ga-crop-weather State Georgia Crop Weather Week Ending Date April 23, 2007 Issue GA-CW0107 Agricultural Summary April 23, 2007 DROUGHT CONDITIONS ACROSS THE STATE Severe to moderate drought conditions have developed across the State, according to the USDA, NASS, Georgia Field Office. Highs averaged in the 70's most of the week. Average lows ranged from the lower 40's to the lower 50's. The State experienced very windy conditions the first part of the week. During the mid week some areas in the southwest received light rain, otherwise the State remained dry. Soil moisture conditions were rated at 21% very short, 40% short, 37% adequate, and 2% surplus. Results of the Easter freeze were still being evaluated, but fruits were severely damaged by the freeze with a majority of the crops lost. Peaches, pecans and blueberries were hit hard. The majority of the corn crop did survive, but some replanting was completed last week. Growth has been slow for pastures, hayfields, turf and sod were burnt back by the freeze. Wheat, rye and other small grains also received freeze damage. Most crops were still suffering from lingering drought conditions, and may bounce back with significant rainfall. Farmers were irrigating soil in order to plant crops. Other activities included the routine care of poultry and livestock, preparing land for planting and feeding hay when available. County Extension Agents reported an average of 6.0 days suitable for fieldwork. Crop Progress for Week Ending 04/22/07 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop Stage : This Week : Prev Week : Prev Year : 5 Year Avg -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Corn Planted : 89 80 89 84 Corn Emerged : 81 67 78 72 Soybeans Planted : 2 0 2 3 Sorghum Planted : 11 6 9 9 Cotton Planted : 2 1 9 8 Winter Wheat Boot : 98 86 86 88 Winter Wheat Headed : 87 60 69 72 Apples Blooming : 78 58 56 68 Onions Harvested : 20 7 16 11 Peanuts Planted : 1 0 1 2 Tobacco Transplanted : 66 41 75 66 Watermelons Planted : 88 73 77 80 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop Condition for Week Ending 04/22/07 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Corn : 7 19 47 26 1 Sorghum : 12 11 64 13 0 Winter Wheat : 7 16 35 39 3 Range and Pasture : 16 33 35 16 0 Apples : 93 6 1 0 0 Hay : 17 33 39 11 0 Onions : 0 17 38 41 4 Peaches : 71 12 17 0 0 Tobacco : 4 26 53 16 1 Watermelons : 6 18 45 29 2 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Soil Moisture for Week Ending 04/22/07 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : This Week :Previous Week : 5 Year Avg -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Very Short : 21 15 9 Short : 40 39 27 Adequate : 37 43 54 Surplus : 2 4 10 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *Soil Moisture Map is 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. Soil Moisture for Week Ending 04/22/07, by District -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- District : Very Short : Short : Adequate : Surplus -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : District 1 (NW) : 24 35 41 0 District 2 (NC) : 3 50 46 1 District 3 (NE) : 7 49 44 0 District 4 (WC) : 13 56 31 0 District 5 (C) : 10 43 45 2 District 6 (EC) : 10 38 52 0 District 7 (SW) : 18 32 43 7 District 8 (SC) : 54 21 22 3 District 9 (SE) : 36 57 7 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 04/22/07, by District -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- District : Very Poor : Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : District 1 (NW) : 11 17 34 38 0 District 2 (NC) : 1 29 38 29 3 District 3 (NE) : 1 15 61 23 0 District 4 (WC) : 2 39 45 14 0 District 5 (C) : 23 39 32 6 0 District 6 (EC) : 8 36 49 7 0 District 7 (SW) : 23 36 24 15 2 District 8 (SC) : 25 43 17 15 0 District 9 (SE) : 40 15 42 3 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. Weather Summary for Week Ending 04/22/07, by Station Location ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Temperature : Precipitation : Location :-----------------:---------------------------------------:Soil : Max : Min : Avg :Weekly : Days :30 Day :60 Day : Season :Temp ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Albany : 81 41 62 0.00 0 2.66 4.43 13.00 69 Alma : 82 41 62 0.00 0 0.01 1.87 6.17 65 Alpharetta : 80 38 58 0.00 0 1.81 4.95 10.93 59 Arlington : 82 40 61 0.00 0 2.52 5.40 13.06 65 Attapulgus : 81 38 62 0.06 1 0.39 1.28 7.13 71 Blairsville : 76 30 55 0.00 0 2.54 5.53 10.16 57 Williamson : 77 38 58 0.00 0 1.64 4.75 11.49 61 Bowen : 80 42 62 0.00 0 0.69 1.97 7.89 68 Brunswick : 85 43 63 0.00 0 0.68 2.49 7.52 66 Byromville : 81 40 61 0.00 0 3.16 4.73 11.03 64 Byron : 80 40 60 0.00 0 2.05 3.57 10.24 63 Cairo : 81 41 62 0.04 1 0.73 1.64 7.61 65 Calhoun : 80 29 58 0.00 0 1.09 4.23 7.81 58 Pine Mountain : 77 34 58 0.00 0 1.79 6.08 14.19 60 Camilla : 81 42 62 0.00 0 1.46 3.89 11.83 67 Clarks Hill : 82 40 59 0.00 0 0.81 4.54 10.05 62 Cordele : 80 42 61 0.00 0 4.28 5.29 10.97 65 Covington : 79 37 58 0.00 0 1.29 4.34 10.97 60 Dahlonega : 76 36 58 0.00 0 2.20 6.97 13.21 57 Dallas : 78 39 59 0.00 0 1.59 4.14 9.67 59 Dawson : 80 38 61 0.00 0 4.60 5.59 10.50 64 Dearing : 82 41 61 0.00 0 1.72 5.12 10.49 62 Dempsey : 77 36 59 0.00 0 1.30 4.29 10.72 63 Dixie : 83 40 63 0.01 1 0.46 1.52 8.11 69 Dublin : 82 41 61 0.00 0 3.28 4.76 12.29 65 Duluth : 78 39 58 0.00 0 1.79 5.63 11.78 59 Dunwoody : 77 40 59 0.00 0 2.04 5.51 11.22 58 Eatonton : 80 37 58 0.00 0 0.93 4.00 10.90 62 Elberton : 82 39 60 0.01 1 2.95 6.62 13.58 60 Ellijay : 77 34 56 0.00 0 1.74 4.72 9.88 57 Rome : 80 36 58 0.00 0 1.19 3.40 6.66 60 Fort Valley : 79 39 61 0.00 0 1.28 2.51 7.13 63 Gainesville : 77 44 59 0.00 0 1.58 4.64 8.94 60 Georgetown : 80 39 60 0.00 0 5.13 8.03 15.76 65 Griffin : 77 36 60 0.00 0 1.19 4.11 10.63 61 Homerville : 85 38 61 0.00 0 0.05 1.45 7.27 67 Jonesboro : 80 41 59 0.00 0 1.81 4.63 10.22 59 Jacksonville : 79 38 60 0.00 0 2.64 5.34 11.76 65 Lafayette : 78 37 58 0.00 0 2.81 5.54 9.26 57 McRae : 82 37 59 0.00 0 1.74 3.88 10.59 66 Midville : 81 43 61 0.01 1 2.69 4.44 10.32 64 Nahunta : 85 38 61 0.00 0 0.32 2.19 6.84 68 Newton : 81 40 60 0.68 1 2.53 4.43 12.53 65 Plains : 79 38 60 0.00 0 2.39 4.75 11.05 64 Sasser : 79 39 61 0.00 0 5.57 6.76 13.18 63 Savannah : 86 41 60 0.00 0 0.08 2.33 6.99 68 Skidaway : 82 44 61 0.39 3 0.60 2.01 5.78 63 Sneads : 84 46 64 0.00 0 0.00 1.16 7.04 66 Statesboro : 81 42 61 0.00 0 1.33 2.99 9.15 68 Tifton : 78 41 62 0.00 0 0.45 1.97 7.63 64 Tiger : 77 34 56 0.00 0 2.67 9.27 16.30 58 Valdosta : 83 40 64 0.01 1 0.46 1.54 8.02 65 Vidalia : 81 42 62 0.00 0 0.70 2.24 9.34 66 Roopville : 79 39 59 0.00 0 3.31 5.11 11.08 63 Watkinsville : 65 25 39 0.01 1 2.30 4.26 4.26 41 Woodbine : 84 39 61 0.00 0 0.96 2.78 8.23 69 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *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 April 23, 2007 DISTRICT 1 - NORTHWEST No