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.