Crop Advisory Team

Alert

Published by MSU IPM Program

Row covers for frost protection and earliness in vegetable production
Mathieu Ngouajio, Horticulture Row covers are used for many reasons including, season extension (frost protection), insect exclusion, heavy rain, and hail protection. When the main objective of row covers is to increase temperature, it is important to understand several factors including: row cover type, material used, level of temperature increase, and frost protection ability. Types of row covers Most row covers are either floating row covers or supported by hoops. Floating row covers are supported by the plant canopy. Therefore, for use on crops with a sensitive growing point (e.g. tomato) or a frail structure, they must be made of a light-weight material. Floating row covers can be installed over multiple crop rows. Hoop-supported row covers, also known as low tunnels, are installed on individual crop rows or beds. The height can vary from 12 to 36 inches from the bed surface. They are more expensive to install than floating row covers, but the installation can be mechanized. Materials used for row covers Most row covers are made with polyethylene plastic or spunbonded fabrics (polyester or polypropylene). Polyethylene covers are used for low tunnels. They are lightweight and come in either solid or perforated sheets. Holes on perforated covers are important for gas and water exchange with the outside environment. Spunbonded fabrics allow for ventilation and water to pass between the fibers. Polyethylene materials are available in various thicknesses while the spunbonded fabrics are available in various weights. Temperature increase and frost protection When using row covers always keep in mind that they are more efficient at increasing temperature especially during a sunny day than at protecting against frost. Even in the absence of a frost risk, some growers may consider using row covers because most warm season vegetables stop growing at temperatures

May 6, 2009 -- Vol. 24, No. 2

Vegetable Crop Advisory Team Alert

In this issue
covers for frost protection Row and earliness in vegetable production Extending the profit window: Minimize risks and maximize profit with early harvest Winter injury in rye and other cover crops Monitoring for the risk of frost and freezing temperatures Regional reports Weather news

Spunbonded row cover material used in cucumber production.

Perforated plastic row covers.

2 -------------------------------------- Vegetable Crop Advisory Team Alert - May 6, 2009

below 40-50oF. A row cover may increase the temperature enough to promote the growth of these warm season vegetables. In general: Polyethylene plastic materials build more heat than woven fabric (spunbonded). Clear plastics increase temperatures more efficiently than white or colored plastics Increase in temperature under the cover during daytime may vary greatly depending on the material used. However, when it comes to frost protection, the material used is critical. Most woven fabrics and polyethylene materials used in agriculture can only protect the crop down to 28oF, but some heavy materials have shown acceptable protection down to 20oF. Some growers have combined row covers with bed covered with plastic mulch; others have added cover crop wind breaks. Finally, some growers have attempted to improve the level of frost protection by installing double or multiple layers of the row covers. When the outside temperature is high enough, it is recommended to remove row covers. Temperature can get extremely high inside the covers and injure the crop, especially when non polyethylene row covers without holes are used. It is also important to remove the covers at flowering stage for pollination. In a recent visit with a grower who was installing low tunnels on beds covered with plastic mulch, we measured a temperature increase from 86oF open air to 96oF (single layer) and 113oF (double layer) tunnels. More interestingly the change in temperature occurred within five to 10 minutes following tunnels installation. IPM

