Warmer Temperatures Invade Area
Published: Friday, May 19, 2023
The following is from the Michigan Field Office of USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service for the week ending May 14.
A break in precipitation allowed fields to dry out and for fieldwork to pick up rapidly throughout most of the state.
There were 5.2 days suitable for fieldwork.
Sugarbeets emergence is ahead of historical averages.
Winter wheat has shown improvement after an abnormal winter and remained in mostly good to fair condition.
Warm days have increased soil temperatures, speeding up emergence for oats, barley, corn and soybeans.
Producers reported topsoil and subsoil moisture finally declining in fields and pastures after a very wet spring.
Other activities during the week included fertilizing and tillage.
Fruit
Pollination was forefront on grower's minds. The warmup last week ramped up honeybee activity and had hives buzzing. Farmers hoped the warm weather would encourage pollinator activity to help with pollination.
For apples, return bloom was higher than expected in 2023 considering a heavy crop last year. In the North, minor damage due to frosts and freezes in apples was reported; on average, one flower out of a cluster of five was impacted. The potential for a good apple crop still exists.
In the Southwest, apples ranged from full bloom to 5 mm in diameter. In the Southeast, apples were mostly at full bloom. Apple varieties in the North were at pink while the West Central ranged from pink to bloom.
In the Northwest, the warmer weather has accelerated tart cherry bloom and some early varieties were expected to be at petal fall by the end of the week. Some growers reported damage in tarts, but overall, most reports were favorable for a good crop.
Tart cherries were in bloom in the West Central, full bloom in the Southeast, and were in shuck in the Southwest.
In the West Central and Southeast, peaches were at bloom to petal fall. In the Southwest, peach growth stages ranged from petal fall to in the shuck. Swelling of developing fruit and drop of unsuccessful flowers were becoming evident.
In the Southeast, blueberries were at late pink bud. In the Southwest, blueberry leaf buds had opened. One to two leaves were visible. Fruit buds were separating. Bloom was beginning.
Vegetables
Warmer temperatures allowed Michigan vegetable producers to make substantial progress on their planting activities. Among the crops slated for planting were cucumbers, summer squash and melons.
Pickle field work had begun for initial plantings, while sweet corn planting was picking up.
Early carrot sowings were up, and greenhouse tomatoes were at or near first harvest, with some early field plantings already starting.
Asparagus pickings were underway in the Southwest, with harvest in the West Central region on the horizon.
Pest presence was detected on cabbages in certain locations, prompting growers to take action to protect their vegetable crops.
Topsoil moisture was rated very short, 0%; short, 5%; adequate, 86%; surplus, 9%.
Subsoil moisture was rated very short, 1%; short, 8%; adequate, 84%; surplus, 7%.
The crop progress schedule (last week, previous week, 2022 and 5-year average) showed: corn planted, 31, 6, 27, 37; corn emerged, 3, 0, 2, 6; soybeans planted, 33, 15, 29, 31; soybeans emerged, 2, 1, 2, 5; winter wheat jointing, 58, 42, 74, 59; winter wheat headed, 4, 1, 1, 1; barley planted, 20, 11, 16, 33; barley emerged, 5, 1, 3, 11; oats planted, 52, 33, 56, 64; oats emerged, 15, 10, 22, 35; sugarbeets planted, 95, 85, 86, 84; sugarbeets emerged, 60, 30, 39, 42.
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