Moisture Content Still Too High for Corn, Soybeans
Published: Friday, November 1, 2019
The following is from the Michigan Field Office of USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service for the week ending Oct. 27.
Cool temperatures and high amounts of precipitation slowed harvest progress in most parts of the state. There were 4.1 days suitable for fieldwork.
A killing frost was reported in Lapeer County, with reporters noting that some fields were never able to reach full maturity.
The corn grain and silage harvest continued. The estimated moisture content of the grain harvested was 26 percent, still fairly high for this time of year.
The soybean harvest continued to lag behind the five-year average. The estimated moisture content of the grain harvested was 15 percent, showing no significant dry-down over the week. Reporters noted that yields continued to be below average in most parts of the state.
The sugarbeet harvest finally began to speed up in the Thumb; yields were reported to be looking fairly good.
Pasture and range conditions declined due to flooding, which resulted in more livestock being put on supplemental feeding.
Other activities included the planting of winter wheat where the weather permitted.
Fruit
Apple harvest was nearly complete in Michigan. Growers harvested Red Delicious, Fuji and Crispin last week. The only fruit left to be harvested was very late ripening varieties and those varieties were anticipated to be harvested soon.
Topsoil moisture was rated very short, 0 percent; short, 1 percent; adequate, 44 percent; surplus, 55 percent.
Subsoil moisture was rated very short, 1 percent; short, 3 percent; adequate, 55 percent; surplus, 41 percent.
The crop progress schedule (last week, previous week, 2018 and 5-year average) showed: corn, dented 96, 92, 100, 100; corn, mature 75, 62, 99, 95; corn, harvested for grain 21, 14, 44, 39; corn, harvested for silage 86, 73, 99, 96; soybeans, dropping leaves 95, 90, 99, 99; soybeans, harvested 51, 37, 62, 66; winter wheat, planted 78, 65, 79, 84; winter wheat, emerged 54, 35, 46, 63; dry beans, harvested 79, 68, 91, 91; sugarbeets, harvested 41, 23, 56, 51.
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