Michigan
Five days were suitable for fieldwork for the week ending Aug. 14, according to the NASS’ Michigan field office. Seasonal temperatures and relatively low humidity combined with enough rainfall kept crops looking good and made fieldwork comfortable.
“Enough rain finally hit most of the growing area to do some good,” a reporter from Tuscola County said.
Crop conditions included all hay, 49 percent good, 24 percent fair and 18 percent excellent; barley, harvested, 43 percent good, 37 percent fair and 12 percent excellent; corn, 49 percent good, 23 percent fair and 16 percent excellent; dry beans, 42 percent good, 24 percent fair and 17 percent excellent; oats, 55 percent good, 29 percent fair and 10 percent excellent; pasture, 42 percent good, 32 percent fair and 11 percent excellent; and soybeans, 50 percent good, 27 percent fair and 15 percent excellent.
Crop progress for the week included all hay, second cutting, 83 percent versus a five-year running average of 78 percent; barley, harvested, 62 percent versus a five-year average of 17 percent; blueberries, harvested, 78 percent compared to a five-year average of 71 percent; corn, silked, 96 percent versus a five-year average of 95 percent; corn, dough, 34 percent versus a five-year average of 51 percent; dry beans, blooming, 97 percent versus a five-year average of 90 percent.
Dry beans, setting pods, 84 percent compared to a five-year average of 71 percent; soybeans, setting pods, 67 percent versus a five-year average of 77 percent; tart cherries, harvested, 96 percent versus a five-year average of 96 percent; and winter wheat, harvested, 96 percent versus a five-year average of 73 percent.
By Kevin Walker
Michigan Correspondent
Iowa
While Iowa farmers are welcoming the cooler conditions for their crops, “the desire for rain gets stronger with each passing dry day,” according to the Aug. 16 Iowa Crop & Weather NASS report.
“Now that the heat has broken, farmers are now looking for some precipitation,” said Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey, commenting on the week’s report. “Much of the state is dry, and crop and pastures could use some rain. August is a critical time for soybean development and timely rains would be very beneficial.”
Paul Kassel, Iowa State University extension field agronomist in Spencer, however, said a larger concern for him is the high daytime and nighttime temperatures during the first two weeks of the grain fill period may result in yield loss.
“I figure that most of the corn in my area pollinated around July 20,” he said. “The grain fill period is about eight weeks long. My concern is that the high temperatures pushed the corn maturity a little fast from the pollination stage to the milk stage. This increased pace of corn development may reduce potential corn yields.”
The report stated Iowa farmers have at least 96 percent of their corn tasseling and silking, with 86 percent reaching the milk stage and 13 percent at the dent stage. Ninety-seven percent of soybeans are blooming, the report said, with pods setting on 84 percent.
Only 2 percent of oats remains to be harvested, the report added. The second-cutting alfalfa hay harvest is 96 percent complete, with the third cutting at 39 percent complete.
Jeff Blauwet, agronomy technology specialist at Farmers Elevator Coop in Doon, said although fungicide applications have become more common this year and are wrapping up, nearly all are getting “insecticide as a ‘ride-along’ as the plane goes over the acre.”
By Doug Schmitz
Iowa Correspondent
Kentucky Weather has dominated the agricultural news of late, as producers have either suffered from too much or too little rain.
The latest report from NASS’ Kentucky Field Office rated the state’s corn crop as 1 percent very poor, 5 percent poor, 27 percent fair, 48 percent good and 19 percent excellent. Corn producers in the far western section of the state could begin harvesting as soon as this week.
The soybean crop was rated 1 percent very poor, 7 percent poor, 28 percent fair, 50 percent good and 14 percent excellent, according to the NASS report.
Some producers in central Kentucky have already cut their burley tobacco, but the crop as a whole is only 49 percent topped as of Aug. 15. That is compared to 70 percent last year and 64 percent for the five-year average.
The dark tobacco crop is on track with last year’s crop. Thirteen percent of the dark crop has been cut, as compared to 9 percent of the burley.
The NASS report noted pasture conditions were rated as 3 percent very poor, 12 percent poor, 35 percent fair, 41 percent good and 9 percent excellent. Hay crop condition was rated at 1 percent very poor, 9 percent poor, 33 percent fair, 49 percent good and 8 percent excellent.
By Tim Thornberry
Kentucky Correspondent
Tennessee Rain was hit-and-miss for counties throughout the Volunteer State recently, while hot weather was a constant throughout the state.
Some counties received no rainfall, while others received as much as 2 inches for the week ending Aug. 14, according to reports from NASS and the National Weather Service.
Even though temperatures were above average for the majority of the week, most crops were listed in fair-to-good condition. Only 1 percent of soybeans, corn and tobacco were rated poor. Pastures appeared to be suffering the worst from the warm weather, with only 4 percent listed in excellent condition and 2 percent (the highest of any crop) listed as poor, the report stated.
Farmers had six days suitable for fieldwork and spent those days spraying pesticides, topping tobacco and tending to soybeans, corn silage and tobacco harvest, according to NASS.
Ed Burns, extension agent for Franklin County, said farmers in his county are tied up with various crops and activities. “Farmers have been busy this past week cutting hay, spraying soybeans with post herbicides and fungicides, checking grain moisture in corn and readying combines and grain bins for harvest,” he said.
“Most corn producers are targeting harvest to begin September 1. Full-season beans are filling pods, early planted double-crop beans are in full bloom to early pod set and late-planted double-crop beans range from vegetative growth to early blooming.
“Cotton continues to set bolls and is in excellent condition, with little pest pressure. Hay producers continue to cut second cutting and in some areas, with adequate moisture, could get a third cutting. Pastures are under stress in some areas less fortunate with moisture, but no reports of feeding hay. In most areas of the county, pastures continue to keep up with grazing,” Burns said.
While Giles County received rain, it came at a price, according to extension agent Kevin Rose.
“The strong storm that passed through Giles County last week did more damage than was first reported. Many acres of corn are laying flat on the ground. One producer estimates he has more than 100 acres down,” he said. “Some soybeans have been reported down, as well. Area rains and evening thunderstorms are still providing some moisture across the county. Pastures look as good as most can ever remember this late in the summer.”
By Tesa Nauman
Tennessee Correspondent |
