fl-crop-weather
State
Florida Crop Weather

Week Ending/Released Dates
Week Ending September 9, 2001
Released 4:00 P.M. September 10, 2001

Report Code
FL-WE9000

Weather Summary
Almost daily showers brought significant rains to many Peninsula localities
during the week of September 2 through 8. Rainfall for the week ranged from
about an inch at Bradenton to almost seven inches at Ona and Umatilla.
Temperatures averaged within a degree of normal at the major stations. Lows
were in the 60s and 70s while highs were in 80s and 90s.

Field Crops Report
Frequent showers replenished soil moisture in many areas. Topsoil and
subsoil moisture supplies are mostly short to adequate with some scattered
localities reporting surplus supplies. Peanut condition is rated 4 percent
poor, 26 percent fair, 51 percent good and 19 percent excellent. Peanut
digging is gaining momentum. Tobacco harvesting is almost finished.
Haymaking is active. Cotton picking is getting underway with a few bolls
beginning to rot due to too much rain. Sugarcane remains in good condition.

Soil Moisture Chart

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

                                         Percent
 Very short                4              0              2              0
 Short                    40             24             31             30
 Adequate                 56             63             67             65
 Surplus                   0             13              0              5

Livestock Report
In the Panhandle, pasture condition is fair to excellent with many
locations in fair condition due to dry soil. In the north counties, there
is some land preparation for winter forage planting. In the central areas
half the pastures look better following good recent showers. Lakes, ponds
and streams are still well below normal. The west central pastures are good
to excellent. In the southwest and southern counties, pasture condition is
fair to good. Statewide, cattle and calves are mostly in good condition.

Livestock Condition Chart
                           Range                        Cattle
   Condition
                 Last week      This week      Last week      This week
                                         Percent
 Very poor                 0              0              0              0
 Poor                      5              5              5              0
 Fair                     30             40             20             20
 Good                     60             45             70             70
 Excellent                 5             10              5             10

Fruit Report
CITRUS: Most of this week there were clouds, rains and thunder storms
throughout Florida's citrus belt. Rainfall accumulations generally were in
the two to five inch range depending on location. Some groves were so wet
at times that caretakers had to restrict entry due to ponding and general
flooding of the dirt roads. There were also occasional high winds which
might have caused some fruit scarring but otherwise did not cause serious
damage. New growth continues in abundance due to the recent tropical
weather. New crop fruit in well-cared-for groves is making very good
progress. Testing of Navels, grapefruit, Fallglo tangerines and Ambersweet
oranges for early shipments is active in all areas. A few fresh fruit
packing houses have fruit in the degreening rooms. Volume packing of these
early shipments is still a few weeks away.
  Caretakers are mowing, chopping and discing cover crops that have grown
tall and out of control with the help of all the recent rains. Growers are
pumping out excessive water where there are ditches and canals to handle
the problem. There is some deep plowing of grove middles to remove the
water from the trees' roots. Herbicides, sprays and fertilizers are being
applied between the afternoon rains.

Vegetable Report
Afternoon showers boosted growth and develop ment of recent plantings in
central and southern Peninsula areas with the planting of fall crops
increasing. Bell peppers and squash are in fair to good condition, and
cucumbers, eggplant, cherry tomatoes, plum tomatoes and hot peppers are in
fair condition in the Southwest region. The continued hot weather around
Immokalee is causing stress to round tomatoes, especially younger plants.
Sweet corn is in good to excellent condition in the Everglades region with
oldest plants about six inches high. Cucumber planting is increasing around
Zellwood. Eggplant planting started in Dade County with the crop rated in
good condition. Okra harvesting is active with dry conditions around
Homestead stressing plants. Eggplant, peppers, and round tomatoes are in
mostly good condition in the East Coast region. Quincy tomatoes are in good
condition.

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