ga-crop-weather State Georgia Crop Weather Week Ending Date December 9, 2007 Issue GA-CW4907 Agricultural Summary December 10, 2007 DRY CONDITIONS AFFECT CROPS It was another dry week with unseasonably warm weather arriving over the weekend, according to the USDA, NASS, Georgia Field Office. Average high temperatures were in the 60's to upper 70's. Average lows ranged from the lower 30's to the lower 50's. Soil moisture conditions were rated at 38% very short, 43% short, 18% adequate, and 1% surplus. After little rain this week, conditions became very dry again. Winter grasses were having a tough time getting established under the drought conditions. Farmers were irrigating where possible. Several cattle producers were selling their herds due to the shortage of hay and the high cost of alternative feeds. The lack of rainfall has hurt small grains and has delayed the planting of cover crops and livestock forages in some areas. Other activities included harvesting cotton, planting wheat, and the routine care of livestock and poultry. County Extension Agents reported an average of 6.5 days suitable for fieldwork. Crop Progress for Week Ending 12/09/07 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop Stage : This Week : Prev Week : Prev Year : 5 Year Avg -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Data collection for crop progress will resume in March 2008. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop Condition for Week Ending 12/09/07 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Winter Wheat : 6 16 54 23 1 Range and Pasture : 32 37 26 4 1 Vegetables : 1 8 51 37 3 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Topsoil Moisture for Week Ending 12/09/07 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : This Week :Previous Week : 5 Year Avg -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Very Short : 38 29 NA Short : 43 43 NA Adequate : 18 27 NA Surplus : 1 1 NA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Topsoil Moisture for Week Ending 12/09/07, by District -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- District : Very Short : Short : Adequate : Surplus -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : District 1 (NW) : 38 30 31 1 District 2 (NC) : 19 66 15 0 District 3 (NE) : 59 40 1 0 District 4 (WC) : 49 32 15 4 District 5 (C) : 58 26 16 0 District 6 (EC) : 63 32 5 0 District 7 (SW) : 32 44 23 1 District 8 (SC) : 30 42 28 0 District 9 (SE) : 8 72 20 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. Pasture Condition for Week Ending 12/09/07, by District -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- District : Very Poor : Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : District 1 (NW) : 40 43 17 0 0 District 2 (NC) : 26 23 49 2 0 District 3 (NE) : 55 35 10 0 0 District 4 (WC) : 39 35 21 5 0 District 5 (C) : 49 30 21 0 0 District 6 (EC) : 36 42 19 3 0 District 7 (SW) : 17 41 27 10 5 District 8 (SC) : 9 50 35 6 0 District 9 (SE) : 30 21 35 13 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * 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 Summary for Week Ending 12/09/07, by Station Location ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Temperature : Precipitation : Location :-----------------:---------------------------------------:Soil : Max : Min : Avg :Weekly : Days :30 Day :60 Day : Season :Temp ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Albany : 81 30 55 0.03 1 1.05 2.85 34.15 58 Alma : 79 31 55 0.05 1 0.96 2.15 34.95 58 Alpharetta : 76 26 48 0.29 1 3.14 4.24 25.74 46 Arlington : 83 27 53 0.05 1 1.07 3.16 32.30 56 Attapulgus : 80 30 56 0.00 0 2.18 6.31 27.54 60 Blairsville : 72 22 44 0.07 1 3.15 6.35 33.44 50 Williamson : 77 28 51 0.03 1 1.69 3.14 30.28 52 Bowen : 80 31 55 0.02 1 0.76 2.36 28.88 59 Brunswick : 76 34 57 0.04 2 0.12 1.99 31.95 64 Byromville : 81 28 54 0.11 1 0.86 1.78 31.05 56 Byron : 80 32 53 0.19 1 1.30 2.10 33.97 55 Cairo : 80 31 56 0.01 1 2.28 6.36 35.00 63 Calhoun : 77 