Ideal Weather for Silage Harvest
Published: Friday, September 20, 2024
The following is from the Michigan Field Office of USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service for the week ending Sept. 15.
Hot, dry conditions last week fostered corn and soybean maturity. There were 6.9 days suitable for fieldwork.
Corn for grain and soybean harvests began in earnest. Winter wheat planting picked up speed with some growers waiting to begin until after some precipitation was received.
Dry edible bean harvest made headway; 17% of the crop was harvested, 10 points higher than the 5-year average.
Sugarbeet harvest continued with early campaign beets harvested to meet immediate plant need.
Michigan chip potato producers continued harvest, with most happy with yields and quality.
Conditions remained good for harvesting hay and corn silage.
Other activities last week included preparing for harvest, scouting for pests, planting cover crops, hauling hay, chopping alfalfa for silage, alfalfa seeding, fall tillage and tending to livestock.
Fruit
Apple harvest in the Southwest focused on Jonagold and Honeycrisp. Apple maturation slowed. In the Southeast, growers were on second picks of Honeycrisp. They were on first picks of Empire.
In the West Central, Gala, Honeycrisp and September Wonder Fuji harvest was underway. Tests showed Jonagold was mature, and Empire was not far behind.
In the Northwest, growers were gearing up for major variety harvest to begin soon.
Vegetables
Favorable weather conditions facilitated harvest and fall planting activities. Producers began harvesting pumpkins, while melon and sweet corn harvest continued. Fall plantings of leafy greens and brassicas continued.
Cucumber supply to market was steady, while yellow squash supply was up and zucchini supply was down. Some producers were struggling with bacterial soft rots and black speck in broccoli and cauliflower.
Topsoil moisture was rated very short, 30%; short, 31%; adequate, 39%; surplus, 0%.
Subsoil moisture was rated very short, 22%; short, 32%; adequate, 45%; surplus, 1%.
The crop progress schedule (last week, previous week, 2023 and five-year average) showed: corn dented, 80, 66, 67, 68; corn mature, 26, 8, 16, 19; corn harvested for grain, 2, 0, 1, 1; corn harvested for silage, 39, 15, 33, 36; soybeans dropping leaves, 48, 26, 27, 40; soybeans harvested, 2, 0, 1, 1; winter wheat planted, 10, 2, 2, 4; dry edible beans dropping leaves, 82, 59, 71, 75; dry edible beans harvested, 17, 2, 5, 7; alfalfa hay, third cutting, 86, 82, 87, 82; alfalfa hay, fourth cutting, 45, 39, 51, NA; other hay, third cutting, 60, 54, 65, 58; other hay, fourth cutting, 13, 10, NA, NA; sugarbeets harvested, 10, 5, 6, 11.
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