HDR101200019001 FL WEEKLY WEATHER-CROP NEWS Week ending December 1, 1996 Released 4:00 P.M. December 2, 1996 WEATHER SUMMARY: Mostly mild weather permitted field work to progress normally during the week of November 24 through 30. Some Panhandle localities received most of the rainfall for the week with amounts totaling from about an inch to almost two inches. Southern Peninsula areas reported a half inch or less of rain with many stations recording no measurable amounts. Most temperatures averaged normal to four degrees above. Low temperatures in the Panhandle and some northern Peninsula areas ranged from lows in the 30s and 40s to highs in the 70s. Central and southern Peninsula regions reported lows in the 40s and 50s and highs in the 70s and 80s. The passage of a cold front on Sunday and Monday, December 1 and 2 brought significant rainfall and lower temperatures to most of the northern and central Peninsula. FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture is short to adequate throughout the State with scattered areas of surplus moisture. Topsoil moisture condition as reported from very short to surplus (previous week's rating in parentheses): very short 0% (12%), short 45% (49%), adequate 55% (39%), and surplus 3% (0%). Subsoil moisture condition: very short 0% (0%), short 36% (34%), adequate 61% (66%), and surplus 3% (0%). Cotton harvest is winding down. Sugarcane harvest, planting are active. Rye planted for winter pastures is having a difficult time germinating, growth is retarded due to dry soil conditions in some areas. Winter wheat planting is delayed by dry soil conditions. LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: The condition of the State's ranges and pastures was rated from very poor to excellent (previous week's rating in parentheses): poor 20% (20%), fair 35% (40%), good 40% (40%), and excellent 5% (0%). Pasture in the Panhandle was helped by early-in-the-week rain. Frost hurt the condition of the permanent pasture in some northern counties. Winter small grain pasture was almost ready for grazing. Pasture grass growth was slow due to dry conditions in central and southern areas. The State's cattle herds were rated at poor 0% (5%), fair 45% (50%), and good 55% (45%). CITRUS: The week was dry and cool with mixed sun and clouds. November was a dry month in virtually all areas except the lower East Coast. Growers and caretakers have been irrigating to try to improve the general maturity of early fruit. There is very little new growth as most trees have slowed their growth cycle for the winter season. Harvest of all early fresh fruit is increasing for the holiday season. Caretakers are cutting cover crop prior to harvesting and for fire protection. Very few fertilizations and sprays are being applied except in the largest grove operations. Dead tree removal and burning continues. Estimated boxes harvested week ended Crop Nov 17 Nov 24 Dec 1 Navel oranges 225,000 344,000 301,000 Early and Mid oranges 2,373,000 5,209,000 4,457,000 All grapefruit 747,000 814,000 486,000 Tangerines 252,000 356,000 192,000 K-Early Citrus Fruit 15,000 16,000 7,000 Tangelos 71,000 131,000 92,000 VEGETABLES: Mostly dry weather and mild temperatures aided the recovery of plants from the recent wind damage. Yields are low for some crops due to the grade-out of scarred fruit. Volume leaders: tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, snap beans, sweet corn, squash, radishes, eggplant, endive/escarole, and parsley. SNAP BEANS: Dade, Everglades--Young acreage in good condition. Planting and picking continued. Yield low due to wind scarred beans not meeting grade. Yield prospects expected to improve as growers start to harvest lesser damaged acreage. Workers irrigated younger fields as needed. East Coast-- Condition of young fields continued to improve. Blocks nearing maturity contain good quality beans. Picking by machine and hand continued. Bean quality and color improved. West Central--Condition is fair to good. Harvest continues to increase seasonally. Quality is fair to good. Color and size is good. Southwest--Crop condition remains fair to good. Planting is steady. Harvest of fair to good quality beans is steady. North-- Picking active. CABBAGE: Hastings--Planting steady. Crop in good condition. Growth and development normal. Central--Harvest starting. West Central--Planting steady. Crop in fair to good condition. Growth and development normal. Cool weather helping development. Dade--Growth and development good. Cool weather helped heads to form well. CARROTS: Zellwood--Condition remains good. Digging will start in about two weeks. SWEET CORN: Dade--Crop in good condition. Picking of light volume active. Workers planting and irrigating. Zellwood- -Picking is starting to slow seasonally. Everglades--Picking active. Southwest--Condition is good. Planting and harvest are steady. Quality is good. East Coast--Crop condition is mostly good. Plants show improved growth and ear development. Recent plantings are making good stands. More acreage is tasseling. CUCUMBERS: East Coast--Crop condition is improving. Picking continued at a mostly steady pace with super selects and selects available. First picks are providing good quality and color. Some