Apple Harvest Picks Up, as Storms Soak Michigan
Published: Friday, September 20, 2019
The following is from the Michigan Field Office of USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service for the week ending Sept. 15.
Storms curtailed fieldwork across most of the state. There were 4 days suitable for fieldwork.
Heavy rainfall was prevalent in regions across the Lower Peninsula, with downpours and high winds in some areas.
Despite receiving much-needed precipitation, producers continued to express concerns toward crop conditions. Spotters noted that some corn fields continued to look short, and certain soybean fields were still struggling to fill pods.
Some farmers also started to harvest immature corn fields for silage. The sugarbeet harvest continued in the Thumb.
Progress was slowed due to the wet weather, and yields were reported to be variable. Pasture and range conditions improved slightly due to the wet weather.
Other activities included the planting of winter wheat and other cover crops where the weather permitted.
Vegetables
Carrot and potato harvest continued in most major growing areas. Across the state, producers are preparing for plantings of fall cover crops and starting on other post-season activities. There have been no know reports of Phytophthora Infestans (Late blight) in Michigan to date.
Fruit
Apple harvest in southern Michigan picked up. Growers picked McIntosh, Paula Red and Gingergold heavily. Gala, Honeycrisp and other early apples were harvested for the fresh market. Jonathans and Empires were harvested for the taffy market. Apples were harvested for processing.
Codling moth, oriental fruit moth and obliquebanded leafroller remained pests of economic concern and growers were controlling them where necessary on later harvested varieties.
Blueberry harvest was wrapping up or complete on farms. Growers irrigated to maintain good plant growth.
Topsoil moisture was rated very short, 3 percent; short, 12 percent; adequate, 65 percent; surplus, 20 percent.
Subsoil moisture was rated very short, 3 percent; short, 24 percent; adequate, 60 percent; surplus, 13 percent.
The crop progress schedule (last week, previous week, 2018 and 5-year average) showed: corn, dough 80, 69, 94, 93; corn, dented 41, 26, 78, 71; corn, mature 3, 0, 24, 19; corn, harvested for silage 6, 3, 44, 27; soybeans, setting pods 92, 89, 99, 100; soybeans, dropping leaves 17, 3, 36, 34; winter wheat, planted 3, 0, 3, 3; barley, harvested 60, 57, 99, NA; dry beans, setting pods 96, 90, 99, 97; dry beans, dropping leaves 51, 19, 66, 63; alfalfa hay, third cutting 58, 55, 78, 74; other hay, second cutting 80, 75, NA, NA; other hay, third cutting 27, 23, 56, 49; oats, harvested 83, 81, 99, 95; sugarbeets, harvested 4, 1, 17, 11.
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