Extending the profit window: Minimize risks and maximize profit with early harvest
Mathieu Ngouajio, Horticulture Vegetable growers in regions with a temperate climate like Michigan do not have a lot of flexibility because climatic conditions restrict the growing season to a very narrow window. Because of this narrow window of production, most crops reach maturity at the same time, harvest is synchronized, and all growers hit the market at the same time. The direct consequence of the peak in production is a drop in the price paid to growers and that is regardless of their actual input costs. Experienced growers indicate that their home runs are made either early or late in the season. Therefore, they have developed strategies to extend those profit windows. This article deals mainly with season extension strategies for earliness. Earliness usually involves planting the crop earlier than the rest of the industry. Therefore growers who shoot for earliness take the risk of crop damage from late frost. Here are a few tips that could help minimize the risk of frost damage when shooting for earliness. 1. Avoid planting in low spots of the field. Frost damage usually occurs first in the low spots of the field. Because cold air is heavier than hot air, cold air settles down and flows like water while the hot air rises. 2. Use frost tolerant species. Plant frost tolerant species when the risk of frost is highest. 3. Use transplants. Transplants grown in the greenhouse will give a head start when planted in the field. Transplants should be hardened off adequately to minimize transplant shock in the field. 4. Use short cycle varieties. Early varieties could mature a few days (or weeks) earlier than conventional varieties. A better price could offset other aspects like reduced yield. 5. Use black plastic mulch. Raised beds covered with black plastic mulch will warm the soil and speed up plant growth and maturity. Growers could gain a couple of days in earliness and also benefit from better quality of produce with plastic mulch. 6. Use row covers. Row covers increase air temperature around the crop. It is important to know that row covers do not provide full protection against frost damage. (Read article on row covers). 7. Avoid spots with poor drainage. Since water normally

Extension of profit windows with season extension strategies. Curves represent hypothetical production over time.

Vegetable Crop Advisory Team Alert May 6, 2009 ------------------------------------------ 3

flows downward, chances are that field spots that are usually flooded are also low spots where cold air will settle. 8. Be ready for irrigation. Use overhead irrigation to prevent the formation of ice on plant tissue. 9. Follow weather advisory reports. Frost advisory information is available at local and regional weather stations. See Jeff Andresens article on frost. IPM

Winter injury in rye and other cover crops

Mathieu Ngouajio and Dan Brainard, Horticulture Winter injury in cover crops is a common phenomenon and varies with species and growth stage. With mustard cover crops for example, young plants normally survive low temperatures better than larger plants, especially those at or beyond flowering stage. In hairy vetch, young seedlings are more susceptible to winter injury than relatively larger seedlings. This phenomenon has been less documented with cereal rye cover crops. Observations made at a couple of fields this spring suggest that the timing of rye cover crop planting may have a significant effect on winter performance. Some fields that were planted early (August) sustained greater winter injury compared to those planted late in the fall. This resulted in a significant reduction in plant density and overall cover crop biomass. High stand loss due to winter injury may reduce the benefit of the cover, especially in areas with high wind erosion. This phenomenon varied with location and some of the field did not show significant stand loss between early

Severe stand loss in rye cover crop in a field at Oceana County.

and late planted fields. A study will be conducted this coming season by one of the horticulture graduate students to test the effect of planting date on winter survival of rye cover crop. IPM

Monitoring for the risk of frost and freezing temperatures

Jeff Andresen, Geography Frost and freezing temperatures are a major concern for growers during the spring. The last freezing temperatures of the spring season occur on average from the last few days of April in extreme southeastern sections of the state to early and mid-May over most of the Lower Peninsula to early June in interior areas of the Upper and northern Lower Michigan. Due to meteorological and local conditions, however, there can be significant variability in this date from year to year. The following is a summary of background information on frost and its prediction. What is frost? In meteorological terms, frost refers to any condition in which the ground surface (including any vegetation or the bare soil surface) has fallen below 32EF. This can be associated with a large scale incursion of cold air, so-called advection frost, or by the radiative cooling of a surface under relatively clear, calm conditions, which is referred to as a radiation frost. In addition, the formation of ice crystals on the ground surface can be the result of either the freezing of supercooled water droplets, referred to as rime frost, or by direct sublimation of ice on a surface, called whitefrost or hoarfrost. When the ground surface reaches freezing temperatures with no formation of any ice, the condition is called blackfrost. Both types of frost may lead to the freezing and subsequent injury of plant tissue, which is why they are important topics, especially in the transitional spring and fall seasons. Outside of the winter months, whitefrost, the typical whitening of the ground of radiational cooling from the surface, is by far the most common type of frost in Michigan. To understand the formation of whitefrost (referred to hereafter as frost for brevity) near the ground surface, one must have an appreciation for the dynamics of atmospheric moisture. The ability of the air to hold water in vapor form is dependent upon its temperature. The higher the air temperature, the greater the amount of water vapors that the air can potentially hold. The dewpoint temperature is defined as the temperature at which water vapor in the air will begin to condense into dew, fog, or clouds if the air is cooled. A directly-related term, relative humidity, is defined as the ratio of the amount of water vapor that is actually in the air divided by the amount that could be potentially held by the air at that temperature. When the air temperature falls to the dewpoint, the air is said to be saturated, as it cannot hold any more water vapor. Any excess moisture is

