Michigan hop crop report week of June 20, 2024

Rob Sirrine<sirrine@msu.edu> and Erin Lizotte<taylo548@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension - June 20, 2024

It’s been warm. Hops are ahead of schedule in most areas.

Weather review

Over the last month, most regions of Michigan have been 2 – 4 degrees warmer than average. In terms of precipitation, the Upper Peninsula and west central Michigan received above average precipitation. With higher-than-normal evapotranspiration rates, some areas of the state are dryer than normal and soil moisture levels below normal, namely a stretch from the Grand Rapids, Michigan, region to Saginaw Bay. We’ve experienced very warm temperatures over the last few days with heat advisories in effect across much of southern Michigan.

Maps of Michigan showing the 30-day temperature and precipitation departure from mean. — Source: https://climate.geo.msu.edu/climate_maps.html

In terms of growing degree-day (GDD) accumulation (base 50 degrees Fahrenheit) from March 1, most areas of the state are still several days ahead of average.

Enviroweather cumulative growing degree days, Enviroweather heat accumulation. — Michigan accumulated growing degree day summary (base 50 F) March 1-June 4, 2024 (left) and heat accumulation (in days) compared to the 1991-2020 average (right). Data source: https://enviroweather.msu.edu/

Looking ahead

Medium range guidance suggests warmer than normal temperatures and precipitation through the end of June.

6-10 day temp and precip outlook maps — NOAA 6-10 day forecasts: https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/610day/index.php

The extended forecast outlook for July, which was released June 20, suggests higher than normal temperatures and below average precipitation.

Temperature and precipitation outlook for July. — Source: https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/30day/

See the most recent Michigan State University agriculture weather forecast.

Stage of production/physiology

Hops across Michigan are in Principal Growth Stage 1: Leaf Development, Growth Stage 2: Formation of Side Shoots, 3: Elongation of Bines, and potentially Growth Stage 4: Inflorescence emergence depending upon growing location.

Chart of phenological growth stages of hop.

In the field

Across Michigan, hops are anywhere from 6 to 18 feet depending on growing location and cultivar. Growers are actively fertilizing, irrigating and applying plant protection products for disease control. Plant growth is about a week ahead of normal in most growing locations.

A chart showing the timing of hop management activities. — Timing of hop management activities in Michigan. Table by Rob Sirrine and Erin Lizotte, MSU Extension.

For pest information, please see the Michigan hop pest report for June 20, 2024.

Sincere thanks to the Michigan hop producers who provided timely input for the Michigan Hop Crop Report.

Stay connected!

For more information on hop production practices, please sign up for the hop MSU Extension Newsletter, the FREE MSU Hop Chat Series and continue to visit Michigan State University Extension’s Hops webpage or the MSU Hops News Facebook.

If you are unsure of what is causing symptoms in the field, you can submit a sample to MSU Plant & Pest Diagnostics. Visit the webpage for specific information about how to collect, package, ship and image plant samples for diagnosis. If you have any doubt about what or how to collect a good sample, please contact the lab at 517-432-0988 or pestid@msu.edu.

Become a licensed pesticide applicator

All growers utilizing pesticide can benefit from getting their license, even if not legally required. Understanding pesticides and the associated regulations can help growers protect themselves, others, and the environment. Michigan pesticide applicator licenses are administered by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. You can read all about the process by visiting the Pesticide FAQ webpage. Michigan State University offers a number of resources to assist people pursuing their license, including an online study/continuing ed course and study manuals.

This work is supported by the Crop Protection and Pest Management Program [grant no 2021- 70006-35450] from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the North Central IPM Center. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).