By KEVIN WALKER

Michigan Correspondent

LANSING, Mich. — With nearly five days suitable for fieldwork in Michigan for the week ending June 3, farmers were able to take advantage of dry conditions to make good planting progress, according to the latest crop progress report from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

Although corn growers appeared to be headed towards parity with prior years, their percentage of corn planted was behind, at 80 percent; last year’s and the five-year average were both at about 90 percent. The same was true for soybean acres. Soybeans planted were at 65 percent, with the five-year average at 79 percent.

In some parts of the state, rain kept soils damp. Sugar beet emergence was nearing completion. Nearly half of the winter wheat crop was heading and beyond, the report said, but hay cutting was slow in some areas, also due to moisture.

Fruit development overall was behind normal, too, due to the combination of hot and wet weather. This combination has caused new leaves and fruit to be susceptible to a variety of pests and diseases; however, according to a regional disease report from Michigan State University’s Enviroweather service last week, there was little risk of apple scab, cherry leaf spot and grape leaf black rot.

Enviroweather has 14 weather stations in east-central Michigan, which includes East Lansing. The one exception was the Freeland station, which reported high risk of these diseases after an analysis of the latest wetting period.

For vegetables, the NASS report stated clear weather allowed growers to catch up on field activity, with higher temperatures and growing degree days accumulating, and increasing soil temperatures. The asparagus harvest, mainly occurring in southwestern Michigan, continued.

Chip potato planting in Montcalm was behind and was expected to continue at least into early June, with Colorado potato beetle adults in the mating stage.

There were no reports of problems with other vegetables, including transplants in 72 cell trays, celery, radishes, kale and salad greens. Salad greens were being harvested from urban farms in Flint. Squash and pumpkin were being planted.

The crop condition for corn was 49 percent good, 22 percent excellent and 24 percent fair, with the rest either poor or very poor. For soybeans, 52 percent were good, 16 percent excellent and 27 percent fair, with the rest either poor or very poor.

Winter wheat, barley, oats, sugar beets and range and pasture were all mostly good, with most of the rest in excellent condition.

As of the week ending June 3, 14 percent of dry beans had been planted, with only 1 percent emerged. Twenty-four percent of alfalfa first cutting was complete. Eleven percent of other kinds of hay had their first cutting.