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Harvest Moves Along at Rapid Pace


Published: Friday, November 1, 2024

The following is from the Michigan Field Office of USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service for the week ending Oct. 27.

Producers took advantage of ideal fieldwork conditions last week as harvest continued at a rapid pace. There were 6.3 days suitable for fieldwork.

Corn for grain harvest was 62% complete, up 17 percentage points from the previous week.

Soybean harvest reached 91% complete, advancing 11 points from the previous week.

Corn for grain and soybean moisture content were well below their respective five-year averages. Corn for grain moisture content at harvest was reported at 17%, down 6 percentage points from the five-year average.

Soybean moisture content was reported at 11%, down 4 points from the five-year average.

Winter wheat planting ended the week at 89% complete while sugarbeets progressed to 38% harvested.

Hay harvest was effectively winding down for the season, but there were reports of some producers taking a fifth cutting of alfalfa in south central Michigan.

Other activities included soil testing, planting cover crops, fall tillage, spreading manure and fertilizer, hauling hay, chopping alfalfa for haylage, alfalfa seeding, tending to livestock and farm planning for next year.

Fruit

Farmers were wrapping up apple harvest and preparing for fall weed management to control woody perennials in orchards.

The crop progress schedule (last week, previous week, 2023 and five-year average) showed: corn harvested for grain, 62, 45, 28, 35; soybeans harvested, 91, 80, 52, 60; winter wheat planted, 89, 77, 65, 79; winter wheat emerged, 65, 49, 54, 60; alfalfa hay, fourth cutting, 93, 83, 94, NA; other hay, fourth cutting, 47, 40, NA, NA; sugarbeets harvested, 38, 31, 29, 47.

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