News

Michigan crops developing rapidly

Michigan crops declined over the past week while progress is ahead of last year and the five-year average.

Sanilac County farmer Scott Wilson tells Brownfield, “The soybeans are well into the R3, R4 production stage.”

“Corn is currently being sprayed for fungicide to kind of help mitigate any vomitoxin and tar spot issues,” he says. “It remains to be seen if this is a little early for tar spot.”

AUDIO: Scott Wilson

The USDA says corn is rated 65 percent good to excellent with 69 percent of the crop silking and eight percent in the dough stage.

Soybeans are 77 percent blooming and 34 percent setting pods, with 59 percent of the crop good to excellent.

Winter wheat in Michigan is 90 percent harvested. Sugarbeets are rated 84 percent good to excellent.

Dry beans are 69 percent blooming, 25 percent setting pods, and rated 42 percent good to excellent.

Second cutting of alfalfa is 77 percent complete, and third cutting is at the 20 percent mark.

Early season apple harvest started this past week and peaches and blueberries continued to be picked. Heavy recent rains have caused significant damage and widespread diseases in vegetable crops.