4 -------------------------------------- Vegetable Crop Advisory Team Alert - May 6, 2009

condensed out into liquid (dew) or ice (frost). Among the most important concepts in predicting frost is an understanding of meteorological factors leading to its formation. The overwhelming majority of frosts are accompanied by relatively calm, cloudless weather conditions during evening and early morning hours. During daytime hours, when the presence of solar radiation and/ or wind acts to mix up the lowest levels of the boundary layer near the ground, the temperature of a given location is relatively dependent on meteorological conditions within the surrounding region. In contrast, on clear, calm nights, there is no incoming solar energy to create thermal mixing and turbulence, and the ground surface radiatively loses energy out to space. Both of these factors combine to allow the ground surface to cool at a steady rate, and because air itself is an effective thermal insulator, the surface (and any vegetation on it) quickly become cooler than the air above it. In meteorological terms, this is termed a boundary-layer inversion. When the cooling surface reaches the dew point of the air above, the result is formation of dew, or if the surface is at or below freezing, frost. In such inversions, it is not uncommon to see temperatures several degrees Fahrenheit cooler at the ground surface versus five or six feet above the surface. This is the reason we frequently observe frost on the ground level when the official temperature, taken at five feet above the ground surface is in the mid- or even upper 30s. Other factors which influencing frost formation There are several major factors which strongly influence the risk of frost and its formation. Topography. As the ground surface cools and an inversion layer develops, some of the air near the surface cools to a temperature below that of layers above. Since cool air is denser than warm air, the air cooled near the surface begins to flow downhill like a liquid due to the force of gravity. This movement of air, which rarely exceeds velocities of more than one to two miles per hour, is referred to as cold air drainage and is one of the primary reasons that fruit crops can be successfully grown in Michigan (mainly on hilltops where cooler air drains away). Because of this, hilltops, ridges, hillsides, and other topographical features in which relatively cooler air can drain away are relatively less likely to experience frost formation. In contrast, low-lying areas, especially depressions where cold air can literally collect or pond, are significantly more likely to experience a greater frequency and length of frost. The rule of thumb is that concave topographical features (relative to the sky) are climatologically cooler than convex features. Soil type and moisture. One factor influencing the rate at which the ground surface cools is the movement of heat energy upwards out of the soil profile, technically referred to as ground heat flux. The greater this upwards flux at night, the less the rate of surface cooling. Therefore, any modification of the soil or ground surface to increase or lessen this flux can have a significant impact on the surface temperature. The most common way of modifying the surface layer to trap some of the ground flux and move the radiative thermal boundary to a level above the surface is a cover or mulch of some kind, preferably one which contains quantities of insulating air. All else being equal, a soil with greater water content will have greater thermal conductivity than the same soil at lesser water content, and will allow more of the ground heat flux out of the ground towards the surface. Thus, keeping a soil well-watered can offer some limited protection against frost formation. On a longer term basis, this also means that coarse-textured soils with lesser water holding capacities will generally experience more frost than sites with fine-textured soils of greater water-holding capacities. One special type of environment in Michigan to consider is the production sites on muck soils. Such sites are typically among the coldest during radiation freeze events for a couple of reasons: 1) they are almost always relatively flat and low in elevation and allow for the accumulation of cold air drained off of the surrounding landscape, and 2) such soils with high organic matter content behave somewhat differently than mineral soils in terms of soil heat flux with an overall reduction, especially if the soil is dry. The combination of these factors leads to a relatively high risk of frost at muck sites with minimum temperatures there frequently several degrees colder than the surrounding landscape. Vegetation. The type and amount of vegetation on a surface can have a significant influence on frost formation. Overhanging vegetation can directly interfere with radiative heat loss of the surface, preventing frost formation on the surface. Dense vegetation near the surface (such as dense, unmowed turf) can trap large quantities of air which can in turn insulate the ground surface similar to mulch. Frost dissipation In most frost situations, the length of the event is directly dependent on daylength and the time of sunrise. As the sun reappears in the morning, it begins to radiatively heat the ground, which may melt the frost directly by heating the surface on which the frost has formed, or indirectly by causing thermal turbulence which mixes warmer air from above the ground surface layer down to the surface. Normally, the last areas to lose frost will be those shaded by vegetation or by northern or western facing slopes.

