ga-crop-weather State Georgia Crop Weather Week Ending Date November 4, 2007 Issue GA-CW4407 Agricultural Summary November 5, 2007 DROUGHT CONDITIONS WORSEN It was an extremely dry week with no significant rainfall reported anywhere in the state, according to the USDA, NASS, Georgia Field Office. Average high temperatures were in the mid-60's to the upper 70's. Average lows ranged from the lower 40's to the mid-50's. Soil moisture conditions were rated at 34% very short, 39% short, 27% adequate, and 3% surplus. Drought conditions worsened this week, negatively affecting pastures and crops. Hay feeding to livestock increased. Water levels in ponds and streams continued to decline. The lack of rain delayed planting in some areas. In other areas, those with better soil moisture levels, small grains were being planted. Some farmers had to irrigate small grains after planting to trigger germination. Green bean discoloration problems were reported. On a positive note, weather conditions were favorable for long harvest days this week. Pecan orchards were being prepared for harvest. Despite the drought, growers expect to have a good pecan crop. Other activities included mowing cotton stalks and harrowing, digging and combining peanuts, defoliation and harvest of cotton, cutting and baling hay, and hauling peanut hay to storage. County Extension Agents reported an average of 6.6 days suitable for fieldwork. Crop Progress for Week Ending 11/04/07 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop Stage : This Week : Prev Week : Prev Year : 5 Year Avg -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Soybeans Dropping Leaves : 93 85 94 95 Soybeans Harvested : 26 15 38 32 Sorghum Harvested : 53 45 70 71 Cotton Harvested : 43 30 67 57 Winter Wheat Planted : 22 16 22 22 Winter Wheat Emerged : 10 5 10 13 Apples Harvested : 72 60 90 91 Onions Transplanted : 0 NA 3 2 Peanuts Dug : 84 74 97 98 Peanuts Combined : 70 57 77 87 Pecans Harvested : 21 13 18 19 Rye Planted : 62 53 64 63 Other Small Grains Planted : 57 45 59 53 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop Condition for Week Ending 11/04/07 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Soybeans : 5 10 42 37 6 Sorghum : 11 11 39 36 3 Cotton : 7 14 37 34 8 Range and Pasture : 28 35 25 11 1 Hay : 32 35 22 11 0 Pecans : 6 10 31 34 19 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Topsoil Moisture for Week Ending 11/04/07 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : This Week :Previous Week : 5 Year Avg -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Very Short : 34 17 7 Short : 39 35 24 Adequate : 27 45 61 Surplus : 0 3 8 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Topsoil Moisture for Week Ending 11/04/07, by District -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- District : Very Short : Short : Adequate : Surplus -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : District 1 (NW) : 68 24 8 0 District 2 (NC) : 36 62 2 0 District 3 (NE) : 73 27 0 0 District 4 (WC) : 30 51 19 0 District 5 (C) : 46 39 15 0 District 6 (EC) : 43 33 24 0 District 7 (SW) : 27 32 39 2 District 8 (SC) : 2 34 64 0 District 9 (SE) : 4 24 71 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 11/04/07, by District -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- District : Very Poor : Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : District 1 (NW) : 63 32 5 0 0 District 2 (NC) : 37 45 16 2 0 District 3 (NE) : 42 41 17 0 0 District 4 (WC) : 35 42 19 4 0 District 5 (C) : 28 43 21 8 0 District 6 (EC) : 22 41 24 13 0 District 7 (SW) : 19 28 34 13 6 District 8 (SC) : 4 15 49 31 1 District 9 (SE) : 0 1 34 62 3 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * 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 11/04/07, by Station Location ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Temperature : Precipitation : Location :-----------------:---------------------------------------:Soil : Max : Min : Avg :Weekly : Days :30 Day :60 Day : Season :Temp ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Albany : 81 44 63 0.00 0 1.82 5.00 33.10 68 Alma : 81 45 62 0.00 0 1.55 8.31 33.99 66 Alpharetta : 76 33 53 0.00 0 1.72 2.23 22.60 58 Arlington : 80 40 60 0.00 0 2.24 3.92 31.23 65 