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Michigan Oat Planting Lags, But Emergence Ahead of Average
Michigan Ag Connection - 05/22/2018

There were 3.3 days suitable for fieldwork in Michigan during the week ending Sunday, according to Marlo Johnson, director of the Great Lakes Regional Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service. Warm and mostly dry weather in northern and some areas of central Michigan allowed producers to make good fieldwork progress. Many fields in southern Michigan were reportedly very wet from frequent rains which slowed planting progress. Despite challenges due to wet conditions in some areas, corn and soybean planting progress advanced 16 and 11 percentage points, respectively.

Corn planting reached the half-way point of completion.

Oat and barley seeding made steady progress. Oat planting progress remained behind the previous year and 5-year average, but emergence surpassed the previous year average.

Sugarbeet planting was coming to an end while the crop was over 50 percent emerged.

Winter wheat development was boosted by the warm temperatures, but the crop was showing signs of moisture stress in some areas of southern Michigan.

Hay was showing growth after a slow start, but producers have yet to begin first cutting. Other activities during the week included applying herbicides and fertilizers, and performing spring tillage operations.

Continued warm temperatures have moved the season closer to normal, but most fruit growing areas remained three to six days behind normal in terms of growing degree-day totals. Wet weather early in the week in the West Central and Southwest made disease management more challenging, especially in apples and blueberries.

Apricots have emerged from the shuck while peaches ranged from petal fall to fruit in the shuck.

Sweet cherries were in bloom in the Northwest, at petal fall in central counties, and in the shuck in southern counties. Tart cherries were in tight cluster to full bloom in the Northwest and were in late bloom to petal fall in central and southern counties.

Japanese plums were in the shuck while European plums were at petal fall.

Apples were in bloom everywhere except the Northwest where most varieties were at tight cluster.

Pears ranged from white bud in the Northwest to full bloom in the East and late bloom in the Southwest.

Juice grapes had about 1 to 3 inches of shoot growth with two leaves out while wine grapes ranged from bud swell for vinifera to past bud burst for hybrids.

Blueberries were at pink bud for most varieties in most areas except early varieties were beginning bloom in the Southwest. Growers in the Southwest reported flooded fields from the previous weekend's rains, adding challenges to disease management.

Strawberry flower trusses continued to emerge from the crown, with a few early varieties blooming. Raspberries continued to emerge from the soil with flower trusses visible on early summer varieties.

Tomato and Cole crop planting was delayed in the Southeast due to rainfall.

Asparagus harvest in the Southwest was also slowed due to weather with heavy precipitation reported across the region.

Early planted sweet corn was around 2 inches tall as planting for later harvests continued.

Hops made good progress with some yards showing growth around 3 feet tall.

Cucumber and pepper planting started in Flint area hoop houses.

Lettuce, kale, and spinach were being harvested for area farmers markets.

Potato planting was ongoing in most major growing regions as weather permitted.


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