Vegetable Crop Advisory Team Alert May 6, 2009 ------------------------------------------ 5

Predicting frost From the discussion above, it is probably obvious that the key to predicting frost formation is the prediction of clear, calm conditions that are necessary for its formation. On a large scale meteorologically, the clear, calm conditions are most likely associated with areas of surface high pressure (as opposed to areas of low pressure, which are generally associated with clouds and wind), so any prediction should be heavily based on surface weather maps where these features can be found. Consult your local TV weather prognosticator or the National Weather Service (NWS) for short term (12 to 24 hour in the future) forecast. For all the reasons above, pay particular attention to the forecast cloud, wind, and temperature conditions for the period of interest. Also note the dew point temperature and compare with the forecast minimum temperature for a guess of the likelihood of dew or frost formation (the closer the dewpoint temperature to the air temperature, the greater the likelihood of dew/frost). There is also a great deal of forecast information on the Internet. For example, one can obtain detailed computer-generated forecast guidance information for more than 60 sites across the state including forecasts of all relevant variables (clouds, wind speed, etc.) at three hour time increments out to 60 hours in the future on MSU=s Agweather site at: www.agweather.geo.msu. edu/agwx/forecasts/nam_fcsts.html. Similar information is available at MSU=s Enviro-weather site at: www. enviroweather.msu.edu. At this site, select a station site of interest and then look for the, Weather Summary section and choose the, Overnight Temperaturesoption. And how low might the minimum temperature go if you don=t have access to any forecast information? Here is a rule of thumb that works fairly well for most humid climates like Michigan. Many of you may have a sensor that provides wet bulb temperature, which although strongly related, is not the same as dewpoint temperature. The wet bulb temperature is the temperature to which air can be cooled by liquid water evaporation (the rate of cooling is dependent upon how much water vapor is already in the air). This is normally measured by moving air across a temperature sensor covered with a wetted wick (usually with either a fan or by a hand-held sling). Given the wet bulb temperature, one can also obtain the dewpoint temperature and relative humidity (the manufactures of such equipment typically provide some type of look-up table). For reference, the dewpoint temperatures will always be less than or equal to the wet bulb temperature, which will always be less than or equal to the air temperature. The only time all three of these temperatures can be equal is at 100 percent relative humidity. The rule of thumb here is that the minimum temperature on a given morning will approach the dewpoint temperature taken the prior evening. This rule has some scientific merit for the most common frost scenarios; clear, calm conditions with cold air drainage and vertical temperature stratification. In this situation, there may be little transport of moisture in the air in or out of a general area, so the dewpoint temperature taken the prior evening will be indicative of the moisture in the air during the following several hours. When the air temperature does fall to the dewpoint temperature, two things happen. First, water vapor condenses out of the air and gives off heat (from the phase change of water vapor to liquid water). Secondly, some of the vapor may condense in the air itself, forming fog. This in turn drastically reduces the amount of heat lost by the ground to space. Both of these combine to prevent the air temperature from falling much further. From past experience, you may have noticed that the minimum temperature during one of these events commonly remains a few degrees above the dewpoint temperature. This is probably because the air temperature is taken at five feet above the surface, and under these calm, clear conditions, it is warmer than the temperature at or near the surface, which is relatively cooler and has reached the dewpoint. Some important notes of caution with this rule of thumb First, it is only helpful under the circumstances described above (relatively clear, calm conditions.). Freezing temperatures experienced under cloudy, windy conditions would be much more complicated to determine (based on the temperature of airmass upstream, etc.). Secondly, with the clear, calm frost scenario, it is not uncommon for the dewpoint temperature to drop a few degrees during the nighttime hours, as moisture is condensed out of the air and into dew or frost, resulting in minimum temperatures somewhat lower than those estimated the evening before. The best strategy is still to closely monitor conditions throughout the event, by occasional reading thermometers and dewpoint/ web bulb sensors in the field. IPM Weather Temperatures have been generally near normal (59-69oF for highs and 40-49oF for lows over the past week). Rainfall has been above

