Cold Michigan weather hampering start of growing season

By Nicole Heslip | Brownfield Ag News

Snow and below average temperatures continue to keep most Michigan farmers out of fields. The USDA says only 1.5 days were suitable for field work last week.

Rob Clark with the Michigan Sugar Company tells Brownfield about 6,000 acres of sugarbeets have been planted.  “Out in the Thumb, which is our largest growing area, our growers have reported continued frozen ground conditions and Mother Nature has certainly not helped a lot the past week. It’s been very cold and we got some snow.”  He says this year growers expect to plant about 157,000 acres of sugarbeets with a majority of planting expected to pick up this week and next.

The winter wheat cropped declined two percent to 63 percent good to excellent. The USDA says 96 percent of topsoil and 95 percent of subsoil have adequate to surplus moisture levels.

Michigan’s fruit crop remains mostly dormant with some damage reported in the Southwest to peaches and wine grapes.

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April 11, 2018 at 09:09AM