The Michigan agriculture industry is a vital part of the state’s economy, with a wide variety of crops and livestock being produced.
The major agricultural products in Michigan include corn, soybeans, wheat, oats, barley, and hay.
The state also has a large dairy industry.
Other important agricultural products in Michigan include eggs, poultry, beef, and pork. Michigan is one of the leading states in the production of blueberries and cherries.
Plant Hardiness Zone
Let us take a glance at the US Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
Plant Hardiness Zone Map for Michigan
Climate
Michigan has a humid climate with large seasonal changes in temperature.
Summers are warm and humid, whereas the winters are cold. The state belongs to zone 4 to 6. Summer temperatures reach a peak of 85°F (29.4°C) in July.
While winters are cold and snowy, with even day temperatures below freezing in many parts for days together.
Precipitation
The average annual precipitation is 31 inches in Michigan, with 60% of the rainfall in the growing season.
Thunderstorms are the primary source of summer rainfall, while winters see the light, steady rain.
Snowfall records in the range of 150 inches to 180 inches annually in a small section of the peninsulas’ western parts.
The rest of the state receives between 40 inches to 120 inches of snow in the year.
Soil Type
The soil distribution of the state is shown below.
The below table will give us more details on the soil type of the state.
Soil Order Of Michigan
| Soil / Sub Order | Location | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Alfisols/Udalfs | Mostly throughout the state. | 1. Have a udic moisture regime |
| Entisols/Psamments and Aquents | Psammants are found in the western state and the Aquents are found in the northeastern part. | 1. Psamments are sandy in all layers and are among the most productive range soils 2.Aquents are the wet Entisols |
| Histosols/Saprists | These are dominantly found in the northern part of the state. | 1. These are the wet Histosols in which the organic materials are well decomposed |
| Inceptisols/Aquepts | Eastern part of the state | 1. These are wet Inceptisols that require artificial draining due to their poor natural drainage. |
| Mollisols/Aquolls | In the southeastern part of the state | 1. These are wet Mollisols. |
| Spodosols/Orthods | It covers most of the northern part of the state | 1. These are the relatively freely drained Spodosols that have a moderate accumulation of organic carbon in the spodic horizon 2. They are naturally infertile, but they can be highly responsive to good management. |