1 - SW Michigan Research and Extension Center

Ron Goldy

6 -------------------------------------- Vegetable Crop Advisory Team Alert - May 6, 2009

average with nearly three inches over the past two weeks. Growers continue to prepare sites and lay plastic, but most feel they are one-week behind due to rain. High, well drained sites are on schedule. Greenhouse growers are also complaining about cloudy conditions. Crop reports Asparagus harvest began the week of April 27. Production is slow due to cool temperatures. Peas are approximately six inches tall with no flowers evident at this time. Onion transplants have been set and direct seeded onions are at emergence. Tomatoes are being set under low tunnels. Cucumber transplants and seed are being placed under low tunnels.
IPM

2 Grand Rapids Area

Bill Steenwyk Weather Since April 19, the twelve Enviro-Weather stations in my district, from Fremont to Lawton, have recorded a cumulative average of 4.5 inches of rain, ranging from 2.55 at Lawton to 6.56 at Sparta. While no catastrophic flooding has occurred, it has certainly delayed field preparation, plantings, and growth of earlyestablished crops. In most areas, only sandy mineral soils and well-drained organic soils are dry enough for field operations. Where crops have been planted, growers are concerned about a

possible loss of seedlings due to the wet field conditions. Crop report On muck soils, celery is being transplanted with some folks reporting progress near normal-some with up to 20 percent of the crop in the ground, and others just beginning to plant. For the whole industry, I estimate 15 to 20 percent. Onion planting is complete, with most fields showing emergence. In some areas, the wet weather has caused very uneven emergence of the barley companion/cover crop. Fortunately, onion emergence appears to be more uniform. Red beets, radish, and lettuce seeding are underway and close to which typically come on ahead of mature fields, because the soil is less compacted. Depending on weather, the mature fields will start to produce towards the end of the week or Sunday. Some growers delayed spraying and chopping to try to get more growth on rye cover crops, which were severely damaged by winter kill and heavy deer browsing. Many growers are still waiting for migrants to return from Texas, where children are now required to go an extra week before completion of formation of a trough across the western United States by late next week, which would lead to a gradual increase in temperatures. The official NOAA 6-10 day outlook covering May 11-15 calls for near normal mean temperatures statewide with precipitation totals ranging from near normal levels

being on-schedule. A significant amount of sweet corn has been established on muck soils. On upland soils, sweet corn planting (along with that on the muck) is progressing with some reporting more than 25 percent planted. Many fields are in the spike stage. A significant amount of cabbage has also been established on muck soils. Cabbage transplanting on upland soils continues. Growth and development, as well as transplanting progress have been slow due to the weather. Some estimate being two or more weeks behind expectations. No significant pest pressures have been reported. IPM school. The only pest reported so far is some white cutworm on younger fields. Early planted carrots are just beginning to emerge. Planting was delayed because heavy rain last week, but the rain did bring on the cover crops, and reduced the threat of carrots blowing out in the high winds. Soils have been warm enough that growers have begun planting a little early sweet corn for the local market. IPM across northeastern sections of the state to above normal levels in the southwest. For the 8-14 day time frame covering May 13-19, the outlook calls for mean temperatures to increase to normal to above normal levels and for above normal precipitation totals statewide. IPM

3 Oceana County
Norm Myers Weather Oceana County has had plenty of rain in the last couple of weeks and temperatures, except for the last couple of days have run near normal. Some or the lower, wetter fields are only now getting dry enough to work. Crop report Asparagus growers have begun to harvest some of the young fields,

