News

Michigan fields starting to dry out

 

Warm and dry weather is helping to dry out fields in Michigan. USDA says soils were still too wet for fieldwork last week, but the wheat and oat crops are advancing well.

Winter wheat condition improved six percent as of Sunday to 74 percent good to excellent. The USDA says 95 percent of topsoil and 93 percent of subsoil have adequate to surplus moisture levels.

Ray Van Driessche with the Michigan Sugar Company tells Brownfield night planting will help sugarbeet farmers make headway on planting. Only one percent of the crop has been planted.  “Most growers have a capability now because of autosteer, because of large planters, and just the way we’re equipped to get, to get the crop in quickly.  If the weather gets right, we’ll get that crop in probably in about two weeks’ time.”

Michigan’s cool start to spring protected most fruit crops from last week’s winter storm. Many crops are still dormant statewide.  Peaches, plums and sweet cherries are budding in the southwest and eastern part of the state.