The following is from the Michigan Field Office of USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service for the week ending Sept. 1.
Warm temperatures and dry conditions across the state moved corn and soybeans closer to maturity. There were 5.8 days suitable for fieldwork.
Oat harvest was nearly complete. Two percent of corn fields were rated mature last week while 6% of the crop had been harvested for silage.
Last week, soybeans and dry beans dropping leaves reached 10% and 29%, respectively. Dry bean harvest was anticipated to begin in a couple of weeks.
Sugarbeet harvest was underway with early campaign beets being accepted on an as needed basis at the sugar plants. Growers and buyers have been pleased with the yields and quality for Michigan's potato crop.
Hay harvest slowed as a second week of limited moisture slowed regrowth.
Other activities last week included scouting for pests, planting cover crops, baling straw, hauling hay, chopping alfalfa for silage, alfalfa seeding and tending to livestock.
Fruit
Very warm weather last week pushed fruit maturity. Honeycrisp was maturing rapidly. Growers were hoping for cooler nights to help with fruit coloring.
In the Southwest, Gala for fresh market were harvested. Jonathan and Empire for taffy apples were harvested.
On the Ridge, early Fuji's were moving into their harvest window. Gala and McIntosh were harvested. Honeycrisp harvest for controlled atmosphere storage were harvested.
In the West Central, early strains of Honeycrisp and Minneiska harvest was wrapping up. Growers began to harvest Gala.
In the Northwest, harvest of early strains of Honeycrisp and Ginger Gold began. Gala in the Northwest were reported to be smaller than anticipated in some orchards.
Vegetables
Some Michigan vegetable producers were concluding their growing season, while others continued with fall plantings.
New plantings of cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower were going in for fall harvest.
Producers applied fungicides to carrots and celery where necessary, since high dewpoints and warm temperatures encouraged disease.
Pumpkins were reported to be ripening early; meanwhile, larger quantities of cucumbers, squash and zucchini were hitting the market.
Late plantings of tomatoes and peppers were going in as producers managed disease and insect pressures.
Sweet corn harvest continued, with some farms wrapping up the season.
Topsoil moisture was rated very short, 9%; short, 25%; adequate, 63%; surplus, 3%.
Subsoil moisture was rated very short, 6%; short, 19%; adequate, 70%; surplus, 5%.
The crop progress schedule (last week, previous week, 2023 and five-year average) showed: corn dough, 88, 72, 74, 79; corn dented, 49, 29, 38, 38; corn mature, 2, 0, 2, 3; corn harvested for silage, 6, 1, 12, 10; soybeans dropping leaves, 10, 3, 6, 8; dry edible beans setting pods, 96, 89, 85, 92; dry edible beans dropping leaves, 29, 15, 25, 30; alfalfa hay, third cutting, 75, 65, 71, 70; alfalfa hay, fourth cutting, 28, 13, 22, 11; other hay, second cutting, 98, 91, 89, 89; other hay, third cutting, 44, 34, 41, 38; other hay, fourth cutting, 4, 1, 0, 1; oats harvested, 97, 91, 68, 83; sugarbeets harvested, 4, 0, 0, 1.