ga-crop-weather State Georgia Crop Weather Week Ending Date July 22, 2007 Issue GA-CW2907 Agricultural Summary July 23, 2007 PASTURES AND HAYFIELDS CONTINUED TO IMPROVE The State received almost daily showers, according to the USDA, NASS, Georgia Field Office. Even though rainfall amounts were minimal, pastures and hayfields have responded favorably. Rainfall averaged 0.56 inches this week. High temperatures averaged from the mid-80's to the low 90's. Average lows were in the upper 60's and lower 70's. Topsoil moisture conditions were rated at 13% very short, 35% short, 50% adequate, and 2% surplus. Pastures and hayfields improved this week in response to rain showers. Hay yields have been down, but still there were signs of drought relief from the recent rains. Some hay producers were cutting their first hay of this year. Several cattlemen have planted millet trying to get some quick grazing and a hay crop. Soybeans, cotton, and peanuts were looking better, stimulated by recent scattered rains. Farmers reported a need for continued rainfall. The hot weather has the potential to stress crops quickly because of a lack of sufficient subsoil moisture. Some corn earworms have been reported in conventional cotton. Vegetable growers were preparing for fall planting. The corn harvest was just beginning. Other activities included applying fungicide to peanuts, suckering and topping tobacco, harvesting tobacco, and feeding hay to cattle. County Extension Agents reported an average of 6.0 days suitable for fieldwork. Crop Progress for Week Ending 07/22/07 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop Stage : This Week : Prev Week : Prev Year : 5 Year Avg -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Corn Silked : 96 94 98 98 Corn Dough : 83 73 89 88 Corn Dent : 55 36 65 62 Corn Mature : 12 4 23 20 Soybeans Blooming : 29 15 47 51 Soybeans Setting Pods : 8 2 18 22 Sorghum Planted : 96 93 100 99 Cotton Squaring : 79 65 98 95 Cotton Setting Bolls : 39 22 80 70 Peaches Harvested : 85 75 71 75 Peanuts Blooming : 85 73 98 97 Peanuts Pegging : 84 43 85 85 Tobacco Harvested : 24 17 31 31 Watermelons Harvested : 91 84 93 91 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop Condition for Week Ending 07/22/07 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Corn : 15 23 27 31 4 Soybeans : 3 10 43 41 3 Sorghum : 12 15 46 26 1 Cotton : 5 16 38 35 6 Range and Pasture : 20 23 36 20 1 Apples : 56 23 21 0 0 Hay : 22 19 37 20 2 Peanuts : 4 12 41 39 4 Pecans : 15 19 32 29 5 Tobacco : 2 10 36 43 9 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Topsoil Moisture for Week Ending 07/22/07 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : This Week :Previous Week : 5 Year Avg -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Very Short : 13 15 14 Short : 35 37 26 Adequate : 50 47 49 Surplus : 2 1 11 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Topsoil Moisture for Week Ending 07/22/07, by District -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- District : Very Short : Short : Adequate : Surplus -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : District 1 (NW) : 32 38 30 0 District 2 (NC) : 9 24 63 4 District 3 (NE) : 4 59 37 0 District 4 (WC) : 5 31 59 4 District 5 (C) : 11 40 48 1 District 6 (EC) : 21 49 30 0 District 7 (SW) : 36 40 23 1 District 8 (SC) : 7 26 66 1 District 9 (SE) : 6 33 61 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 07/22/07, by District -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- District : Very Poor : Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : District 1 (NW) : 38 36 15 11 0 District 2 (NC) : 3 24 52 20 1 District 3 (NE) : 51 31 18 0 0 District 4 (WC) : 38 22 33 7 0 District 5 (C) : 16 22 42 17 3 District 6 (EC) : 10 35 38 17 0 District 7 (SW) : 44 18 24 13 1 District 8 (SC) : 1 20 45 33 1 District 9 (SE) : 3 6 31 58 2 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * 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 07/22/07, by Station Location ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Temperature : Precipitation : Location :-----------------:---------------------------------------:Soil : Max : Min : Avg :Weekly : Days :30 Day :60 Day : Season :Temp ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Albany : 96 69 82 0.13 1 3.55 7.69 21.23 89 Alma : 95 67 80 0.28 3 4.38 8.47 14.83 82 Alpharetta : 89 64 75 1.38 4 4.26 6.19 18.62 78 Arlington : 95 68 80 0.42 2 4.29 6.47 19.78 85 Attapulgus : 98 67 80 0.21 3 2.67 3.92 11.27 88 Blairsville : 86 56 70 0.32 3 4.75 8.98 20.09 75 Williamson : 88 64 76 0.69 2 5.52 7.38 20.14 80 Bowen : 94 67 80 0.00 0 2.54 7.17 15.08 90 Brunswick : 97 69 82 0.42 3 3.14 7.67 15.74 83 Byromville : 95 67 79 0.25 2 3.02 6.92 18.07 83 Byron : 91 67 78 0.30 3 5.22 9.22 19.46 82 Cairo : 99 68 81 0.51 2 1.93 7.90 15.77 82 Calhoun : 87 57 73 0.62 4 2.45 