ga-crop-weather State Georgia Crop Weather Week Ending Date October 28, 2007 Issue GA-CW4307 Agricultural Summary October 29, 2007 RAINFALL PROVIDES TEMPORARY RELIEF The State experienced dramatically cooler temperatures this week as well as some much-needed rainfall, according to the USDA, NASS, Georgia Field Office. Average high temperatures ranged from the mid-60's to the mid-80's. Average lows ranged from the upper 40's to the lower 60's. Soil moisture conditions were rated at 17% very short, 35% short, 45% adequate, and 3% surplus. Rains, this week, temporarily improved drought conditions, but hurt cotton and peanut quality and delayed harvesting. Even with the rains, producers in north Georgia were sowing small grains into their pastures hoping to extend grazing and alleviate the hay shortage. Lots of peanut hay was being baled and sold. Several cattle producers reported dried up creeks and streams. In some cases, producers have resorted to drilling wells or hauling in water, from other sources, to provide water to their cattle. A few farmers were waiting for more rain before planting small grains and winter grazing. Others will not plant winter crops due to the drought. Other activities included mowing tobacco stalks, digging and combining peanuts, cutting and baling hay, and harvesting green beans. County Extension Agents reported an average of 5.0 days suitable for fieldwork. Crop Progress for Week Ending 10/28/07 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop Stage : This Week : Prev Week : Prev Year : 5 Year Avg -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Soybeans Dropping Leaves : 85 71 90 90 Soybeans Harvested : 15 10 29 23 Sorghum Harvested : 45 39 68 66 Cotton Bolls Opening : 95 92 98 97 Cotton Harvested : 30 22 57 48 Winter Wheat Planted : 16 10 15 16 Winter Wheat Emerged : 5 2 6 8 Apples Harvested : 60 54 87 88 Peanuts Dug : 74 62 80 90 Peanuts Combined : 57 45 66 78 Pecans Harvested : 13 8 12 13 Rye Planted : 53 42 54 53 Other Small Grains Planted : 45 35 50 44 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop Condition for Week Ending 10/28/07 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Soybeans : 7 11 44 31 7 Sorghum : 7 11 37 41 4 Cotton : 6 14 40 32 8 Range and Pasture : 26 31 26 15 2 Hay : 30 30 26 13 1 Peanuts : 4 8 30 47 11 Pecans : 5 9 29 39 18 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Topsoil Moisture for Week Ending 10/28/07 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : This Week :Previous Week : 5 Year Avg -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Very Short : 17 33 6 Short : 35 31 27 Adequate : 45 32 58 Surplus : 3 4 9 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Topsoil Moisture for Week Ending 10/28/07, by District -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- District : Very Short : Short : Adequate : Surplus -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : District 1 (NW) : 50 35 13 2 District 2 (NC) : 11 70 19 0 District 3 (NE) : 37 46 17 0 District 4 (WC) : 23 50 27 0 District 5 (C) : 20 41 39 0 District 6 (EC) : 33 24 39 4 District 7 (SW) : 7 22 60 11 District 8 (SC) : 1 13 77 9 District 9 (SE) : 0 5 90 5 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * 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 10/28/07, by District -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- District : Very Poor : Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : District 1 (NW) : 55 36 9 0 0 District 2 (NC) : 31 44 23 2 0 District 3 (NE) : 49 31 20 0 0 District 4 (WC) : 27 37 24 12 0 District 5 (C) : 28 33 21 15 3 District 6 (EC) : 24 35 27 14 0 District 7 (SW) : 16 33 34 10 7 District 8 (SC) : 4 13 45 37 1 District 9 (SE) : 1 2 26 65 6 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * 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 10/28/07, by Station Location ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Temperature : Precipitation : Location :-----------------:---------------------------------------:Soil : Max : Min : Avg :Weekly : Days :30 Day :60 Day : Season :Temp ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Albany : 89 51 66 0.46 3 2.09 7.75 33.10 71 Alma : 88 51 67 0.44 2 4.43 10.09 33.99 72 Alpharetta : 82 40 59 1.00 3 1.72 2.33 22.60 65 Arlington : 89 45 63 0.38 3 2.49 4.73 31.23 69 Attapulgus : 87 50 65 0.08 3 5.22 9.01 25.36 72 Blairsville : 74 38 57 2.49 3 3.25 6.20 30.28 64 Williamson : 82 43 59 0.86 3 2.34 4.66 28.59 64 Bowen : 88 47 65 0.10 3 2.60 7.56 28.12 72 Brunswick : 86 60 71 1.22 5 2.99 8.48 31.83 75 Byromville : 89 46 64 0.32 3 1.28 7.17 30.19 69 Byron : 87 45 63 0.53 3 1.50 