News

Michigan crop conditions decline

Warmer weather helped most Michigan producers catch up on field work.  The drier conditions in the Northwest allowed fruit producers to continue fungicide applications and further south increased moisture helped apples, peaches, pears, and plums size rapidly.

According to the latest weekly crop report corn condition declined slightly with 67 percent rated good to excellent and 2 percent of the crop is silking.  Sixty-five percent of soybeans are in good to excellent condition, a 4 percent drop from last week with 23 percent blooming at 3 percent setting pods.  Dry beans condition declined 14 percent this week as just 31 percent of the crop is rated good to excellent and 89 percent of the crop has emerged.  Sugar beet condition is up 3 percent at 70 percent good to excellent.

Harvest has started for early varieties of peaches, tart cherries, blueberries, summer red raspberries and black raspberries.  Sweet cherry harvest continued in the southern counties and strawberry harvest is nearly complete.  Watermelons and cantaloupes have started setting fruit.  Concord and Niagara grapes are at berry touch and wine grapes are between buckshot and berry touch-sized fruit.

Harvest is underway for zucchini and yellow squash and fresh market tomatoes are headed to market.