweet and 
tart cherries were blooming in the southwest, at white bud in the southeast, 
showing first white in the west central, and at green tip to bud burst in the 
northwest.  Concord grapes were at late swell, and vinifera were at early 
swell in the southwest.  Southeastern grapes were at bud swell, while 
Chardonnay grapes in the northwest were at scale crack.              
                                                                                
                                   Vegetables                                   
                                                                                
Precipitation during the week hindered field activities as vegetable growers 
began planting a variety of crops throughout the State. In the west central 
area, carrot planting was underway and some asparagus spears started to 
emerge. Early planted cabbage and potatoes were just beginning to show new 
growth and early sweet corn began to germinate in the southeast. Growers 
across the State continued to work the soil and prepare equipment for the 
planting season.
                                                                                
Soil Moisture and Crop Condition Tables
                                                                                
    Soil moisture for week ending 04/29/07   
---------------------------------------------
         :  Very  :        :        :        
 Stratum : short  : Short  :Adequate:Surplus 
---------------------------------------------
         :              Percent              
         :                                   
Topsoil  :   0        3        54       43   
Subsoil  :   0        5        65       30   
---------------------------------------------
                                                                                
          Crop condition for week ending 04/29/07          
-----------------------------------------------------------
             :  Very  :        :        :        :         
     Crop    :  poor  :  Poor  :  Fair  :  Good  :Excellent
-----------------------------------------------------------
             :                   Percent                   
             :                                             
Pasture      :   0        8        26       57        9    
Winter Wheat :   3        9        31       45       12    
-----------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                
             Crop progress for week ending 04/29/07             
----------------------------------------------------------------
                            :  This  :  Last  :  Last  : 5-year 
            Crop            :  week  :  week  :  year  :average 
----------------------------------------------------------------
                            :              Percent              
                            :                                   
Barley, planted             :   18        6       49       36   
Corn, planted               :    9        3       28       21   
Oats, planted               :   57       28       76       64   
Oats, emerged               :   13       NA       35       25   
Potatoes, planted           :   21       18       29       17   
Soybeans, planted           :    2        1        7        5   
Sugarbeets, planted         :   75       40       86       82   
----------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                
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 04/29/07 1/                        
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               :                           :Cumulative growing:                                      
               :        Temperature        :  degree days 2/  :            Precipitation             
               :-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               :        :        :         :     :     :      :    :     :     :       :   Normal    
    Station    :        :        :Departure:     :     :      :This:Last :Last : Since :-------------
               :Maximum :Minimum :  from   :2007 :2006 :Normal:week: two :four :April 1: Since : For 
               :        :        : normal  :     :     :      :    :weeks:weeks:       :April 1:month
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ironwood       :   75       28                98   152         0.04 0.32  2.02   2.21                
Marquette      :   80       27                80   114         0.08 0.41  4.99   5.02                
Stephenson     :   74       30               107   164         0.08 0.08  1.11   1.51                
Western UP     :   84       27        5       96   126    71   0.04 0.26  1.84   2.03    2.19   2.28 
               :                                                                                     
Cornell        :   84       29                99   146         0.43 0.47  1.12   1.12                
Sault St Marie :   69       29                90    91         0.28 0.30  1.35   1.61                
Eastern UP     :   84       23        5       81   118    35   0.36 0.55  2.65   2.83    2.35   2.43 
               :                                                                                     
Beulah         :   75       36               100   175         1.02 1.44  2.52   2.66                
Lake City      :   74       33                94   154         1.04 1.46  3.03   3.09                
Old Mission    :   75       33                89   142         0.59 0.76  1.12   1.31                
Pellston       :   76       23               108   141         0.52 0.61  1.11   1.38                
Northwest      :   76       23        4       93   144    90   0.79 1.02  1.88   2.03    2.55   2.69 
               :                                                                                     
Alpena         :   78       34               104   117         1.47 1.82  3.36   3.56                
Houghton Lake  :   73       33               104   161         1.50 1.77  2.96   3.04                
Rogers City    :   76       32               102   121         1.15 1.37  2.64   2.79                
Northeast      :   78       25        5      105   143    82   1.22 1.47  2.93   3.08    2.43   2.52 
               :                                                                                     
Fremont        :   72       35               115   173         1.06 1.09  4.11   4.48                
Hart           :   72       35               106   163         0.99 1.12  3.11   3.45                
Muskegon       :   70       33               108   158         0.89 0.90  3.58   3.63                
West Central   :   73       33        3      109   175   111   0.90 1.01  5.02   5.22    2.98   3.16 
               :                                                                                     
Alma           :   77       40               128   198         0.86 0.89  2.47   2.61                
Big Rapids     :   71       36               108   190         0.30 0.32  1.49   1.88                
Central        :   77       35        4      117   190   125   0.57 0.59  2.16   2.46    2.89   3.07 
               :                                                                                     
Bad Axe        :   74       38                96   145         0.89 1.07  2.65   2.86                
Pigeon         :   74       36                92   140         0.93 1.22  2.55   2.76                
Saginaw        :   76       39               122   164         0.81 1.39  2.90   3.02                
Standish       :   76       34               115   172         1.11 1.67  3.43   3.58                
East Central   :   76       34        4      103   160   119   0.88 1.17  2.75   2.96    2.44   2.55 
               :                                                                                     
Fennville      :   75       34               118   177         1.81 1.82  3.55   3.94                
Grand Rapids   :   76       40               134   192         1.01 1.03  3.08   3.37                
Holland        :   77       38               147   190         2.12 2.12  4.18   4.41                
South Bend, IN :   79       37               166   221         3.04 3.04  4.45   4.45                
Watervliet     :   77       38               137   200         1.80 1.80  3.41   3.62                
Southwest      :   80       34        3      137   198   141   1.85 1.86  3.61   3.87    3.25   3.41 
               :                                                                                     
Belding        :   75       34               118   183         0.60 0.60  2.54   3.01                
Coldwater      :   76       38               134   187         1.28 1.28  2.54   2.84                
Lansing        :   75       41               134   189         1.40 1.40  2.57   2.67                
South Central  :   78        6        4      131   203   142   1.28 1.28  2.81   3.03    3.10   3.19 
               :                                                                                     
Detroit        :   79       45               158   201         1.20 1.20  1.94   1.97                
Flint          :   75       38               133   170         0.89 0.91  2.00   2.10                
Romeo          :   76       37               128   172         1.27 1.27  2.17   2.23                
Tipton         :   76       40               144   209         1.83 1.83  2.82   2.83                
Toledo,  OH    :   76       45               165   237         2.39 2.39  3.28   3.28                
Southeast      :   79       37        5      140   203   132   1.33 1.35  2.20   2.25    3.13   3.21 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.