ga-crop-weather State Georgia Crop Weather Week Ending Date March 5, 2006 Issue GA-CW0906 Agricultural Summary March 5, 2006 DRY BEGINNING TO MARCH The transition to the third month of the year was dry and warm, according to the USDA, NASS, Georgia Field Office. Average temperatures ranged from the high 40's to low 50's. Rain was virtually nonexistent, as very few areas received any measurable precipitation. Soil moisture conditions were rated 6 percent short, 74 percent adequate, and 20 percent surplus. Hay supplies continued to decrease due to the reliance of many farmers on supplemental livestock feeding. Pasture fertilization was a common activity, in spite of the wet and muddy conditions around barns and in the pastures. A few growers claimed that the soil moisture levels were "just right" for field work preparation. Corn planting began in earnest. Other activities included spraying wheat, preparing land for corn, snap bean, and greenbean planting, preparing land for tobacco transplanting, and the routine care of poultry and livestock. Many of the cool season vegetables are doing well, but there is some concern that the unseasonably warm days could lead to some late cold damage. Blueberry growers who took adequate precautions were not harmed by a short freeze. County Extension Agents reported an average of 5.4 days suitable for fieldwork. CROP PROGRESS Mar 5, Prev Prev 5 Year 2006 Week Year Avg Corn, Planted 1 0 NA NA Wheat, Jointing 27 17 NA NA Wheat, Boot 1 0 NA NA Watermelons, Planted 0 0 NA NA CROP CONDITION March 5, 2006 Crop Very Poor Poor Fair Good Excellent --Percentages-- Vegetables 0 2 42 51 5 Wheat 0 4 33 60 3 Pasture 5 12 45 37 1 PASTURE CONDITION - DISTRICT* LEVEL March 5, 2006 Very Poor Poor Fair Good Excellent --Percentages-- Dist 1(NW) 17 19 61 3 0 Dist 2(NC) 0 10 47 42 1 Dist 3(NE) 0 4 45 51 0 Dist 4(WC) 17 21 36 26 0 Dist 5(C) 5 9 41 45 0 Dist 6(EC) 0 7 53 40 0 Dist 7(SW) 1 20 36 41 2 Dist 8(SC) 9 9 47 33 2 Dist 9(SE) 0 6 59 35 0 *A list of the counties in each of the nine Georgia Agricultural Statistics Districts is available at http://www.nass.usda.gov/ga/ctyests/districts.pdf. Soil Moisture Table Mar 5, 2006 Prev Year 5 Year Avg --Percentages-- Very Short 0 NA NA Short 6 NA NA Adequate 74 NA NA Surplus 20 NA NA SOIL MOISTURE - DISTRICT* LEVEL March 5, 2006 Very Short Short Adequate Surplus --Percentages-- Dist 1(NW) 2 29 61 8 Dist 2(NC) 0 4 81 15 Dist 3(NE) 0 0 96 4 Dist 4(WC) 0 0 70 30 Dist 5(C) 0 2 80 18 Dist 6(EC) 0 3 63 34 Dist 7(SW) 1 9 77 13 Dist 8(SC) 0 7 64 29 Dist 9(SE) 0 2 81 17 *A list of the counties in each of the nine Georgia Agricultural Statistics Districts is available at http://www.nass.usda.gov/ga/ctyests/districts.pdf. Weather Information Table GEORGIA WEATHER SUMMARY FOR THE WEEK ENDING MIDNIGHT, SUNDAY MARCH 5, 2006 1/ 2006 Air Temperature Precipitation Totals Extreme Weekly Rain 30 60 Soil Location Max Min AvG Weekly Day Day Day Season Temp ALBANY 77 31 56 0.01 1 3.98 7.38 11.77 59 ALMA 78 33 56 0.00 0 2.71 6.86 12.73 56 ALPHARETTA 74 24 50 0.00 0 4.45 8.92 9.63 48 ARLINGTON 79 28 56 0.00 0 3.43 6.03 9.90 57 ATTAPULGUS 80 31 57 0.00 0 2.76 5.76 7.07 59 BLAIRSVILLE 70 17 46 0.00 0 2.02 7.28 8.42 48 WILLIAMSON 73 24 53 0.00 0 3.51 5.25 5.93 51 BOWEN 76 33 55 0.00 0 2.32 5.71 9.52 58 BRUNSWICK 81 36 57 0.00 0 1.83 6.70 8.62 60 BYROMVILLE 76 28 54 0.00 0 3.96 6.46 8.73 50 CAIRO 79 31 57 0.00 0 2.70 5.87 7.18 60 CALHOUN 75 19 49 0.01 1 2.50 6.57 7.44 49 PINE MOUNTAIN 74 24 51 0.00 0 3.24 6.31 6.99 51 CAMILLA 79 28 56 0.00 0 2.36 6.14 11.00 58 CLARKS HILL 77 23 51 0.00 0 3.88 6.15 7.68 52 CORDELE 75 29 56 0.00 0 4.44 6.61 9.68 56 COVINGTON 73 