fl-crop-weather Week ending August 6, 2000 Released 4:00 P.M. August 7, 2000 WEATHER SUMMARY: Scattered showers continued daily during the week of July 30 through August 5. Rainfall ranged from about a third inch at Daytona Beach to almost four inches at Pensacola and Pierson with many stations recording less than an inch, especially over the western Panhandle and northern Peninsula. Temperatures at the major stations averaged within a degree of normal. Daytime highs were mostly in the 80s and 90s while nighttime lows were mostly in the 70s and 80s. July rainfall ranged from about two and a third inches at Pensacola to about nine and three fourths inches at Melbourne with most central and southern Peninsula localities recording from four to almost nine inches for the month. The July rains were slightly above normal at some stations but most others were a half inch to over five inches below normal. July temperatures were one degree below normal to four degrees above at the major stations with most daytime highs in the 80s and 90s. Pensacola, Tallahassee, and Umatilla each recorded at least one high at 100 or more. Nighttime lows were mostly in the 70s and 80s with several stations recording at least one low in the 60s. FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture throughout the State is mostly short to adequate. Rainfall was scattered. Tobacco harvest is active. Tobacco markets opened for the season on August 1. Cotton is in fair to good condition. The sugarcane crop is in good condition. Soybeans are mostly in good condi tion. Haying is active in areas of good forage growth. Army worms are reported in some pastures. Growers report peanut condition at 58% fair and 42% good, with 84 percent pegged. Moisture Topsoil Subsoil Rating Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very short 0 0 6 3 Short 31 24 43 37 Adequate 69 73 51 57 Surplus 0 3 0 3 LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: Statewide, pasture and cattle are in fair to good condition. In the Panhandle, northern and central counties, pasture is in poor to good condition. Cattle are in fair to good condition in the Panhandle and north. Some armyworm damage is reported in the central area. Drought continued in some central locations and stock ponds are low. In the west central counties, condition of pasture and cattle are generally improved from the previous week. The southwest reports show pastures in good condition. Range Cattle Condition Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very poor 0 0 0 0 Poor 5 5 5 5 Fair 70 55 55 60 Good 25 40 40 35 Excellent 0 0 0 0 CITRUS: Florida's citrus belt received an abundance of rain and thunderstorms this week. Some groves had puddles and standing water for short periods of time. These rains have continued to produce new growth on trees of all ages. Most late bloom is over and the vast majority of the pea size fruit has fallen from the trees. There are a few groves with varying degrees of late bloom fruit, but nowhere near the volume that was recorded last season. New crop fruit is making very good progress with the help of the plentiful moisture. Caretakers are mowing, chopping and discing cover crops that have made very aggressive growth. Growers are herbiciding to try to keep the weeds and vines out of the trees and away from the micro-irrigation systems. Summer sprays and fertilizations are being applied between showers. Dead tree removal and burning of limbs and grove trash is active in all areas. VEGETABLES: Producers continue to prepare land for the planting of fall crops over the southern and central Peninsula. Palmetto-Ruskin growers started planting round and plum varieties of tomatoes with the planting of cherry and grape varieties gaining momentum. Watermelon planting is expected to start within the next two to three weeks in the West Central region. East Coast growers expect to start planting within the next seven to ten days barring any rain delays. The harvesting of okra remains active in Dade County. Palmetto-Ruskin producers continue to pick summer squash. To receive this report via e-mail, send an e-mail message to nass-state-releases@news.usda.gov with the following message: subscribe fl-crop-weather. The report will be e-mailed automatically to your e-mail address each week.