Corn Planting Advances in Michigan
Published: Friday, May 10, 2024
The following is from the Michigan Field Office of USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service for the week ending May 5.
Rain slowed fieldwork across the state. There were 3.9 days suitable for fieldwork.
Sugarbeet and oat planting progress were going well and were ahead of the five-year average.
Corn and soybean planting progress was moving along with corn ahead of the five-year average and soybeans slightly behind the five-year average.
Winter wheat producers were monitoring fields for disease outbreaks. Pastures and forage crops were doing well.
Other activities included scouting, tillage, fertilizing and herbicide applications.
Fruit
Despite cold weather early in the week, fruit crop development was still between one and two weeks ahead of normal. Southwest Michigan received a significant frost and damage occurred. Growers were assessing the damage.
Warmer weather late in the week aided pollinator activity. Commercial honeybee and bumble hives will continue to arrive over the next few weeks to help pollinate apples and cherries.
In the Southwest, apples ranged from full bloom to 5 mm diameter. Early season varieties were in full bloom on the Ridge and in the Southeast.
Fruit development moved quickly with tart cherries in the shuck in the Southwest. In the Northwest, tart cherries were in bud burst. In the Southeast, they were in first white.
In the Southwest, peaches were also in the shuck with the fruit tip emerging in parts of the region and at petal fall in other parts. In the Southeast, peaches ranged from first to full bloom.
In the Southeast, blueberries were at early pink.
Vegetables
Warm weather allowed Michigan vegetable producers to continue to make progress on fieldwork and plantings.
Asparagus harvest began in the Southwest and was expected to begin soon in the West Central region.
Cabbage and celery continued to be transplanted, and cabbage maggot flies were reported on volunteer turnips and transplanted cauliflower.
Processing carrots were germinating on the west side of the state and were anticipated to emerge soon; planting began in the East.
Potatoes were up and beginning to grow. Producers were finishing onion transplanting, and those that had been previously transplanted were growing leaves.
Topsoil moisture was rated very short, 0%; short, 2%; adequate, 70%; surplus, 28%.
Subsoil moisture was rated very short, 0%; short, 4%; adequate, 74%; surplus, 22%.
The crop progress schedule (last week, previous week, 2023 and five-year average) showed: corn planted, 16, 4, 5, 13; corn emerged, 0, 0, 0,1; soybeans planted, 13, 7, 12, 16; soybeans emerged, 3, 0, 1, 1; winter wheat jointing, 66, 53, 36, 44; oats planted, 54, 43, 31, 45; oats emerged, 26, 14, 9, 21; sugarbeets planted, 75, 49, 82, 62; sugarbeets emerged, 50, 17, 26, 28.
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