Comments Available. DISTRICT 2 - NORTH CENTRAL Some annual cool season grasses have been severely hurt or killed. Complete evaluations as a result of the Easter freeze are still being conducted, but there was severe damage to many crops. Warmer weather has returned and damage to crops is becoming more apparent; wheat, rye and other small grains received more damage than initially thought; peaches have been confirmed as a total loss. Apples were also severely damaged. Vineyards sustained significant freeze damage last week. Strawberry farms removing dead foliage and spraying fungicides for disease control; harvest will be delayed about two weeks DISTRICT 3 - NORTHEAST No Comments Available. DISTRICT 4 - WEST CENTRAL In addition to county loosing its peach crop, our strawberries, blueberries, and other small fruits were severely damaged from the cold snap. Still VERY DRY! Need more rain badly. Corn planting continues. Hay feeding to livestock continues, if any hay is available to feed. Some cold damage to small grains evident. DISTRICT 5 - CENTRAL It has been unseasonably cold and the rain has been welcomed. We may see some freeze damage. Freeze damage a deciding factor in decreased condition of crops, however, the overall damage does not appear to be as severe as feared earlier. Dry! Have found some cold damage on wheat. Minimal injury. Still scouting fields. Farmers using irrigation on small grains and corn. Corn still recovering. Need rain!!! Forages and wheat continue to suffer from cold related stress. Farmers are replanting corn that was killed by the cold weather on April 8. Severe drought conditions have caused farmers to irrigate small grain fields. Cattlemen are feeding hay and other feeds to make up for the lack of grazing. Land preparation for spring planting has stopped due to dry soils. DISTRICT 6 - EAST CENTRAL Replanting a good bit of corn due to freeze damage and lack of good recovery. Wheat damaged by freeze, rye pretty much wiped out along with pecans. Oats will have reduced yield. Nights still too cold for good grass or corn growth. Cotton planting will begin very soon. Cool temps have slowed growth, need rain DISTRICT 7 - SOUTHWEST Corn crop slowly growing back from freeze damage. Late planted wheat has seen poor seed development due to dry weather. Light injury to wheat seed due to freeze. Mostly adequate soil moisture this week. We started irrigating ahead of setting tobacco and watered again after setting. Very dry! Did not finish planting dryland corn, delay planting cotton. DISTRICT 8 - SOUTH CENTRAL Lots of freeze damage on beans, corn, and squash two weeks ago. Lots of wind damage over this reporting cycle on cucurbit crops and beans. Frost and dry conditions have stopped pastures and hay fields from growing. Frost and high winds have damaged corn, watermelons, and tobacco transplants. Frost damage on April 8th to pecans, blueberries, and blackberries is still being observed. Less than one half inch of rain since March 1 have left soils to dry to prepare to plant or plant any row crops. Drought conditions are worsening. Some areas are reaching critical levels. More rain desperately needed ASAP! DISTRICT 9 - SOUTHEAST Sand and wind on Sun and Mon did extensive damage to the tobacco crop and to our watermelon crop. The freeze and drought have destroyed pastures and hay fields. Hay stocks are at very low levels and not much grazing available in Wayne County.