Field Crops
Many areas across the State experienced much needed rainfall, according to Marlo Johnson, Director of the Great Lakes Regional Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service. There were 5.2 days suitable for fieldwork in Michigan during the week ending July 19, 2020.
Generally, soil moisture levels remained adequate across the State although subsoil moisture was beginning to decrease in some areas. Several reporters detailed improvements in crop conditions as a result of precipitation throughout the week.
Corn and soybean fields were showing improving conditions as some crop stress was alleviated by rainfall. 53 percent of the corn is rated good to excellent and 56 percent of soybeans are rated good to excellent.
Wheat harvest made significant progress as oats and barley continued to head out. 46 percent of wheat is harvested, 29 percent ahead of last week. 76 percent of wheat is mature. Nearly all oats are headed at 95 percent, up 11 from last week.
The first cutting of hay neared completion at 88 percent as growers continued to make progress on the second, 29 percent. Other activities included scouting, spraying herbicides, and assessing crop marketing strategies.
Fruit
Summer fruit harvest continued. The week was warm which allowed for a lot of growing degree accumulation. Overall, soils remained dry and growers irrigated where necessary.
Early peach varieties were harvested in the Southwest. In the East, peaches were between 1.5 and 1.875 inches. Pit hardening was complete. Some growers found their crop was still too heavy so they continued to hand thin.
Tart cherry harvest was complete in the Southwest and began in the Northwest.
Apples in the Southwest ranged from 1.5 to 2 inches. In the East, apples continued to size well. Hand thinning continued there. On the Ridge, apples were between 25 and 30 millimeters and were sizing quickly.
Blueberry harvest continued in the Southwest and West Central. Duke and other early variety harvest continued with growers reporting good berry size and excellent quality.
Vegetables
Harvest of early sweet corn began in the South. Cole crops were harvested in the Southeast followed by timely crop residue destruction. Some disease pressure had been reported in cauliflower and Brussel sprouts in the area.
Dry weather allowed for final plantings of many remaining transplanted and direct seeded crops.
Carrot growers introduced fungicide programs in the West Central region.
Vine crop growers continued scouting activities for insects and disease, and in Southwest, harvest began for early cantaloupe. Treatment for downy mildew was ongoing in cucumber and melon fields, as additional cases have been reported in Michigan, as well as, Ohio and Canada.
