fl-crop-weather

Week ending August 30, 1998
                             Released 4:00 P.M.
                                                            August 31, 1998

WEATHER SUMMARY: Rainfall dropped off from last week in most areas as
Hurricane Bonnie passed by Florida. Scattered thunderstorms occurred in
some areas with varying amounts of rainfall accumulated. Temperatures were
generally up from last week and averaged normal to above with highs in the
80s and 90s and lows in the 70s.

FIELD CROPS: The topsoil moisture in the southern Peninsula was adequate
while other areas of the State reported mostly adequate with scattered
areas of short moisture. Peanuts and cotton are beginning to show stress
due to the lack of moisture in some areas. Haying is active in most areas.
Tobacco marketing is active. Next cycle of fall armyworms is beginning to
require treatment in hay fields and pastures. White mold, limb rot, and
possibly CBR are showing up in many peanut fields. Foliage feeders are
coming back to some peanut fields. Velvet bean caterpillars are being found
in scattered soybean fields. Sugarcane is in good condition. Peanut
condition: poor 3%, fair 27%, good 70%. Nine percent of the peanuts for
nuts are reported harvested.

    Moisture               Topsoil                      Subsoil
     Rating       Last week      This week     Last week      This week

                                         Percent
 Very short                 0             0              1              0
 Short                      2            27              4             24
 Adequate                  92            73             91             75
 Surplus                    6             0              4              1

LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: Armyworms were a problem in the Panhandle and
central counties. Growth of pasture grass slowed throughout the State due
to the dry soil conditions. Cattle and calves were reported to be in fair
to good condition.

                           Range                        Cattle
   Condition
                 Last week      This week     Last week       This week
                                         Percent
 Very poor                 0              0             0               0
 Poor                      0              0             0               0
 Fair                     35             25            30              40
 Good                     65             75            70              60
 Excellent                 0              0             0               0

CITRUS: Rain was generally scattered and minimal this week due to the dry
conditions provided by the westerly side of Hurricane Bonnie. The hurricane
had no effect on Florida's citrus belt. More rain is needed after this dry
and very hot week. Groves are in good condition in all areas following
August's near ideal growing weather. Very little irrigation was used during
the month as there were regular showers and thunderstorms except for the
last week of the month. Harvest for the 1998-99 season got underway with
packing and shipping of an early bloom crop of red grapefruit from Hendry
County. A few other fresh fruit packing houses are expected to open in the
next few weeks.

    Caretakers are very active mowing, chopping, and discing cover crops.
Spraying continues active in those groves where the fruit is being raised
for fresh use. Fall fertilizations are being applied in most areas.

VEGETABLES: Ground preparations for fall crop planting continued as
Hurricane Bonnie passed by Florida. Gadsden County -- Tomatoes continue in
good condition. Most plants are past the first string. East Coast--Eggplant
growers are working ground, leveling land, and laying plastic as some light
planting is underway. Tomato and pepper transplanting are increasing with
some light spot resettings necessary due to the hot weather. Oldest
transplantings are in fair to good condition. Palmetto-Ruskin-- Tomato
planting is active but slowing. Plant growth is fair to good. Staking is
very active with first ties on some. Pepper planting has started. Eggplant
condition is fair to good with normal development. Cherry and plum tomato
plantings are steady with plants in fair to good condition.
Southwest--Tomato and pepper plantings are increasing with overall crop
condition fair to good. Cherry and plum tomatoes are also in fair to good
condition as planting momentum increases. Dade County--Okra harvest
continues and is slowing. Some small fields of snap beans were seeded this
week. Plastic is being laid for the first eggplant with planting planned
for the first part of September.

           MONTHLY UTILIZATION OF FRESH GRAPEFRUIT 1997-98 SEASON

         MONTHLY UTILIZATION OF PROCESSED GRAPEFRUIT 1997-98 SEASON

SOURCE: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

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