Corn, Soybean Condition Improves
Published: Friday, July 30, 2021
The following is from the Michigan Field Office of USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service for the week ending July 25.
Adequate rainfall events occurred across a majority of the state as growing conditions improved. There were 4.9 days suitable for fieldwork.
Drought conditions decreased in most areas due to continued precipitation. Only 7 percent of the state is in moderate to severe drought, with the driest areas being the eastern half of the Upper Peninsula and the counties surrounding Saginaw Bay in the eastern central Lower Peninsula.
Corn condition improved with 82 percent of the crop currently rated in good to excellent condition. Seventy-eight percent of the crop was in the silking stage as pollination continued to trend well ahead of schedule.
Soybean condition also improved significantly with 72 percent of the crop now rated good to excellent. Idyllic conditions have contributed to rapid setting of pods, with 49 percent of the crop entering this stage.
Dry bean conditions showed drastic improvement with 79 percent of the crop now rated good to excellent.
Winter wheat harvest continued well ahead of average with 83 percent of the crop threshed thus far.
Hay producers worked on second cuttings as conditions allowed; early third cuttings began in some areas.
Other activities included crop scouting, hay hauling, fungicide spraying, and mid-season equipment maintenance.
Fruit
Tart cherry harvest was in full swing in the Northwest and nearly complete in the rest of the state. Some growers found a few more cherries than they had been anticipating. Tart cherry quality was excellent. Size was very good despite mid-season dry weather.
Powdery mildew pressure in both apples and cherries was higher than normal due to the hot, dry spring. Apple size has responded very favorably to recent rainy days.
Peach harvest continued in the Southwest with growers harvesting varieties in the Garnet Beauty line. Red flesh was common in those varieties with dark flesh. Peach harvest near Grand Rapids was expected to begin soon.
Blueberry harvest continued. In the Southwest, growers harvested Bluecrop. Fruit size and quality have been excellent. Growers continued to maintain cover for anthracnose and alternaria, as well as, spotted wing drosophila.
Vegetables
Disease pressure was high for a number of vegetable crops throughout the state, including asparagus and carrots. Rots were present in cabbages, zucchini and hard squash while blights were damaging pepper plants on some farms. Insect presence was reported in celery and sweet corn fields.
Melons were close to harvest while tip over had occurred on some early sweet onions. Fruit of various sizes were reported on pumpkins in several locations.
Pickling cucumber plantings had been completed and harvests were beginning, with downy mildew being reported in several fields in the East. Growers were monitoring fields and treating with fungicides where possible.
Forecast for potato late blight was at high risk for most of the state.
Topsoil moisture was rated very short, 1 percent; short, 12 percent; adequate, 70 percent; surplus, 17 percent.
Subsoil moisture was rated very short, 1 percent; short, 14 percent; adequate, 77 percent; surplus, 8 percent.
The crop progress schedule (last week, previous week, 2020 and 5-year average) showed: corn silking, 78, 42, 61, 47; corn dough, 2, 0, 3, 2; soybeans blooming, 81, 63, 70, 62; soybeans setting pods, 49, 28, 34, 25; winter wheat mature, 98, 92, 93, 92; winter wheat harvested, 83, 47, 73, 68; barley headed, 90, 80, 77, NA; barley mature, 24, 13, NA, NA; dry beans blooming, 89, 26, 37, 33; dry beans setting pods, 43, 4, NA, NA; alfalfa hay, second cutting, 74, 69, 75, 63; alfalfa hay, third cutting, 8, 2, NA, NA; other hay, second cutting, 51, 30, 36, 38; other hay, third cutting, 1, 0, NA, NA; oats headed, 100, 92, 99, 94; oats mature, 58, 23, 48, NA; oats harvested, 2, 0, NA, NA.
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