fl-crop-weather State Florida Crop Weather Week Ending/Released Dates Week ending June 22, 2003 Released 4:00 P.M. June 23, 2003 Report Code FL-CW2503 Weather Summary Report Abundant rainfall during the latter part of the week of June 15 through 21 slowed most fieldwork. Official rainfall totals ranged from about an inch and a quarter at Jacksonville to over twelve inches at Bradenton. Unofficial reports included 15 inches in Manatee County (which flooded all flat woods soils) and 10 inches in Charlotte County. Some areas in southern Polk County flooded. Cloud cover kept most daily high temperatures in the 80s with nearly all localities recording at least one high in the 90s. Nighttime lows were mostly in the 70s with several areas reporting at least one low in the 60s. Field Crops Report Topsoil and subsoil moisture are mostly adequate to surplus with a few spots in the southeastern Peninsula and along the central Atlantic coast reporting very short or short supplies. Peanuts are in mostly good to excellent condition with a small acreage reportedly in only poor to fair condition. Forty percent of peanuts are pegged compared with 36 percent pegged by this date last year. The five-year average of pegging by this date is 40 percent. Peanuts in Panhandle counties are in excellent condition; some growers are shortening the spraying schedules due to excessive rain. In Gilchrist County, the crop is in good condition with some peanuts planted under irrigation pivots behind corn silage. Excessive rain and wet fields are becoming major problems in the Panhandle with planting of some crops not yet completed. In some cases, a week or more will be needed to dry out fields for equipment to get in. Herbicide and fungicide treatments are delayed in some peanut and cotton fields. In Columbia County, tobacco harvesting is active although frequent rain is slowing the harvest of lower leaves. Silage crops are making good progress. Some crops are requiring additional fertilizer due to higher than normal rainfall. Hay fields are making good growth. Haying is active in some northern counties and will start soon in Marion County. Some cotton is blooming. In Washington County, the corn crop looks great, and cotton, beans and hay are performing well. Web worms invaded some pecan trees in Union County. Soil Moisture Chart Topsoil Subsoil Moisture Rating This Last Last This Last Last week week year week week Year Percent Very short 1 0 1 1 0 5 Short 4 5 27 4 5 53 Adequate 55 80 66 60 85 36 Surplus 40 15 6 35 10 6 Vegetables Report Plentiful rains curtailed most picking with growers harvesting supplies for the July 4th holiday demand. Watermelon shipments are active in Jefferson County. Melon harvesting is about eighty percent complete in Columbia County. Vegetables and non-citrus fruit available include cantaloupes,eggplant, okra, potatoes, tomatoes, and watermelons. Cucumber and pepper picking are nearing the end. Livestock Report Pasture condition is down statewide due to standing water from heavy rains of the last two weeks. In the northern counties, haying is active when weather permits. Disease and insect pressure is increasing. Statewide, cattle are generally in good condition. Livestock Condition Chart Range Cattle Condition This Last This Last week week week week Percent Very poor 5 0 0 0 Poor 15 0 0 0 Fair 5 10 10 10 Good 65 85 80 85 Excellent 10 5 10 5 Fruit Report Citrus: Tropical moisture from the Gulf and sea breezes from the east coast provided abundant moisture for all citrus growing areas. The recent rains have produced a lot of new growth on trees of all ages. Most young trees are virtually loaded with new foliage and little green fruit. All new crop fruit is responding favorably with good sizes for mid-June. Fruit droppage is minimal as most trees have adjusted to the size crop they can carry for next fruit season. Caretakers have shut off their irrigation equipment and are servicing most working parts for the fall dry periods. Harvest of Valencia oranges is down to the final few hundred thousand boxes. Most of the larger processing plants have closed for the season. Only a handful of small fresh fruit packing houses are still running a few special orders. Caretakers are mowing, chopping and discing cover crops that have made very good growth with the help of the recent rains. Growers are cutting out vines that are trying to cover the tops of trees and shade out the new crop of fruit. There is a tremendous amount of dead and dying trees being cut out, pushed out and burned. Summer sprays are actively being applied to most crops being grown for fresh utilization. New resets are generally only going in older groves. The second herbicides are being applied where weeds are making aggressive growth. Summer fertilizations continue. Estimated boxes harvested week ended Crop Jun 8 Jun 15 Jun 22 Valencia oranges 4,296,000 2,366,000 1,136,000 All grapefruit 26,000 10,000 3,000 Honey tangerines 4,000 4,000 3,000 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.