Warmth Pushes Fruit Development
Published: Friday, April 21, 2023
The following is from the Michigan Field Office of USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service for the week ending April 16.
Unseasonably warm temperatures allowed fieldwork to begin across much of the state. There were 4.8 days suitable for fieldwork.
According to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor, areas in Shiawassee, Genesee, Lapeer, Oakland and Macomb counties were considered abnormally dry, but approximately 97% of the state experienced no drought conditions.
The Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula experienced above average temperatures followed by snowfall, planting is still on hold for these areas.
Further south, producers continued to report an abundance of moisture in fields and pastures.
The warm weather has helped with winter wheat growth, and planting has begun for oats, barley, sugarbeets and soybeans.
Other activities during the week included fertilizing where conditions allowed, spring tillage and tending livestock.
Fruit
Warm temperatures pushed fruit development. In the Northwest, all fruit remained dormant except sweet cherry, which was at side green. In the South and West Central, tart and sweet cherry buds ranged from bud swell to side green.
In West Central, apple varieties in Oceana County ranged from dormant to silver tip. Early varieties such as Zestar and IdaRed showed signs of bud swell and green tip, but most buds remained dormant in the region.
In the South, Zestar, IdaRed and Macintosh were at .5-inch green in Berrien County, with other varieties ranging from silver tip to first green tip.
In West Central, early peaches showed signs of bud swell and side green.
In the South, peach fruit buds were at red calyx to early bloom. Blueberry buds were swollen. Fruit buds were beginning to separate in some early varieties in advanced locations.
The crop progress schedule (last week, previous week, 2022 and 5-year average) showed: soybeans planted, 1, 0, 0, 0; winter wheat jointing, 6, 1, 3, 11; barley planted, 2, 0, 0, 3; oats planted, 5, 0, 2, 14; sugarbeets planted, 39, 0, 0, 19.
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