Weather news
Jeff Andresen, Agricultural Meteorology and Geography In the medium range period, the jet stream is forecast to become more zonal or west to east across the United States by the middle of next week with the gradual

ACTUAL AND PREDICTED DEGREE-DAY ACCUMULATIONS SINCE MARCH 1 2009 (*)

PRECIPITATION TOTALS SINCE 04/28/2009 (last week) STATION DIST Actual Actual Dev. Actual Dev. Actual Dev. Norm. Norm. Norm. +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ MARQUETTE Report generated at 09:02, 05/05/09 CORNELL EU 0.03 1.40 0.13 SSMARIE EU 0.08 0.54 -0.73 2.54 0.95 2.36 2.65 1.67 1.00 1.40 2.00 2.33 4.05 3.52 3.43 3.43 3.59 4.07 4.48 2.99 4.40 3.92 4.89 5.85 3.92 6.62 3.92 4.71 2.20 4.84 Report generated at 09:02, 05/05/09 DETROIT SEL 1.04 1.30 -0.15 FLINT SEL 0.58 2.70 1.25 MILFORD SEL 1.19 2.38 0.93 ROMEO SEL 0.05 1.34 -0.11 SALINE SEL 0.80 1.24 -0.21 TOLEDO SEL 0.78 1.04 -0.41 Report generated at 09:02, 05/05/09 3.56 4.50 5.38 1.98 3.51 3.29 -0.18 0.11 -0.87 -1.54 -1.14 -0.48 -0.15 1.18 0.65 0.56 0.56 0.74 1.74 2.15 0.03 1.44 0.96 1.93 2.89 0.96 3.66 0.96 2.02 -0.49 2.15 0.91 1.85 2.73 -0.67 0.86 0.64 0.14 -1.45 Report generated at 09:02, 05/05/09 BENZONIA NWL 0.23 1.61 0.25 BEULAH NWL 0.26 1.81 0.45 BINGHAM NWL 0.10 1.14 -0.22 NORTHPORT NWL 0.05 0.52 -0.84 OLDMISSION NWL 0.05 1.03 -0.33 Report generated at 09:02, 05/05/09 ALPENA NEL 0.17 1.10 -0.25 ROGERCITY NEL 0.34 1.77 0.42 Report generated at 09:02, 05/05/09 FREMONT WCL 1.39 3.18 1.59 HART WCL 0.80 2.72 1.13 LUDINGTON WCL 0.66 2.23 0.64 LUDINGTON WCL 0.66 2.23 0.64 Report generated at 09:02, 05/05/09 ENTRICAN CL 0.92 3.00 1.31 Report generated at 09:02, 05/05/09 BADAXE ECL 0.45 3.29 1.85 SAGINAW ECL 0.83 3.93 2.49 Report generated at 09:02, 05/05/09 BHARBOR SWL 0.57 1.99 0.33 FENNVILLE SWL 0.66 3.15 1.49 GLENDORA SWL 0.71 2.85 1.19 GRANDJUNC SWL 0.60 3.74 2.08 HOLLAND SWL 1.04 4.54 2.88 KENTCITY SWL 0.71 2.85 1.19 SPARTA SWL 1.68 5.70 4.04 WATERVLIET SWL 0.71 2.85 1.19 Report generated at 09:02, 05/05/09 BELDING SCL 1.10 3.86 2.36 COLDWATER SCL 0.15 0.59 -0.91 ELANSING SCL 1.12 2.96 1.46 WU 0.26 1.69 0.43 2.68 0.42 2.76 2.54 1.16 2.57 2.89 1.94 1.18 1.61 2.94 3.44 4.48 3.68 3.58 3.58 3.94 5.09 5.89 4.13 5.14 5.00 6.12 6.84 5.00 7.65 5.00 5.35 4.19 6.52 5.01 5.34 5.93 2.11 4.92 4.77 0.08 -0.29 -1.67 -0.48 -0.16 -1.11 -1.87 -1.44 -0.05 0.45 1.01 0.21 0.11 0.11 0.46 2.19 2.99 0.44 1.45 1.31 2.43 3.15 1.31 3.96 1.31 1.92 0.76 3.09 1.58 1.91 2.50 -1.32 1.49 1.34 04/21/2009 (last 2 weeks) 04/07/2009 (last 4 weeks) 04/01/09 (since Apr.1)

