Spring fieldwork is still ahead of schedule across most of Michigan, but cool and wet conditions slowed planting progress during the past week.

Dan Ledbury, agricultural statistician with the Michigan Field Office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service, said the state’s warm weather and favorable soil conditions this spring helped farmers get ahead with spring fieldwork, but recent rains have left standing water in some areas and slowed planting progress across much of the state.

“Planting has slowed down a lot because it has been wet,” Ledbury said.

According to the agricultural summary for the week ending May 16, 81 percent of Michigan’s corn crop is planted, an 11-percent increase over the five-year average of 70 percent and a dramatic increase from just 38 percent planted at this time last year. Of that, 45 percent of the state’s corn crop is emerged, up from 25 percent one week ago and far ahead of the 5 percent reported at this time last year. The five-year average for corn emergence is 23 percent.
Soybean planting was almost at a standstill during the past week, with 36 percent of the crop planted as compared to 35 percent two weeks ago. Last year at this time, only 14 percent of the state’s soybean crop was in the ground, and all figures are off of the five-year average of 40 percent typically planted by late May.

Widespread frost was reported two days last week. “Damage is expected, but the extent of it is still unknown,” the agricultural summary stated.

“Early planted fields were nipped by frost and combined with cold and wet conditions were yellowed. Most were expected to recover with warmer temperatures,” the agricultural summary stated. “Soybeans planted prior to the cool wet weather have not emerged on many fields. Frost did not appear to do too much damage to early emerging fields.”

Precipitation varied throughout the state during the last week from 0.11 inches in the eastern Upper Peninsula to 2.08 inches in the southwest Lower Peninsula. Some farmers reported that heavy rains shut down fieldwork for the week.

Planting of oats and barley also is nearing completion and farmers reported that their stands are in good shape.

Wheat also is progressing with a few reports of powdery mildew and some unevenness in stands. Alfalfa height ranged from 14 to 18 inches tall, but growth has slowed due to cool conditions. Farmers in southeast Michigan reported that harvest of first cutting alfalfa should get under way when the soil dries out.

By Shelly Strautz-Springborn
Michigan Correspondent

Tennessee

While farmers in West and Middle Tennessee continue to dry out from flooding earlier in the month, they still have a hard row to hoe.

By the middle of the month water levels had receded in much of the affected areas of Tennessee, but many acres of farmland were still under water and not in condition for planting crops or harvesting hay, according to the NASS.

“The farther we are getting away from the time of the storms, the more we are realizing its effects. Much bottom ground is still flooded and is pushing us more into soybean acreage,” Lauderdale County Agent James Griffin said.

Adding to the devastation of the floods were rains that hit West and Middle Tennessee during the second week in May, giving them above-normal precipitation and slowing down the process of drying out saturated fields. Also, flooding damaged and closed roads in some counties, making it difficult for farmers to access their fields, according to NASS.

Decatur County Agent Steve Glass said the devastation has meant some farmers have to concentrate on tasks other than the planting they would normally be doing now. “Tennessee river is not falling too fast. Still flooded fields across county. Hay crop will be lost on first cutting. Farmers are very discouraged, have stopped planting crops and are working their cattle,” Glass said.

Farmers in Hickman County have seen tremendous amounts of debris washed on to their farms, destroying fences and causing other damage. “Spring cutting of hay was greatly damaged. Bottoms are still wet, yet to determine when these can be planted or re-planted,” said Troy Dugger, Hickman County agent.

Things are looking good for farmers in East Tennessee, which has seen below-level precipitation. Many farmers there have been able to cut hay and harvest strawberries. In dry areas, tobacco has been transplanted, according to NASS and the National Weather Service.
According to NASS and the University of Tennessee’s Extension, the state’s corn crop was rated 5 percent in very poor condition, 7 percent poor, 26 percent fair, 48 percent good, and 14 percent excellent. Wheat was rated 2 percent very poor, 7 percent poor, 25 percent fair, 47 percent good, and 19 percent excellent. Pasture conditions were 1 percent very poor, 7 percent poor, 27 percent fair, 52 percent good, and 13 percent excellent. Hay was rated 3 percent very poor, 8 percent poor, 27 percent fair, 50 percent good, and 12 percent excellent. Topsoil moisture levels were rated 6 percent short, 68 percent adequate and 26 percent surplus. Temperatures averaged a few degrees above normal.

By Tesa Nauman
Tennessee Correspondent

Ohio
The corn is looking good on Dave and Gail Lierer’s southwestern Ohio farm. They planted their crop on May 7, 8 and 9, a little later than others in the area, but that earlier corn didn’t emerge for almost 14 days because of cold nights.

“Our corn is into the second or third leaf - I think it has caught up to corn planted earlier,” said Gail, adding that with the warm weather forecast the corn would “take off and grow.”

In the northwestern part of the state some farmers reported hail damage in cornfields. Some frost damage to corn and soybeans was reported in the northern part of the state. Wet weather kept many out of the fields. Overall 84 percent of Ohio corn had been planted. That’s 47 percent ahead of last year and 12 percent ahead of the five-year average. Sixty percent had emerged compared to 17 percent at the same time last year, and 36 percent for the five-year average.

Forty-five percent of the soybean crop was planted compared to 16 percent last year. The five-year average is 48 percent.

Twenty-one percent of soybeans had emerged which was nine percent ahead of the five-year average.

Rainfall in the state averaged 1.37 inches, 0.57 inches above normal while the average temperature was 57.8 degrees, 2.2 degrees below normal.

By Celeste Baumgartner
Ohio Correspondent