fl-crop-weather State Florida Crop Weather Week Ending/Released Dates Week ending June 15, 2003 Released 4:00 P.M. June 16, 2003 Report Code FL-CW2403 Weather Summary Report Daily showers brought welcomed rains to many localities during the week of June 8 through June 14. Rainfall totaled from about a quarter of an inch at Daytona Beach to nearly four and a half inches at Avalon. Funnel clouds and tornadoes were sighted in a few localities during the storms with strong winds downing tree limbs and damaging some buildings and cars. However, the scattered nature of the rains left a few areas dry, especially in the Big Bend area. Temperatures averaged near normal to two degrees above in the major cities during the week. Daytime highs were in the 80s and 90s. Most nighttime lows were in the 70s. Field Crops Report Soil moisture is mostly adequate to surplus with short supplies reported for counties in the Big Bend area and a few spots in the Panhandle. Rains delayed some hay cutting and baling with most on schedule. A few hay producers are combating armyworms. Most peanut, cotton, tobacco, corn and soybean fields dried sufficiently for tilling tasks. However, the wet conditions delayed some herbicide treatments with growers waiting for a few dry days in which to apply pesticides. Some fertilizer leached from tobacco, vegetable and melon fields with producers hoping to make additional applications. Most cotton is planted with only a few growers still seeding. Corn silage harvest is underway in northern Peninsula localities. Peanuts are in mostly good to excellent condition with a small acreage in the northern Peninsula and Panhandle areas, reportedly, in only fair condition. Twenty percent of peanuts are pegged compared with 29 percent last year and the five-year average of 32 percent pegged by this date. Tobacco harvesting is gaining momentum. Soil Moisture Chart Topsoil Subsoil Moisture Rating This Last Last This Last Last week week year week week Year Percent Very short 0 1 6 0 1 10 Short 5 19 55 5 14 48 Adequate 80 60 39 85 70 42 Surplus 15 20 0 10 15 0 Vegetables Report Most supplies are declining seasonally with hot temperatures limiting plant growth. Vegetables and non-citrus fruit available include cantaloupes, cucumbers, eggplant, okra, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, and watermelons. Squash harvesting is virtually finished. Livestock Report In the Panhandle, some pastures have standing water. Some armyworm damage was noted inBermuda hay fields in Washington County. Hay and forage growth are good. Some locations in the Big Bend counties are still dry. In the south areas, pasture condition improved following rains. Statewide, condition of the cattle is mostly good. Livestock Condition Chart Range Cattle Condition This Last This Last week week week week Percent Very poor 0 5 0 0 Poor 0 10 0 0 Fair 10 20 10 15 Good 85 65 85 80 Excellent 5 0 5 5 Fruit Report Citrus: This was a very typical summer week in Florida's citrus belt. There were numerous afternoon rains and thunderstorms the first part of the week. The last few days were just really hot with temperatures in the 90s and a few scattered showers. There is an abundance of new growth on trees of all ages. Most trees in the well-cared-for groves have completed dropping the little green fruit that cannot be carried for the next season. This is a normal and natural process that takes place in the late spring and early summer. New crop fruit are all making good progress. Harvest of the current crop of Valencia oranges is slowing to a crawl as most of the juice plants and fresh fruit packing houses are closed for the season. Very few grapefruit and Honey tangerines are remaining to be picked. Caretakers are very active mowing, chopping, and discing cover crops. Vines are being cut out and sprayed before they climb up the trees and shade out the new crop of fruit. Summer fertilizations are in full swing in all areas. Dead trees are being pushed, cut out and burned. New resets are generally going in groves where older trees have been removed. Herbicides and sprays are going on in most fresh fruit groves. Estimated boxes harvested week ended Crop Jun 1 Jun 8 Jun 15 Valencia oranges 3,914,000 4,092,000 2,366,000 All grapefruit 33,000 23,000 10,000 Honey tangerines 4,000 9,000 0 Comments/Contact Information To receive this report via e-mail, log onto http://www.usda.gov/nass/sso-rpts.htm Then click on “Subscribe” (upper right part of screen), then select “Florida Crop-Weather”, enter your name and your e-mail address, then click on “Subscribe”. The report will be sent automatically to your e-mail address each week.