fruit graded out due to wind scars. Workers mowed fields completely harvested. Southwest--Condition is fair to good. Plants are recovering from the earlier adverse weather. Planting is slowing seasonally. Harvest continued with fair to good quality available. West Central--Crop condition is fair to good. Harvest continues at a mostly steady but seasonally declining pace. Quality is fair to good. Sizes and color are fair. Dade--Pickles are in good condition. Harvesting continued with good quality available. Volume is increasing as new fields start to produce. Yield is good. Zellwood--Pickle harvest continued. EGGPLANT: East Coast--Young plants are in very good condition. Older crop condition improved. Growers cut fancy and some choice grades of good quality and color. Winter crop plantings continued. West Central--Condition remains fair to good. Harvesting is steady with fair to good quality available. Mostly medium and fancy grades remain available. Southwest-- Crop condition is fair to good. Cutting is steady. Some wind- scarred fruit did not meet grade. Dade--Harvest is gaining momentum. Quality is good after close grade-out of scarred fruit. Yield is good. ESCAROLE/ENDIVE: Everglades, Zellwood--Volume is light as harvest continues. Supply is expected to increase as plants recover from recent adverse weather. LETTUCE: Everglades, Zellwood--Supply light as harvest continues. OKRA: Dade--Plants recovering from recent adverse weather. Harvesting continued. Yield remains low. Quality good after close grade-out. PEPPERS: Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Young plants are slowly recovering from recent wind damage. Planting remains steady. Picking of good quality fruit is steady. East Coast--Crop condition is good. Crown picks of green Bells are yielding double extra large, extra large, and large sizes of very good quality. Harvest of red Bells is also providing good quality and sizes. Picking of cubanelle, jalapeno, Hungarian wax, and other hot varieties is active with good quality available. Workers transplanted, irrigated, staked, tied, and sprayed as needed. Palmetto-Ruskin--Condition remains fair to good. Picking is increasing seasonally. Quality is fair to good with wind damaged fruit being graded out. Sizes are fair to good. POTATOES: Southwest--Planting steady. Crop condition good. Growth and development normal. Plants are recovering nicely from wind damage. Dade--Planting continues. First fields planted up to good stands and look good. West Central-- Planting starting. RADISHES: Zellwood, Everglades--Digging is active. SQUASH: West Central--Condition remains fair to good. Picking is active but beginning to slow seasonally. Quality, sizes, and color are fair to good. East Coast--Plant growth and fruit development improved with condition rated good. Cutting continued with zucchini and yellow crookneck varieties of fancy and medium grades available. Quality and color are good. Southwest--Condition is fair to good. Young plants are recover ing well from the recent adverse weather. Planting and harvest ing are steady. Quality is good. Dade--Young fields are in very good condition. Planting continued. Picking of a heavy volume is active. Yield and quality are good. North--Harvesting is active. STRAWBERRIES: Plant City--Picking active. Supply light. Palmetto-Ruskin--Condition remains fair to good. Picking will begin in about two to three weeks. Dade--Plant growth and fruit development are good. U-Pic harvest is expected to start after mid-December. TOMATOES: Southwest--Young fields show good recovery from the recent adverse weather. Cooler, drier weather is helping to control disease. Planting is steady. Picking continued with extra large to large and some medium sizes available. Quality improved with grade-out near normal. Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is rated fair to good. Picking remains mostly steady with volume beginning to decline seasonally. Quality, color and sizes are fair to good. East Coast--Crop condition is mostly good. Plant growth, blooming, and fruit setting are increasing. Younger plants are bushing out well. Crown picks are producing fruit of mostly good quality and size with grade-out nearly normal. Second and later picks are yielding large to medium sizes. Dade--Plants are in very good condition. Recent irrigat ing boosted growth and development. Fruit set and sizing are good. Pinks were removed from the oldest acreage with volume to remain light until early January. Size and yield prospects are good. North--Picking is virtually completed. CHERRY TOMATOES: Southwest, Palmetto-Ruskin--Young plants are recovering well from the recent adverse weather. Picking is active. Quality is fair to mostly good. PLUM TOMATOES: Palmetto-Ruskin, Southwest--Condition is fair to good. Young plants show recovery from the recent winds. Harvest is steady with fair to mostly good quality fruit available. Sizes and color are good. Planting is steady in the Immokalee area. Palmetto-Ruskin producers will pick through late December. WATERMELONS: Palmetto-Ruskin--Condition remains fair to good. Harvest of a seasonally declining volume is steady. Quality is fair to good. Sizes are medium. Southwest--Condi tion is fair to good.