ga-crop-weather State Georgia Crop Weather Week Ending Date August 19, 2007 Issue GA-CW3307 Agricultural Summary August 20, 2007 HEAT STRESSES CROPS AND LIVESTOCK The scorching temperatures continued, according to the USDA, NASS, Georgia Field Office. Average high temperatures were in the upper 90's most of the week, with a number of areas breaking 100 several days in a row. Low temperatures averaged in the 70's. Average rainfall was 0.41 inches. Soil moisture conditions were rated at 33% very short, 41% short, 26% adequate, and 0% surplus. The extremely hot and dry weather stressed crops and livestock. Pastures and hayfields were drying up. Late-planted corn was tasseling and needed rain. Farmers irrigated fields where water was available. Significant rains will be needed to complete crops. Insect and worm pressure increased in cotton, peanuts, and pastures. There were pigweed control problems in peanuts, soybeans, and cotton. No major diseases reported except some Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus in peanuts. Corn harvest was under way and some excellent yields were reported. Other activities included picking tobacco, cutting hay, feeding hay to livestock, irrigating crops, spraying fungicides on peanuts, planting fall vegetables, and the routine care of poultry and livestock. County Extension Agents reported an average of 6.5 days suitable for fieldwork. Crop Progress for Week Ending 08/19/07 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop Stage : This Week : Prev Week : Prev Year : 5 Year Avg -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Corn Dent : 93 87 95 96 Corn Mature : 75 57 84 83 Corn Harvested for Grain : 21 6 28 27 Soybeans Blooming : 82 69 87 92 Soybeans Setting Pods : 54 41 65 73 Sorghum Harvested : 1 0 12 9 Cotton Setting Bolls : 95 87 100 99 Cotton Bolls Opening : 8 1 15 13 Apples Harvested : 8 6 14 13 Peanuts Pegging : 98 94 100 100 Tobacco Harvested : 60 50 71 78 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop Condition for Week Ending 08/19/07 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Corn : 11 19 29 33 8 Soybeans : 4 17 46 31 2 Sorghum : 5 13 45 35 2 Cotton : 5 13 37 36 9 Range and Pasture : 24 33 28 14 1 Apples : 56 22 13 9 0 Hay : 25 31 29 14 1 Peanuts : 4 12 36 39 9 Pecans : 11 15 26 35 13 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Topsoil Moisture for Week Ending 08/19/07 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : This Week :Previous Week : 5 Year Avg -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Very Short : 33 27 12 Short : 41 41 26 Adequate : 26 31 50 Surplus : 0 1 12 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Topsoil Moisture for Week Ending 08/19/07, by District -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- District : Very Short : Short : Adequate : Surplus -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : District 1 (NW) : 86 14 0 0 District 2 (NC) : 38 50 12 0 District 3 (NE) : 53 47 0 0 District 4 (WC) : 37 33 30 0 District 5 (C) : 37 53 10 0 District 6 (EC) : 29 55 16 0 District 7 (SW) : 44 34 22 0 District 8 (SC) : 7 38 54 1 District 9 (SE) : 3 28 68 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. Pasture Condition for Week Ending 08/19/07, by District -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- District : Very Poor : Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : District 1 (NW) : 51 29 16 4 0 District 2 (NC) : 18 39 32 11 0 District 3 (NE) : 53 36 11 0 0 District 4 (WC) : 35 34 25 6 0 District 5 (C) : 22 50 20 7 1 District 6 (EC) : 7 35 46 12 0 District 7 (SW) : 35 25 30 8 2 District 8 (SC) : 3 24 36 35 2 District 9 (SE) : 1 3 36 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 08/19/07, by Station Location ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Temperature : Precipitation : Location :-----------------:---------------------------------------:Soil : Max : Min : Avg :Weekly : Days :30 Day :60 Day : Season :Temp ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Albany : 100 72 85 0.62 1 2.73 6.28 23.96 90 Alma : 96 71 83 0.00 0 7.60 11.98 22.43 85 Alpharetta : 102 66 83 0.03 1 0.40 4.66 19.02 82 Arlington : 101 69 83 0.76 1 5.44 9.37 24.86 84 Attapulgus : 97 70 82 0.89 2 4.78 7.30 15.90 87 Blairsville : 96 59 76 0.00 0 3.96 8.71 24.05 79 Williamson : 100 66 83 0.26 1 1.49 7.01 21.63 88 Bowen : 96 69 82 0.37 3 2.23 4.77 17.31 90 Brunswick : 97 75 84 0.00 0 6.84 10.50 22.58 86 Byromville : 100 70 84 0.66 1 2.70 5.72 20.77 87 Byron : 103 68 85 1.70 2 2.02 7.22 21.18 86 Cairo : 97 71 83 0.11 1 4.75 6.68 20.52 84 Calhoun : 104 63 84 0.00 0 2.07 4.52 15.01 87 Pine Mountain : 100 68 82 0.77 2 1.63 5.08 25.03 83 Camilla : 99 62 82 1.96 3 6.61 11.21 24.54 87 Clarks Hill : 103 67 83 0.15 2 1.46 3.06 17.85 87 Cordele : 101 70 83 0.59 1 2.65 8.48 22.51 86 Covington : 103 66 84 0.08 2 2.69 5.99 20.66 88 Dahlonega : 98 63 80 0.00 0 1.49 4.10 21.29 84 Dallas : 101 67 83 0.13 2 1.16 6.15 19.42 85 Dawson : 100 70 83 0.38 1 1.50 3.51 15.97 86 Dearing : 103 69 85 0.02 1 1.09 3.57 17.74 