8.66 32.67 69 Cairo : 87 52 66 0.02 2 5.79 10.86 32.72 73 Calhoun : 79 39 59 1.18 3 1.97 3.95 20.22 64 Pine Mountain : 83 42 59 0.85 3 2.51 7.80 33.62 68 Camilla : 89 50 65 0.23 3 3.37 7.07 33.05 70 Clarks Hill : 87 49 65 0.44 3 1.13 4.16 23.87 69 Cordele : 89 48 64 0.38 3 1.74 3.33 29.87 70 Covington : 83 42 61 1.08 4 1.69 4.55 26.19 65 Dahlonega : 78 41 59 1.38 3 3.18 4.65 26.95 62 Dallas : 78 43 58 2.03 4 2.62 4.09 25.46 65 Dawson : 88 44 63 0.53 3 2.02 3.83 20.54 70 Dearing : 86 48 65 0.28 3 0.74 2.13 20.82 71 Dempsey : 82 43 59 0.53 4 1.38 5.11 22.87 64 Dixie : 86 48 66 0.38 2 4.91 9.16 37.02 72 Dublin : 88 47 65 0.08 3 1.17 3.88 32.79 71 Duluth : 83 40 59 0.98 3 1.57 2.72 26.90 66 Dunwoody : 82 41 59 1.29 3 2.85 4.61 30.18 65 Eatonton : 85 42 61 0.85 3 1.46 7.34 28.61 67 Elberton : 88 48 64 0.17 3 0.52 1.84 23.15 68 Ellijay : 75 38 57 1.63 3 2.68 4.46 21.63 62 Rome : 79 41 59 1.61 2 2.88 5.32 20.23 65 Fort Valley : 87 45 63 0.74 3 2.13 7.62 28.20 67 Gainesville : 81 44 60 1.00 3 1.59 3.57 21.69 66 Georgetown : 87 39 61 0.25 3 2.35 5.26 35.07 67 Homerville : 88 47 67 0.47 2 3.48 6.57 32.54 73 Jonesboro : 83 43 60 1.08 3 2.38 5.80 25.13 66 Jeffersonville : 88 43 64 0.23 4 1.01 6.46 29.73 70 Lafayette : 80 40 58 3.15 3 3.49 7.87 24.54 66 McRae : 88 45 65 0.63 3 2.78 8.90 32.59 72 Midville : 88 49 66 0.34 3 1.91 4.67 28.25 71 Newton : 89 50 65 0.45 3 3.96 5.78 30.11 70 Plains : 87 42 61 0.59 3 1.44 4.56 29.18 66 Sasser : 87 45 63 1.62 3 3.13 7.32 32.95 69 Savannah : 89 59 68 1.34 4 4.42 14.43 39.85 74 Skidaway : 82 56 67 1.15 4 5.02 23.40 49.95 72 Sneads : 85 54 67 0.08 6 1.90 2.85 18.20 72 Statesboro : 88 53 66 0.88 3 2.42 5.87 34.69 71 Tifton : 88 50 66 0.07 2 3.03 6.96 29.83 71 Tiger : 75 40 57 2.39 3 4.34 6.26 43.10 62 Valdosta : 87 50 69 0.30 2 3.35 6.94 33.31 73 Roopville : 80 43 59 1.65 3 1.94 4.77 29.02 66 Watkinsville : 83 43 62 0.74 3 2.06 3.22 22.80 66 Woodbine : 90 56 69 1.64 4 10.31 14.28 43.03 75 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *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 October 28, 2007 DISTRICT 1 - NORTHWEST Rains the past two days were a welcome sight. We received a little under one inch. But it is going to take a whole lot more to get things back to near normal. Even with the rains, a lot of producers no-tilled in small grains into their pastures, hoping to extend grazing since there is such a hay shortage. DISTRICT 2 - NORTH CENTRAL Showers this week temporarily improved current pasture conditions but drought conditions continue. DISTRICT 3 - NORTHEAST We are in desperate need of more rainfall. Rain improved situation temporarily. DISTRICT 4 - WEST CENTRAL Received much needed rain this week. Several cattle producers have reported dried up creeks and streams. A few producers have drilled wells or are hauling water to their cattle from other water sources. It is dry. There are some late dryland peanuts in the ground. A lot of late cotton needs to be defoliated. Light and scattered rain provided some relief and helped keep some moisture in the soil but soil moisture is greatly deficient. Winter grazing and small grain crops are beginning to be planted. Pastures, ponds, streams are struggling. DISTRICT 5 - CENTRAL Some very light showers this week, 3-4 tenths of an inch in most locations. Hay feeding to livestock increasing. Pond and stream levels continue to drop. Many producers waiting for more rain before finishing up planting small grains and winter grazing. We are still very dry. We need an extended period of rain. Rains continue to fall this week in the county. Many farmers are waiting for favorable harvesting weather to gather more hay. Abundant summer grasses have slowed the drilling of winter rye, wheat, and ryegrass. DISTRICT 6 - EAST CENTRAL Still very dry after only getting 1/2" this past week. Cotton harvest slow, peanut harvest late but yields are decent to very good. Irrigated soybean yields very good. Too dry to think about planting winter crops. Lots of peanut hay being baled and sold. Many questions about what to plant next year to take advantage of high commodity prices but not sacrifice rotation. Some scattered showers. DISTRICT 7 - SOUTHWEST We received 0.59" of rainfall. Final greenbean acreage harvesting. Continues to be dry. Cooler temperatures have slowed down the maturity of late planted cotton and peanuts. DISTRICT 8 - SOUTH CENTRAL Week of rainfall hurt cotton and peanut quality or grade. Needed rain for small grains and in general but was not good for harvesting. Mowing tobacco stalks. Cutting hay. Some peanuts having to be reshaken. DISTRICT 9 - SOUTHEAST No comments available.