Another Slow Week for Fieldwork
Published: Friday, October 27, 2023
The following is from the Michigan Field Office of USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service for the week ending Oct. 22.
Field crop harvest limped along due to another week of wet and cool weather. There were 2.7 days suitable for fieldwork.
Sugarbeet harvest was slow due to muddy conditions and temperatures that were too warm for long term piling.
Corn for grain and soybean moisture content remained above their respective five-year averages.
Corn for grain moisture content at harvest was reported at 27%, up 5 percentage points from the 5-year average.
Soybean moisture content was reported at 16%, up 1 point from the 5-year average.
Corn for silage and dry bean harvest neared completion.
Winter wheat planting was largely delayed because of delays in the soybean and dry bean harvest.
Other activities last week included tending livestock, hauling grain and planting cover crops.
Fruit
Fall colors are radiant and the apple harvest continued. In the Southwest, the apple harvest focused on Evercrisp, Rome and Braeburn apples. Fruit quality was generally good this year with little or no watercore. Weather has been favorable for harvesting.
The Ridge was approaching the end of apple harvest, with only a few late varieties left to harvest.
In the West Central, growers harvested Idared, Mutsu and Fuji. EverCrisp and Pink Lady were also mature and harvested for long-term storage. EverCrisp and Pink Lady were still very firm, and sugars were excellent.
The crop progress schedule (last week, previous week, 2022 and five-year average) showed: corn mature, 86, 74, 92, 88; corn harvested for grain, 24, 17, 29, 30; corn harvested for silage, 94, 89, 97, 94; soybeans dropping leaves, 96, 91, 100, 97; soybeans harvested, 43, 32, 61, 53; winter wheat planted, 56, 44, 83, 74; winter wheat emerged, 44, 26, 55, 48; dry edible beans harvested, 93, 88, 94, 88; alfalfa hay, fourth cutting, 90, 83, 92, NA; other hay, third cutting, 96, 89, 100, 89; sugarbeets harvested, 22, 20, 40, 43.
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