4.99 12.94 76 Pine Mountain : 91 65 76 0.43 1 3.45 7.12 23.40 82 Camilla : 96 68 82 0.00 0 4.59 6.00 17.93 90 Clarks Hill : 96 64 79 0.01 1 1.61 5.40 16.40 83 Cordele : 94 68 79 0.82 2 5.83 8.89 19.86 83 Covington : 92 65 77 0.52 3 3.30 5.50 17.97 79 Dahlonega : 88 59 73 0.25 4 2.61 4.82 19.80 76 Dallas : 88 60 74 1.88 5 5.14 6.70 18.41 79 Dawson : 95 67 80 0.24 1 2.01 3.96 14.47 82 Dearing : 93 66 79 0.02 2 2.48 5.56 16.65 82 Dempsey : 89 65 76 0.81 2 2.88 4.02 15.30 81 Dixie : 96 66 80 1.38 1 9.50 16.24 24.37 87 Dublin : 94 69 80 0.21 2 3.80 11.44 25.91 85 Duluth : 89 63 75 1.87 4 6.28 7.39 21.49 78 Dunwoody : 88 63 74 1.53 4 7.54 9.11 21.67 78 Eatonton : 91 63 76 0.37 2 3.34 5.95 17.02 81 Elberton : 96 66 78 0.01 1 1.75 4.42 19.82 81 Ellijay : 85 56 70 0.58 4 2.05 3.64 14.07 77 Rome : 89 59 74 1.18 4 3.91 7.08 14.17 77 Fort Valley : 92 66 78 0.11 2 4.29 8.68 15.91 83 Gainesville : 89 64 75 0.88 2 3.54 6.21 16.40 80 Georgetown : 94 67 80 0.64 1 4.90 6.82 23.20 85 Griffin : 88 66 76 1.26 3 4.01 6.28 17.59 80 Homerville : 97 64 80 1.84 2 6.75 12.28 19.63 85 Jonesboro : 91 65 77 1.02 3 2.60 4.28 16.51 81 Jeffersonville : 92 67 78 0.51 2 3.46 9.28 21.21 84 Lafayette : 89 56 73 0.96 5 2.31 2.88 14.13 78 McRae : 97 64 80 0.09 2 1.78 7.81 18.98 88 Midville : 95 67 80 0.00 0 2.34 9.60 20.41 85 Newton : 99 69 82 0.00 0 1.55 3.47 16.04 90 Plains : 94 66 79 0.09 1 5.35 8.70 19.75 85 Sasser : 92 67 79 0.07 1 4.56 8.16 21.56 81 Savannah : 97 64 81 0.14 2 3.77 11.01 19.21 86 Skidaway : 95 66 81 0.59 3 3.89 11.56 18.63 82 Sneads : 96 73 82 0.25 1 2.62 2.99 10.03 87 Statesboro : 95 66 80 1.18 2 3.58 13.16 22.75 89 Tifton : 92 68 80 0.01 1 3.93 8.62 16.26 84 Tiger : 87 57 70 1.00 4 4.53 10.32 29.36 76 Valdosta : 97 67 81 0.78 2 2.78 10.95 19.58 82 Vidalia : 95 69 80 0.06 2 3.53 13.03 22.38 84 Roopville : 90 63 76 0.76 4 6.48 7.68 19.52 81 Watkinsville : 91 68 79 0.30 2 2.74 4.04 16.93 80 Woodbine : 99 65 80 2.30 6 3.27 11.86 20.36 83 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *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 July 22, 2007 DISTRICT 1 - NORTHWEST Scattered showers throughout the week have been extremely beneficial. Everything is greening up and looking better. DISTRICT 2 - NORTH CENTRAL Afternoon showers almost every day this week have helped green our forages and sparked an interest in spreading fertilizer. Received much needed rain in all parts of the county 4 out of 7 days; as much as 3 inches in certain locales. Pastures, hayfields, and row crop condition improved this week due to rain showers. Frequent thunderstorms greatly improved soil moisture. DISTRICT 3 - NORTHEAST No comments available. DISTRICT 4 - WEST CENTRAL Received rain 3 days out of the week. Scattered storms have greened up the county. Hay harvest will be short but there are signs of drought relief. Scattered rainfall. Scattered showers received in area. DISTRICT 5 - CENTRAL Days suitable for fieldwork depends on where you are as some parts of the county are missing every scattered shower while others get every one. Soil moisture conditions, pastures and hayfields have shown good improvement, might get a Bermuda grass hay cutting soon. Several cattlemen have planted millet trying to get some quick grazing and a hay crop. Scattered showers this week. Some hay producers cutting their first hay of this year. Hay feeding continues for some livestock. We have gotten rain, but we need more. Recent rains have given some relief to forage and livestock producers. Some hay has been harvested recently but yields have been down. Grazing pastures have been slow to recover. DISTRICT 6 - EAST CENTRAL Cotton setting bolls, peanuts pegging and getting soil fungicide applications. Some CEW in conventional cotton, corn looking real good and some ready to pick in 7-10 days. Scattered showers, soil still dry. Heat was bad last week. DISTRICT 7 - SOUTHWEST Corn harvest started last Thursday. Moisture level 20 - 24 %. Dry land cotton and peanuts still severely distressed on areas. Hot weather causing crops to stress quickly. No subsoil moisture causing fast reduction in topsoil moisture due to heavy requirements from crops during reproduction stages. Corn drying down at this time. Soybeans, cotton, and peanuts looking better due to scattered rains. DISTRICT 8 - SOUTH CENTRAL Suckering and topping tobacco and applying mH and contacts. Beginning to pick tobacco. Applying landplaster to peanuts and applying herbicides and boron and side dress nitrogen to cotton. Cutting hay. Humid and dry. Need rainfall. Soybeans about to be at bloom stage. No soybean rust reported. Some growers preparing for fall vegetable planting. DISTRICT 9 - SOUTHEAST We have had several evening showers lately but more rain is needed because we were at such a deficiency before and still behind for this year compared to normal annual rainfall.