86 Dempsey : 102 68 84 0.21 1 0.80 3.68 16.10 90 Dixie : 97 69 82 2.31 2 7.41 16.91 31.78 88 Dublin : 101 70 83 0.69 3 1.65 5.45 27.56 86 Duluth : 101 65 83 0.03 1 0.98 6.75 21.96 84 Dunwoody : 100 66 83 0.65 1 2.51 9.62 23.75 83 Eatonton : 104 63 83 0.00 0 3.72 7.06 20.74 91 Elberton : 105 64 86 0.00 0 0.50 2.24 20.31 88 Ellijay : 99 62 79 0.00 0 2.44 4.49 16.51 86 Rome : 104 65 84 0.00 0 0.65 4.56 14.82 86 Fort Valley : 103 70 84 1.81 1 2.38 6.67 18.29 88 Gainesville : 101 69 84 0.00 0 2.11 5.17 18.03 90 Georgetown : 100 69 83 0.68 1 6.87 11.14 29.43 88 Griffin : 101 70 84 0.40 1 1.54 5.55 19.13 85 Homerville : 97 66 82 0.02 1 7.15 12.27 25.14 85 Jonesboro : 102 67 84 0.00 0 0.79 3.38 17.29 89 Jeffersonville : 101 69 83 0.38 1 1.64 5.09 22.84 89 Lafayette : 102 65 83 0.00 0 2.54 4.85 16.67 85 McRae : 99 68 82 0.99 2 3.57 5.73 22.51 87 Midville : 101 70 84 0.42 2 1.67 4.02 22.08 89 Newton : 100 71 83 0.78 2 3.95 5.51 19.99 88 Plains : 100 69 83 0.92 1 1.77 7.12 21.52 90 Sasser : 98 70 82 0.51 3 2.73 7.29 24.29 86 Savannah : 97 71 82 0.00 0 4.65 8.42 23.86 87 Skidaway : 96 70 82 0.04 4 7.65 12.09 26.28 85 Sneads : 98 73 84 0.00 0 3.89 6.51 13.92 89 Statesboro : 98 69 82 1.35 2 5.60 8.01 27.18 88 Tifton : 98 71 83 0.30 2 2.77 6.70 19.03 85 Tiger : 96 60 76 0.00 0 3.55 8.01 32.84 85 Valdosta : 97 72 84 0.02 1 5.43 7.43 24.23 84 Vidalia : 97 71 83 0.48 1 5.81 9.34 28.19 87 Roopville : 103 67 83 0.14 1 1.39 7.79 20.83 88 Watkinsville : 102 68 86 0.00 0 0.80 3.47 17.65 88 Woodbine : 98 69 82 0.00 0 8.45 10.41 27.04 86 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *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 August 19, 2007 DISTRICT 1 - NORTHWEST It has returned to being extremely dry since having last shower over two weeks ago. DISTRICT 2 - NORTH CENTRAL No rain this week and extremely hot temperatures have pastures and hayfields drying up. Pastures, hayfields, and non-irrigated corn looking very bad. Extremely dry conditions have reduced crop condition. Our late planted corn is now tasseling and needs rain badly. Micro burst rains in small regions of county. DISTRICT 3 - NORTHEAST No comments available. DISTRICT 4 - WEST CENTRAL Hay crop will be short due to drought on first cutting. This cutting, however, is good. Much needed rainfall fell countywide late in the week; amounts ranged from .6 of an inch up to 2.5-3 inches. Need rain-extremely dry and hot. Temperatures in excess of 100 on the average for the past two weeks. Conditions are backing up in a hurry. Hot and dry continues, field conditions rapidly deteriorating; livestock are fairing steady on what little grazing they can find and the light cutting of hay they are being fed. Perennial grass stands are in trouble without rain very soon. DISTRICT 5 - CENTRAL Record high temperatures! Over 100 degrees every day! No rain! Pastures and hayfields are just drying up and look dead. Crop conditions are also declining and stream and pond levels continue to drop. HOT! We have not gotten the much needed rainfall that we normally receive during this time. It is very dry. Scattered showers occurred on Friday. Haying continues. Triple digit temperatures taking toll on crops! Need rain! Corn harvesting has begun. July rains allowed farmers to get approximately one cutting of hay per field. Recent extreme heat and drought taking huge toll on farmers and livestock. Heat stress very evident. We suspect we had one death of a 600 lb steer to heat stress. Farmers irrigated a lot of fields this week where water was available. Extreme heat is hurting crop yield prospects. DISTRICT 6 - EAST CENTRAL Cotton "cutting-out", completed second hay cutting, beans beginning to suffer from heat and dry conditions. Hot/dry. Corn harvest getting underway. DISTRICT 7 - SOUTHWEST High temperatures and a lack of rainfall are drying soil and stressing plants. One part of the county is particularly short of rainfall and crops are suffering. Received .5 inches of rainfall. Pigweed control problems in peanuts, soybeans, and cotton. Fall vegetable plantings started. Scattered showers have brought relief in a few areas of county. Even with .5 to .75 inches of rain all crops are stressed again in 3 days. High temperatures and high humidity reducing capacity of plants to fill out soybean and peanut crop. DISTRICT 8 - SOUTH CENTRAL Hot and dry. Harvesting corn. Some excellent yield being reported. Soybeans blooming. Picking tobacco and harvesting hay. Spraying fungicides on peanuts. Some worms showing up on peanuts but not at threshold. Some non Bt cotton being treated for bollworms. No stinkbugs as of yet. No major diseases reported except some TSWV in peanut. Insect pressure increasing on cotton, peanut, and pasture. Excessive Heat. On average a better than expected crop setting but we need sufficient rains to complete the crop. Critical water use now and topsoil moisture is marginal and subsoil moisture deficient. Hot weather is bad on livestock. Row crop maturity is later than normal. DISTRICT 9 - SOUTHEAST No comments available.