East Central Michigan field crop regional report – May 1, 2014

Dan Rossman, Michigan State University Extension -

The cold and damp weather continues to plague East Central Michigan. Farmers anxiously wait for opportunities to get into the fields.

Wheat showing improvement after a top-dress nitrogen application in Gratiot County on May 1, 2014. Photo credit: Dan Rossman, MSU Extension
Wheat showing improvement after a top-dress nitrogen application in Gratiot County on May 1, 2014. Photo credit: Dan Rossman, MSU Extension

Weather

Very limited, if any, field work occurred this week. Cold and damp weather continues. Fortunately, this year’s rainfall in April at the Ithaca MSU Enviro-weather station was only 3.22 inches compared to 8.6 inches recorded last year. Soil temperatures are starting to get to the 50-degrees vicinity. More patience is needed as we wait for drier soil conditions.

Commodity reports

Wheat has been top-dressed with nitrogen in some areas and is starting to see some improvement, but there are many areas in the region where the wheat stands are so poor that the wheat will be destroyed and planted to a spring crop.

Sugarbeets . A few fields have been planted, but no additional progress this week.

Alfalfa winter survival across the region is still being evaluated. In some areas it has grown very slowly this spring. In Gratiot County, alfalfa is 3-6 inches tall and appears to be in good condition.

Alfalfa
Alfalfa in Gratiot County on May 1, 2014, showing about 6 inches of growth.  Photo credit: Dan Rossman, MSU Extension

Corn and soybean planting continues to be on standby and has with no noticeable progress yet.

Other Michigan State University Extension field crop regional reports from this week:

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