Growers on Lookout for Diseases
Published: Friday, July 26, 2024
The following is from the Michigan Field Office of USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service for the week ending July 21.
Drier weather and warmer temperatures prevailed last week across the state. There were 5.3 days suitable for fieldwork.
Winter wheat was 71% harvested as producers took advantage of the dry weather.
Oats condition was rated 82% good to excellent as the crop reached 26% mature.
Warm temperatures accelerated corn progress last week; nearly half the crop was silking.
Fungicide and insecticide applications continued in sugarbeets, soybeans and dry edible beans. Ideal conditions finally favored much needed hay harvest.
Other activities last week included scouting, planting cover crops, baling wheat straw, hauling manure, and tending to livestock.
Fruit
Last week was warm and humid which had farmers concerned about a potential uptick in fungal and disease pressure. Farmers in the West Central and Northern Lower Peninsula were hoping for rain.
Apple harvest for most varieties was predicted to begin a week or more earlier than normal.
Tart cherry harvest was nearly complete in the Southwest and continued in the West Central and Northwest, with harvest in the Northwest expected to especially heavy in the coming week.
Vegetables
Disease pressure remained elevated due to warm temperatures and high humidity. Producers continued to be vigilant for cucurbit downy mildew disease in cucumbers and melons.
Phytophthora capsici caused additional losses in squash and cucumber crops. Hard squash and watermelons were setting fruit. Garlic, salad mixes, and celery were hitting the market.
Tomato and pepper harvest was underway; plants were doing well in the ample rain but so were diseases.
Growers were switching to main season varieties for sweet corn planting.
Topsoil moisture was rated very short, 0%; short, 17%; adequate, 66%; surplus, 17%.
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 silking, 48, 31, 24, 32; corn dough, 2, 0, 1, 2; soybeans blooming, 62, 46, 45, 51; soybeans setting pods, 22, 10, 11, 18; winter wheat mature, 97, 91, 76, 82; winter wheat harvested, 71, 50, 42, 45; dry edible beans blooming, 37, 29, 13, 29; dry edible beans setting pods, 15, 0, 0, 4; alfalfa hay, second cutting, 66, 57, 52, 57; alfalfa hay, third cutting, 5, NA, 1, 2; other hay, first cutting, 97, 91, 100, 94; other hay, second cutting, 29, 19, 24, 30; other hay, third cutting, 1, NA, 0, 0; oats headed, 98, 94, 65, 85; oats mature, 26, 21, 6, 18; oats harvested, 12, 1, 0, 1.
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