Michigan
On the morning of July 11 in southern Lower Michigan, one of the first combines was seen harvesting wheat. But severe thunderstorms swept through the area and chased every farmer from Lake Michigan to Lake Huron to the shop, as it rained on and off all day.

Just a few days later found the countryside buzzing with combines and round balers, as wheat harvest is well under way. In southeastern Michigan, Ned Birkey of Michigan State University extension reports harvest is winding down and will be mostly finished this week. Yields have been average to above average, with good test weights.

According to Bruce Mackellar of extension, wheat harvest progressed quickly with the hot and dry conditions in the southern portion of the region. Yields have been pretty good, but test weight and kernel size were a little lower than expected.

In areas to the northern portion of the region, harvest is just getting under way. Rain-laden wind lodged some wheat. Also, a fair amount of straw did get wet before it could be baled.

It’s a different story in the central region of the state, as Fred Springborn of extension said harvest has begun on a very limited basis, as many fields still have areas that are not quite ready to thresh.

Corn varies from region to region. In south-central Michigan corn is beginning to tassel while some fields around in the Lansing area were just reaching knee-high. In the central region the corn ranges from knee-high to tassels just emerging. The early-planted corn looks excellent. The later-planted fields are just now breaking out of some very slow early growth and are beginning to catch up.

In southwestern Michigan early-planted corn is at tassel emergence. The latest-planted fields in the region are at the five-leaf collar stage. Non-irrigated corn went through a slight to moderate drought-stress period prior to the recent thunderstorms. The hot and dry conditions occurred just as the early-planted corn was ramping up evapotranspiration rate.

Same story, different region, as the southeastern corner reports some tasseling while other fields are ankle-high.

Birkey reports in the southeast, alfalfa second-cutting is going on now, with generally good quality and quantity. In the opposite corner, Mackellar says alfalfa has been harvested pretty much on schedule for second-cutting. Potato leafhopper numbers remain high.

In the central region, Paul Gross reports harvest of second-cutting alfalfa is nearly complete. Many farmers are reporting good yields and quality. Those are trying to make dry hay are having good success with the dry weather.
Soybeans also vary across the state, from six-inch plants to beginning to blossom.

According to Gross, in the central region dry beans are progressing after a slow start. Stands vary because of the excessive rains earlier. Oats and barley are beginning to turn. The barley looks like yields will be good. Oats are also expected to yield very well.

Sugar beets are all over the board. The state has some very good stands and some, very poor. The crop is in need of rain.
By Melissa Hart
Michigan Correspondent

Kentucky
“It’s surprising, but the corn crop is just getting better-looking every day,” said Greg Henson, McLean County extension agent. “Yes, it’s late, and yes, there’s still some water damage and nitrogen shortages out there, but the earliest corn has pollinated well and the later corn is growing like gangbusters in this heat.”
Though a stationary front stretched across the state most of the past week, rainfall totaled more than an inch statewide, with moderate temperatures in the upper 70s. Corn condition was rated 51 percent good.

Soybean emergence was reported at 94 percent, according to NASS. Emergence conditions were rated at 58 percent good.

As of July 10, 95 percent of the wheat had been harvested, compared to the five-year average of 97 percent. “Like corn, wheat was a surprise too,” said Henson. (See related article on page 13.)

“The wettest weather ended just before bloom, so yield, quality and test weights were real good, some above average in most cases. We did have some hail in a neighborhood with a lot of wheat and that didn’t make much, maybe 30-bushel, but overall it was good.”

Additionally, Henson said “some big rains created havoc with double-crop beans.”

As for hay baling, he was still positive: “What little we make was pretty good, even if a bit late.”
By Susan Hayhurst
Indiana Correspondent

Iowa
Many Iowa farmers would welcome a nice, soaking rain, while those along the Missouri River continue to watch the elevated water levels, according to the July 11 Iowa Crop & Weather report.

“A few flooded areas receded due to a levee breach down river, but most areas have seen the water level hold steady,” the report said, adding “dry weather for the week allowed many in the rest of the state to complete spraying of soybeans and first cutting of hay.”

The report said corn began to tassel and silk, but most of Iowa has yet to see widespread tasseling and silking, with only 4 percent beginning to tassel and 1 percent silking. But 35 percent of soybeans are blooming, with conditions at 1 percent very poor, up to 24 percent excellent.

The report also said 45 percent of the oat crop has turned color, while first-cutting alfalfa is 98 percent complete, and second-cutting alfalfa is 40 percent complete.

Because of the warmer weather, State Meteorologist Harry Hillaker said the reporting week of July 4-10 was Iowa’s driest in nine weeks. “Wednesday (July 6) was dry, while thunderstorms were scattered over the southeast one-half of Iowa on Thursday,” he said.

“Dry weather prevailed on Friday (July 8) with a few isolated thunderstorms over the far northwest on Saturday,” he added.

(Please refer to the article in this issue on the July 11 severe thunderstorms across Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin and parts of Michigan, which wasn’t reflected at the time of this report’s release.)

In the meantime, Virgil Schmitt, Iowa State University extension field agronomist, said it’s time for farmers to test for corn nematodes.
“Most corn nematode populations peak in early July,” he said. “This is considered the best time to sample for the pest, except on sandy soils when sampling should be done in the spring or fall.”

By Doug Schmitz
Iowa Correspondent