Temperatures Approach Freezing
Published: Friday, October 20, 2023
The following is from the Michigan Field Office of USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service for the week ending Oct. 15.
Another week of cool and wet weather continued to slow crop harvest.
There were 3.4 days suitable for fieldwork.
Corn for grain and soybean moisture remained above the five-year average.
Winter wheat emergence benefitted from the precipitation throughout the week.
Corn for silage and sugarbeet harvest were the main activities for last week. Pastures remain in good to fair condition.
Other activities last week included tending livestock, baling hay and planting cover crops.
Fruit
Cool weather is here to stay, with reported temperatures approaching freezing. Much of the state received varying amounts of rain.
Fuji, Rome and IdaRed were the center of harvesting in the southwest Michigan area. A few Goldens and Red Delicious were finishing up.
Apples in southwest Michigan have been relatively free of bitter pit and disease problems thus far.
In the west central region, growers were harvesting Golden Delicious, Red Delicious and Mutsu. Some growers will be harvesting Idared soon, with Aztec Fuji to follow.
EverCrisp and Pink Lady were also mature and could be harvested for long-term harvest. Fruit for those varieties were still very firm.
Crop loads have been high this season, and crews have been working persistently to harvest and work through varieties.
In Grand Rapids, later season varieties like Evercrisp, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Mutsu and Fuji were mature. Jonagold and Ambrosia were being harvested.
In the Northwest, second pick Honeycrisp was ongoing, and Gala harvest was in full swing. All processing fruit is fair game for harvest now, too.
Topsoil moisture was rated very short, 1%; short, 4%; adequate, 82%; surplus, 13%.
Subsoil moisture was rated very short, 2%; short, 17%; adequate, 76%; surplus, 5%.
The crop progress schedule (last week, previous week, 2022 and five-year average) showed: corn mature, 74, 53, 84, 80; corn harvested for grain, 17, 13, 21, 20; corn harvested for silage, 89, 83, 92, 89; soybeans dropping leaves, 91, 87, 98, 95; soybeans harvested, 32, 17, 47, 38; winter wheat planted, 44, 27, 71, 58; winter wheat emerged, 26, 17, 35, 32; dry edible beans harvested, 88, 76, 87, 79; alfalfa hay, fourth cutting, 83, 75, 87, NA; other hay, third cutting, 89, 82, 99, 85; sugarbeets harvested, 20, 15, 33, 36.
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