Michigan Corn Crops Struggle after Rough Cold Snap

Crop recovery starts in Michigan, but the season remains behind schedule due to cold weather.

Michigan farmers are having a rough time this season. The crops, particularly corn, are being affected by the unusual cold weather. In Michigan, only half of the corn crop is graded as good or excellent.

After a cold and cloudy May, which caused early-season stress on crops, Michigan farmers are now beginning to see their crops recover. The fields are starting to green up again, but the season is still behind schedule. According to Nicolle Ritchie, a field crops agronomy educator at Michigan State University (MSU), "We got hit with a cold period in mid-May that really slowed things down." The crops appeared somewhat stressed out and yellow for a few weeks. Although their color is now beginning to improve, they are still smaller than they typically would be by this time. Just 50% of Michigan's corn crop is rated as good or excellent, according to the most recent USDA Crop Progress Report. Out of all the cornfields, just 4% are excellent, 46% are good, 41% are fair, 8% are poor, and 1% is very poor. As for the soybeans, the report gave them a rating of 7% low, 36% fair, 54% acceptable, and 3% excellent.

Early-planted crops are flourishing well, according to Ritchie, and the warm weather in the first and second weeks of May made the crops appear to be doing well. According to her, that is not the case everywhere in Michigan. Most fields have been dealing with less-than-ideal weather and are still a bit too cold right now. Since the ground is not ready for application, farmers have not been able to do the nitrogen sidedressing, which is mostly on hold.