Attapulgus : 80 46 63 0.00 0 5.05 7.18 25.36 68 Blairsville : 72 26 49 0.00 0 3.25 4.79 30.28 60 Williamson : 75 37 56 0.00 0 1.80 4.31 28.59 60 Bowen : 79 44 61 0.00 0 1.61 4.67 28.12 68 Brunswick : 81 47 64 0.00 0 1.99 6.17 31.83 71 Byromville : 80 42 61 0.00 0 0.95 2.99 30.19 65 Byron : 78 41 58 0.00 0 0.80 5.52 32.67 64 Cairo : 81 45 63 0.00 0 4.70 9.30 32.72 70 Calhoun : 75 28 52 0.00 0 1.84 3.95 20.22 59 Pine Mountain : 76 33 56 0.00 0 2.34 4.71 33.62 63 Camilla : 81 41 62 0.00 0 3.20 5.73 33.05 67 Clarks Hill : 79 34 56 0.00 0 0.70 2.45 23.87 62 Cordele : 80 41 60 0.00 0 1.72 2.78 29.87 65 Covington : 75 38 56 0.00 0 1.50 4.31 26.19 60 Dahlonega : 73 30 53 0.00 0 2.51 4.42 26.95 57 Dallas : 74 33 55 0.00 0 2.40 3.55 25.46 60 Dawson : 80 43 61 0.00 0 1.93 3.26 20.54 67 Dearing : 78 40 58 0.00 0 0.61 1.91 20.82 66 Dempsey : 75 37 55 0.00 0 0.98 4.19 22.87 60 Dixie : 81 43 63 0.00 0 3.32 7.91 37.02 68 Dublin : 81 39 60 0.00 0 0.52 2.33 32.79 66 Duluth : 76 32 53 0.00 0 1.25 2.66 26.90 62 Dunwoody : 74 35 54 0.00 0 2.53 3.40 30.18 60 Eatonton : 77 33 55 0.00 0 1.36 5.59 28.61 61 Elberton : 79 34 58 0.00 0 0.33 1.84 23.15 63 Ellijay : 72 28 52 0.00 0 2.63 4.29 21.63 58 Rome : 75 31 53 0.00 0 2.86 4.34 20.23 60 Fort Valley : 77 42 59 0.00 0 1.10 6.11 28.20 63 Gainesville : 76 36 55 0.00 0 1.17 2.63 21.69 63 Georgetown : 79 39 60 0.00 0 2.31 4.36 35.07 66 Homerville : 81 39 61 0.00 0 1.94 5.75 32.54 68 Jonesboro : 75 35 55 0.00 0 1.39 3.91 25.13 60 Jeffersonville : 78 40 59 0.00 0 0.42 3.68 29.73 66 Lafayette : 73 32 52 0.00 0 3.42 7.74 24.54 60 McRae : 81 38 59 0.00 0 1.89 5.37 32.59 66 Midville : 80 41 60 0.00 0 0.70 3.14 28.25 66 Newton : 80 41 62 0.00 0 3.51 4.92 30.11 67 Plains : 77 41 60 0.00 0 1.37 4.07 29.18 62 Sasser : 78 41 61 0.00 0 3.07 5.15 32.95 65 Savannah : 82 41 61 0.00 0 2.20 6.88 39.85 68 Skidaway : 79 45 62 0.03 2 1.40 11.65 49.98 65 Sneads : 79 53 65 0.00 0 0.76 2.41 18.20 67 Statesboro : 79 41 60 0.00 0 1.19 4.77 34.69 65 Tifton : 80 43 62 0.00 0 2.35 4.95 29.83 67 Tiger : 72 29 49 0.00 0 3.22 5.61 43.10 57 Valdosta : 81 46 64 0.00 0 2.40 5.49 33.31 69 Vidalia : 79 45 61 0.00 0 1.91 6.05 38.47 68 Roopville : 77 37 56 0.00 0 1.93 3.77 29.02 62 Watkinsville : 76 35 56 0.00 0 2.42 3.43 22.96 60 Woodbine : 83 45 63 0.00 0 3.69 12.80 43.03 71 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *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 November 4, 2007 DISTRICT 1 - NORTHWEST Received first killing frost. DISTRICT 2 - NORTH CENTRAL Pasture conditions continue to decline. DISTRICT 3 - NORTHEAST No comments available. DISTRICT 4 - WEST CENTRAL Several smaller streams are no longer flowing. DISTRICT 5 - CENTRAL No rain and cooler temperatures! Pasture and hayfield conditions continue to decline and hay feeding for livestock continues to increase. Producers waiting for rain before finishing up planting small grains and winter grazing. Pond and stream levels continue to decline. Grain sorghum harvest nearing completion. We are still very dry. We need rainfall and we need it yesterday. Ponds are getting very low. Need rain! Soybean harvesting ongoing. Peanut harvesting wrapping up. Cotton crop looking better. Haying finishing up. Small grains waiting on rain. Some winter grazing planted. It's dry....please send rain or we'll have to quit everything! DISTRICT 6 - EAST CENTRAL Very dry, some irrigated cotton picked well but poor quality. Feeding high value hay to cows already; the next step will be selling cattle due to drought. Just getting to dryland beans, might make 25-30 bu. Dry, dry, dry. DISTRICT 7 - SOUTHWEST No rainfall. Greenbean discoloration problems. Field preparation for small grain plantings. DISTRICT 8 - SOUTH CENTRAL Digging and harvesting peanuts and defoliation and harvest of cotton. Peanuts about through and cotton is getting into full swing. Cold weather may wrap it up next week. Harvesting last cutting of hay. Planting of small grains. Having to water some small grains after planting to get to germinate. Preparing pecan orchards for harvest. Mowing cotton stalks and harrowing. Hauling peanut hay to storage. Harvest weather conditions this week have been very favorable for long harvest days. DISTRICT 9 - SOUTHEAST No comments available.