News

Fire risk, hail, and continued crop stress

Crop growth started to show signs of delayed development in Michigan last week because of the dry weather.

As of last Sunday, the USDA says just one percent of soybeans have started to bloom with 23 percent in good to excellent condition while corn is rated at 28 percent.  Dry beans are 86 percent planted and 74 percent emerged with the crop rated 51 percent good to excellent.

Winter wheat condition dropped to 31 percent good to excellent with five percent mature. 

A cool front brought much-needed rain to some fruit-growing regions but some hail damage was reported in the southeast.  Vegetable growers reported signs of heat stress and hail damage in some areas. 

Fire conditions over the past week improved somewhat to “high” in the Upper Peninsula and ‘very high” in the Lower Peninsula.