The 2024 season will be noted for its consistent and heavy rains at times, which have created some issues for Matt Frostic and other growers in Michigan’s thumb region.

“I don't think there's anyone that's short on rain in this area,” says Frostic, who farms 1,200 acres of sugarbeets, edible beans, soybeans and corn in Applegate, Mich.

Earlier, Frostic provided Michigan Farmer with an outlook after planting. Read that story here. As a follow-up, he provided a preharvest outlook.

“Some of our crops, like dry beans, are struggling to fight through these weather fronts,” says Frostic, who has 170 acres of black beans.

Even though his ground is heavily tiled, some of it contains heavier soil types with a lot of slope. “So that's going to delay harvest or create some disaster fields,” he says.

But it’s not all gloom. Some light-sloped fields are handling the water and may produce some record yields, Frostic notes. And sugarbeets have enjoyed the moisture to a point, as well as the corn and soybeans. “They seemed to have snapped out of it and really taken off the last couple of weeks,” he says.

He’s been diligent in spraying for leaf spot in sugarbeets, which amplifies with rain and humidity. Starting in July, he’s been making timely fungicide passes to keep the crop healthy.

“With leaf spot, it burns off the top leaves,” Frostic says. “They tend to regrow, and because it takes energy to do that, it takes energy away from growth of the root, and then you lose your starch-sugar content.”

Frostic has about 80 acres of beets, and he works with other farms to custom-dig about 1,000 acres. Early dig started the third week of August, as Michigan Sugar Co. fires up its four sugarbeet processing facilities for direct delivery. Later in the season, it will accept beets at its 11 piling stations, as well.

“From the samples we’ve taken, the sugar content is about as high as it's ever been this time of year — in the low 16%,” he says.

As a cooperative, Michigan Sugar strives for about a 19% average for the season. “But having 16% right now is real encouraging because the crop is still growing, and it’s still hot outside. Once the weather cools down, it will put more starch into the root,” Frostic says. “That usually doesn't happen until September through late October.”

Dealing with tar spot

With tar spot coming on early and fast in July, Frostic sprayed a fungicide at green silk in mid-July. He says growers were bracing for something potentially severe.

“But the weather got too hot, and then it cooled down, and it just hasn't been conducive for tar spot growth,” he says. “Tar spot dwindled, but if it should return late season, there is worry about standability issues and problem at harvest. As far as yield, I think we're OK, cautiously optimistic. It could be one of our top three crops, or even a record-breaker.”

Vomitoxin setting in September was an issue last year, but Frostic says farmers were more cognizant of the varieties they picked this year, which should help suppress that issue.

“But weather has its way of overcoming all of our abilities to stop it,” he says. “And if we have a really wet September, while that corn is maturing down, it's pretty easy for that mold to grow.”

Soybeans grew excessively tall this year, he says, which means he anticipates seeing some white mold show up as the ability to get air down into that crop canopy is curtailed.

“We’re probably going to see some, but I haven’t seen any yet or heard any complaints,” Frostic says. “There’s nothing we can do to treat it at this point, so we’re at the mercy of our early management and weather at this point. But the plants are still putting on late-season pods, so it’s encouraging.”

Resistant weeds, particularly waterhemp, which hasn’t been a huge issue in the past, is showing up, especially in corners of fields where canopies weren't good.

“Growers are wondering what next year’s crop management is going to look like from a chemistry standpoint,” Frostic says. “We're fairly limited, especially in the bean rotations on what we can do on a beet crop. It’s a weed bank for next year and certainly a concern of how we're going to kill.”