fl-crop-weather State Florida Crop Weather Week Ending/Released Dates Week ending February 20, 2005 Released 4:00 P.M. February 22, 2005 Report Code FL-CW0805 Weather Summary Report Clear conditions allowed field work to progress at a normal pace during the week of February 14 through 20. Most Peninsula localities received no measurable rain for the week. The danger for wildfire remains high in the northern, central and southern Peninsula. Some Panhandle areas reported a third to about a half inch of rain for the week with most falling at the beginning of the period. Most temperatures in the major cities averaged normal to four degrees above. West Palm Beach temperatures averaged one degree below normal. Daytime highs were in the 60s and 70s with a few localities recording at least one high in the 80s. Nighttime lows averaged in the 40s, 50s, and 60s with several localities recording at least one low in the 30s. Alachua, Live Oak, and MacClenny recorded at least one low in the 20s. Field Crops Report Producers prepared land for planting. Harvesting of sugarcane in the Everglades region was active. Tobacco growers started to prepare land for transplanting. Most topsoil and subsoil moisture is rated mostly short to adequate. Some areas of surplus moisture exist in Union County while spots of very short supplies were reported for St. Lucie and Broward counties. Soil moisture supplies in Dade County ranged from very short to adequate. As soil moisture levels continue to decrease the danger of wildfire increases in areas of the northern and central Peninsula as well as over most of the southern Peninsula. Soil Moisture Chart Topsoil Subsoil Moisture Rating This Last Last This Last Last week week year week week Year Percent Very short 27 10 1 24 10 1 Short 48 50 14 30 40 14 Adequate 24 31 81 45 48 82 Surplus 1 9 4 1 2 3 Vegetable Report Planting and harvesting proceeded at a normal pace. Strawberry growers are starting to prepare for the annual festival in Plant City which begins in early March. Cabbage harvesting is gaining momentum as the St. Patrick's Day holiday draws near. Vegetables and non citrus fruit marketed during the week include snap beans, cabbage, celery, sweet corn, eggplant, endive, escarole, lettuce, peppers, potatoes, radishes, squash, strawberries and tomatoes. Producers also harvested very light amounts of cucumbers. Livestock Report Recent rains over the western Panhandle kept pastures in good to excellent shape while eastern Panhandle pastures are fair to good. Due to mostly dry conditions over the northern and central Peninsula, pastures are mostly poor to fair with some good pasture available in wetter spots. Southwestern pastures are also poor to fair due to the dry weather. Statewide, pasture is mostlypoor to good. Cattle condition is rated mostly good to excellent over the Panhandle and poor to fair elsewhere. Statewide, cattle condition continues to vary from poor to excellent with most rated in good condition. Livestock Condition Chart Range Cattle Condition This Last This Last week week week week Percent Very poor 0 5 0 0 Poor 55 45 5 5 Fair 35 15 30 45 Good 10 35 60 45 Excellent 0 0 5 5 Fruit Report Citrus: Last week was another dry, warm week in citrus producing counties. The only rainfall recorded was in Immokalee and it was less than one tenth of an inch. Temperatures were in the mid 40s to mid 50s at night, and low to upper 70s during the day for most of the week. Field representatives are reporting feathery new growth with pinhead bloom buds beginning to show on oranges and grapefruit. Cultural practices, in anticipation of abundant bloom include irrigation, fertilization, mowing and post harvest hedging. Late orange harvesting is picking up with early and mid oranges still going strong, and the large majority going to processing. Decreasing quantities of tangelos and increasing quantities of Temples are also being picked for processing. Fresh fruit packing houses are running nearly equal quantities of late oranges (Valencias) and early-mid oranges, increasing amounts white and colored grapefruit, and increasing amounts of Temples and Honey tangerines. Estimated boxes harvested week ended Crop Feb 06 Feb 13 Feb 20 In thousands of 1-3/5 bushel boxes Early & Mid oranges 6,090 6,335 4,320 Navel oranges 58 27 16 Late oranges 23 42 61 Grapefruit 585 715 553 Tangelos 90 76 40 Sunburst tangerines 2 9 15 Honey tangerines 108 106 100 Temples 45 71 102 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.