Crop Harvest Ahead of Schedule
Published: Friday, October 11, 2024
The following is from the Michigan Field Office of USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service for the week ending Oct. 6.
Above average temperatures and sparse precipitation last week helped keep crop harvest ahead of schedule. There were 6.3 days suitable for fieldwork.
Corn harvested for grain made gains as 18% of the crop had been harvested, six points above the five-year average.
Soybean producers made very good harvest progress last week; 40% of the crop has already been harvested, much higher than both last year and the five-year average.
Dry bean harvest was nearly complete.
Early campaign sugarbeet harvest continued. Dry weather in September and October made harvest challenging and had some growers concerned about the potential for reduced yields. Sugar content remained very good.
Potato harvest continued with growers generally happy with yield and quality.
Growers seeding hay and wheat were concerned about lack of moisture needed for germination.
Other activities last week included planting cover crops, spreading manure and fertilizer, hauling hay, chopping alfalfa for haylage, alfalfa seeding, fall tillage, tending to livestock and farm planning for next year.
Fruit
Apple harvest began to wind down. Above average temperatures promoted quick ripening. Some growers were waiting to harvest later season varieties so that size and brix metrics were better.
Growers have had a challenging harvest season to date because so many varieties were ready for harvest simultaneously.
Only a few Fuji, Braeburn and Evercrisp remain to be picked in the Southwest.
In the West Central, Idared, Ambrosia, Mutsu, Red and Golden Delicious were harvested. Northern Spy, Aztec, Fuji, EverCrisp and Pink Lady will be next.
In the North, Honeycrisp and McIntosh were harvested. Growers were harvesting Gala there where the color and quality has been good.
Topsoil moisture was rated very short, 16%; short, 38%; adequate, 45%; surplus, 1%.
Subsoil moisture was rated very short, 16%; short, 37%; adequate, 46%; surplus, 1%.
The crop progress schedule (last week, previous week, 2023 and five-year average) showed: corn mature, 85, 69, 48, 60; corn harvested for grain, 18, 9, 11, 12; corn harvested for silage, 87, 76, 78, 78; soybeans dropping leaves, 97, 87, 83, 86; soybeans harvested, 40, 24, 14, 21; winter wheat planted, 44, 26, 23, 37; winter wheat emerged, 15, 7, 14, 17; dry edible beans harvested, 94, 84, 69, 62; alfalfa hay, fourth cutting, 61, 56, 72, NA; other hay, third cutting, 85, 70, 80, 78; other hay, fourth cutting, 23, 20, NA, NA; sugarbeets harvested, 22, 19, 15, 27.
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