26 53 0.00 0 2.80 4.42 5.37 51 DAHLONEGA 71 24 51 0.00 0 2.24 6.98 7.92 47 DALLAS 73 24 52 0.00 0 5.52 10.95 11.63 49 DAWSON 77 27 55 0.00 0 2.70 5.16 6.33 55 DEARING 76 26 54 0.00 0 2.43 4.67 6.49 53 DEMPSEY 73 26 53 0.00 0 3.49 5.73 6.72 51 DIXIE 80 33 57 0.00 0 2.49 6.72 8.44 60 DUBLIN 76 28 54 0.00 0 3.21 5.76 8.45 56 DULUTH 75 26 50 0.00 0 5.12 10.21 11.78 49 DUNWOODY 73 25 51 0.00 0 4.83 9.72 10.29 49 EATONTON 76 22 52 0.00 0 3.62 5.67 6.93 48 ELBERTON 78 22 52 0.00 0 4.15 7.26 8.17 51 ELLIJAY 69 19 47 0.00 0 3.34 8.72 9.60 47 ROME 75 22 50 0.00 0 2.65 7.31 8.17 49 FORT VALLEY 75 25 54 0.00 0 3.33 5.37 6.75 53 GAINESVILLE 71 31 51 0.00 0 3.08 7.22 8.20 52 GEORGETOWN 78 25 55 0.00 0 3.15 6.16 8.51 58 HOMERVILLE 81 32 56 0.00 0 1.71 5.80 8.60 60 JONESBORO 74 27 53 0.00 0 4.60 7.11 8.46 50 JACKSONVILLE 75 28 54 0.00 0 2.69 4.47 5.80 54 LAFAYETTE 76 19 51 0.01 1 1.73 6.47 6.95 49 MCRAE 75 27 53 0.00 0 4.62 7.88 11.74 57 MIDVILLE 76 30 55 0.00 0 2.73 4.80 6.85 55 NAHUNTA 81 31 56 0.00 0 1.24 4.18 6.39 58 NEWTON 80 28 55 0.00 0 2.81 6.74 11.33 58 PLAINS 76 29 55 0.00 0 4.61 7.22 9.64 54 SASSER 75 29 55 0.00 0 3.43 6.28 8.44 57 SAVANNAH 78 29 55 0.00 0 2.61 7.43 8.97 58 SHELLMAN 77 27 55 0.00 0 2.87 5.26 7.02 58 SKIDAWAY 75 33 53 0.35 3 3.72 5.72 5.72 53 SNEADS 78 40 58 0.00 0 3.13 5.91 8.66 57 STATESBORO 76 28 54 0.00 0 2.08 4.37 6.12 56 TIFTON 74 33 56 0.01 1 2.37 6.89 11.68 57 TIGER 73 19 49 0.00 0 2.68 8.63 9.69 48 VALDOSTA 81 34 59 0.00 0 2.19 6.94 8.51 59 VIDALIA 76 30 55 0.00 0 2.94 5.71 7.03 57 ROOPVILLE 73 25 52 0.00 0 4.17 8.48 9.54 51 WATKINSVILLE 73 26 52 0.00 0 5.16 8.26 10.23 51 WOODBINE 82 32 57 0.00 0 2.43 6.05 6.47 61 1/ Weather data supplied by Georgia Automated Environmental Monitoring Network (AEMN) and the office of the State Climatologist, University of Georgia. For detailed Georgia weather data visit the AEMN homepage, www.georgiaweather.net. NA - not available. District Highlights These comments are written by the Georgia County Extension Agents, and have been compiled and edited by the Georgia Agricultural Statistics Service. DISTRICT COMMENTS March 5, 2006 DISTRICT 1 - NORTHWEST Fertilizing pastures/hayfields. Hay supplies are very short. We are starting to get really dry with these warmer temperatures and March winds. Farmers are busy fertilizing pastures and hay fields and spraying wheat. Soil is getting dry for this time of the year. DISTRICT 2 - NORTH CENTRAL Routine care of livestock and poultry. DISTRICT 3 - NORTHEAST No comments available. DISTRICT 4 - WEST CENTRAL Producers started to plant corn. DISTRICT 5 - CENTRAL Wet, muddy conditions around barns and in pastures. Heavy hay feeding continues to livestock and some hay supplies are getting short. Many of our cool season vegetables are doing well. There are some concerns that the unseasonably warm days are opening us for some late cold damage. DISTRICT 6 - EAST CENTRAL No comments available. DISTRICT 7 - SOUTHWEST We received 3" of rainfall. Corn and greenbean land preparation for planting. DISTRICT 8 - SOUTH CENTRAL Blueberries did not seem to be hurt by last weeks freezing temperatures where adequate precautions were taken. Soil moisture is just right for preparing for field work. Tobacco land is being prepared for tobacco transplanting. DISTRICT 9 - SOUTHEAST No corn growing yet. Corn planting expected to start this week. Snapbean being planted this week. Find agricultural statistics for your county, State, and the Nation at www.usda.gov/nass/. Media Contact: David S. Abbe, Director USDA-NASS Georgia Field Office Phone: 706-546-2236 E-mail: nass-ga@nass.usda.gov Website: http://www.nass.usda.gov/ga