24 47 0.03 2 2.95 4.44 23.17 49 Pine Mountain : 78 28 51 0.14 1 2.92 5.04 36.54 54 Camilla : 81 30 55 0.02 1 1.16 4.12 34.21 58 Clarks Hill : 76 28 50 0.08 1 1.08 1.78 24.95 52 Cordele : 81 30 54 0.06 1 1.01 2.69 30.88 57 Covington : 78 30 50 0.07 1 1.11 2.61 27.30 52 Dahlonega : 72 26 47 0.03 1 3.30 5.41 30.25 47 Dallas : 71 28 48 1.40 4 1.69 4.31 27.15 54 Dawson : 81 28 54 0.09 1 1.52 3.45 29.20 58 Dearing : 79 32 52 0.04 1 0.58 1.19 21.40 56 Dempsey : 77 29 51 0.09 1 1.39 2.31 24.26 52 Dixie : 81 31 57 0.00 0 1.46 4.57 38.48 60 Dublin : 80 29 53 0.08 1 0.32 0.75 33.11 57 Duluth : 77 26 48 0.38 1 2.35 3.37 29.25 53 Dunwoody : 76 27 49 0.49 1 2.42 3.77 32.60 50 Eatonton : 79 29 51 0.05 1 1.48 2.84 30.09 52 Elberton : 70 30 48 0.08 1 3.15 3.48 26.30 50 Ellijay : 72 23 45 0.09 3 2.30 4.40 23.94 46 Rome : 66 26 46 0.38 2 1.31 4.17 21.54 49 Fort Valley : 80 29 53 0.36 1 2.10 3.19 30.30 54 Gainesville : 75 29 47 0.13 1 1.90 2.95 23.59 51 Georgetown : 78 28 53 0.00 0 3.33 5.64 38.40 56 Homerville : 81 26 54 0.08 1 0.79 1.71 33.33 60 Jonesboro : 77 30 50 0.16 1 1.30 2.68 26.43 51 Jeffersonville : 80 27 53 0.15 1 0.84 1.24 30.57 55 Lafayette : 73 23 48 0.08 2 4.69 8.15 29.29 50 McRae : 81 27 53 0.11 1 0.79 2.23 33.38 57 Midville : 81 32 53 0.12 1 0.52 1.22 28.77 57 Newton : 82 29 54 0.09 1 1.88 5.18 31.99 58 Plains : 78 30 53 0.08 1 1.78 3.15 30.96 53 Sasser : 80 29 54 0.08 1 1.46 4.53 34.97 56 Savannah : 79 32 54 0.05 1 0.16 1.67 40.01 59 Skidaway : 71 35 54 0.03 1 0.06 1.44 50.03 58 Sneads : 82 37 58 0.00 0 1.04 1.53 19.24 61 Statesboro : 80 32 54 0.00 0 0.50 1.69 35.19 56 Tiger : 71 23 44 0.21 2 4.50 7.72 47.62 45 Valdosta : 81 34 58 0.00 0 0.98 3.23 34.29 61 Vidalia : 79 32 55 0.00 0 1.11 2.26 39.58 58 Roopville : 78 28 50 0.13 1 1.51 3.40 30.53 52 Watkinsville : 76 30 50 0.18 1 2.23 4.00 25.19 50 Woodbine : 80 31 56 0.01 1 0.22 2.89 43.25 63 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *Weather data are supplied by the 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 at www.georgiaweather.net. DISTRICT COMMENTS December 9, 2007 DISTRICT 1 - NORTHWEST Had high winds mid-week. Some of the fall planted pasture grasses are starting to grow after a few rains. DISTRICT 2 - NORTH CENTRAL We have several cattle producers selling their herds due to lack of hay and the cost of alternatives feeds. There is no hay for sale locally. Cool, dry weather has set in. What little moisture we received Thanksgiving week is gone. Drought conditions continue. County is now over 30" short on annual rainfall. Light showers last weekend helped improve immediate soil moisture but much more is needed. Major activities include routine care of livestock and poultry. DISTRICT 3 - NORTHEAST No comments available. DISTRICT 4 - WEST CENTRAL Problems noticed are our forage crops such as Bermuda and fescue are low. Without the proper rain it is very difficult to get winter grasses established. Need rain desperately. Unusually warm, already dry, so it can get worse. DISTRICT 5 - CENTRAL No rain and record high temperatures! Hay feeding to livestock continues to increase due to very poor pasture conditions. Pond and stream levels continue to decline. Small grain planting is complete. DISTRICT 6 - EAST CENTRAL Still picking cotton. Wheat straggling - need rain! Only available winter pasture is under irrigation. Powder dry,conditions everywhere else. Dry, dry, dry! DISTRICT 7 - SOUTHWEST Received .1" of rainfall. Cotton harvest 90% complete. Wheat plantings continue, 90% complete. Wheat stands fair to good with timely rains for emergence. Getting dry again! No subsoil moisture. Lack of rainfall has hurt small grains particularly wheat and is delaying planting for cover crops and livestock forages. Dry. DISTRICT 8 - SOUTH CENTRAL Very dry for this time of year. DISTRICT 9 - SOUTHEAST It is very dry again. We need rain for the winter grazing to come up and make adequate grazing for the winter months. Hay supplies are very tight and expensive.