Michigan State University Cooperative Agricultural Weather Service Cumulative Precipitation Summary For 05/04/2009

STATION OR AS OF 05/05 BY BY AS OF 05/05 BY BY DISTRICT 2008 2009 05/10 05/15 2008 2009 05/10 05/15 +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ WEST UP NORMS** 178 219 271 77 98 126 MARQUETTE 107 135 170 214 36 52 67 85 STEPHENSON 182 197 248 313 67 86 112 141 +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ EAST UP NORMS 116 150 193 35 49 68 CHATHAM 115 129 166 212 43 46 62 81 SSMARIE 181 127 164 208 69 40 54 70 +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ N.W. LP NORMS 231 282 339 97 123 154 PELLSTON 242 177 210 258 115 78 95 120 +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ N.E. LP NORMS 205 254 310 85 111 141 ALPENA 271 186 224 279 127 77 95 122 HAWKS 259 180 217 270 129 82 102 130 ROGERCITY 231 201 242 302 103 87 108 137 +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ W. CENT. LP NORMS 288 346 412 132 164 200 FREMONT 345 318 378 450 171 133 165 200 HART 316 290 345 410 149 117 145 176 LUDINGTON 312 268 318 379 145 103 128 155 MUSKEGON 351 358 425 506 167 154 191 232 +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ CENT. LP NORMS 309 371 439 143 180 218 ENTRICAN 344 297 354 432 169 124 155 194 +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ E. CENT. LP NORMS 306 368 435 139 174 213 SAGINAW 373 332 403 496 193 140 178 225 STANDISH 295 253 307 378 144 106 135 171 +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ S.W. LP NORMS 384 453 529 188 228 273 ALLENDALE 325 302 347 411 160 121 142 170 BHARBOR 408 419 481 571 211 190 222 267 FENNVILLE 364 369 424 503 184 167 195 235 GRAPIDS 418 418 480 570 219 191 224 268 HUDSNVLLE 389 410 471 559 197 185 216 260 NUNICA 383 380 436 518 193 178 208 250 SOUTHBEND 472 501 575 683 249 248 290 348 +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ S. CENT. LP NORMS 374 442 516 185 225 267 COLDWATER 392 444 515 611 197 216 257 307 ELANSING 393 408 473 562 206 186 221 264 +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ S.E. LP NORMS 353 420 494 167 205 247 DETROIT 474 493 567 666 246 231 270 321 FLINT 464 395 454 534 253 184 215 256 HELL 378 415 477 561 190 199 233 277 LAPEER 437 358 411 484 232 164 192 228 ROMEO 384 361 415 488 185 164 192 228 SALINE 401 393 452 531 207 179 209 249 TOLEDO 442 499 574 675 228 237 277 330

BASE 42 BE DEGREE-DAYS

BASE 50 BE DEGREE-DAYS

Vegetable Crop Advisory Team Alert May 6, 2009 ------------------------------------------ 7

* Since weather data for some agricultural stations are not available prior to April 1st, GDD values for those stations during February and March are estimated with closest available station data. ** District normals were calculated as the mean of daily GDD totals at several stations within each district for the period 1951-1980. Report generated at 09:24, 05/06/09

Crop Advisory Team Alerts Integrated Pest Management Program Michigan State University B 18 Food Safety & Toxicology Building East Lansing, Michigan 48824 -1302

The Vegetable Crop Advisory Team (CAT) Alert is brought to you by:
MSU Extension and Agricultural Experiment Station Field Staff
Dr. Ron Goldy, Southwest Michigan Research Extension Center, Distr. Extn. Educator Norman Myers, Oceana County Extension Director Hannah Stevens, Macomb/St. Clair/Lapeer Co. Ag & Natural Res Educator Dan Pavuk, Monroe County William Steenwyk, Ionia County Extension Educator

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