ga-crop-weather State Georgia Crop Weather Week Ending Date March 31, 2008 Issue GA-CW1308 Agricultural Summary March 31, 2008 SOME FROST DAMAGE REPORTED Much of the state woke up to an early morning frost on Tuesday, according to the USDA, NASS, Georgia Field Office. Daily average high temperatures started the week in the 50's, warmed up to the mid-70's during the week, and then cooled back down over the weekend. Average lows ranged from the upper 20's to the lower 50's. Soil moisture conditions were rated at 2% very short, 18% short, 72% adequate, and 8% surplus. There were reports of frost damage to blooming plants around the state, particularly to peaches and vegetables. It will take time to determine the extent of the damage. As of yet, there were no reports of significant damage to the peach crop out of the major peach producing areas, although, a report out of Jenkins County stated that damage there was extensive. Pastures were set back from the frost as were tomato, cantaloupe, and watermelon transplants. There were light rain showers over the weekend. Soil conditions were really dry in some areas while in others fields were too wet to do much planting. Other activities included land preparation for corn and tobacco planting, clipping tobacco plants in greenhouses for transplant, applying poultry litter, pasture weed control, hay feeding for livestock, and the routine care of poultry and livestock. County Extension Agents reported an average of 6.1 days suitable for fieldwork. Crop Progress for Week Ending 03/30/08 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop Stage : This Week : Prev Week : Prev Year : 5 Year Avg -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Corn Planted : 40 19 58 NA Corn Emerged : 14 5 26 NA Sorghum Planted : 1 NA 0 NA Winter Wheat Jointing : 80 67 77 NA Winter Wheat Boot : 26 15 31 NA Winter Wheat Headed : 2 NA 5 NA Apples Blooming : 5 NA 19 NA Peaches Blooming : 99 74 74 NA Tobacco Transplanted : 2 1 12 NA Watermelons Planted : 30 12 41 NA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop Condition for Week Ending 03/30/08 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Corn : 0 1 29 68 2 Winter Wheat : 0 2 23 49 26 Range and Pasture : 8 13 44 34 1 Hay : 5 19 50 25 1 Onions : 0 0 1 94 5 Peaches : 0 0 27 73 0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Topsoil Moisture for Week Ending 03/30/08 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : This Week :Previous Week : 5 Year Avg -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Very Short : 2 2 NA Short : 18 6 NA Adequate : 72 75 NA Surplus : 8 17 NA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Topsoil Moisture for Week Ending 03/30/08, by District -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- District : Very Short : Short : Adequate : Surplus -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : District 1 (NW) : 5 20 63 12 District 2 (NC) : 0 13 77 10 District 3 (NE) : 4 24 72 0 District 4 (WC) : 2 20 76 2 District 5 (C) : 6 20 59 15 District 6 (EC) : 0 15 68 17 District 7 (SW) : 0 14 80 6 District 8 (SC) : 0 19 76 5 District 9 (SE) : 2 15 77 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. Pasture Condition for Week Ending 03/30/08, by District -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- District : Very Poor : Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : District 1 (NW) : 4 22 58 16 0 District 2 (NC) : 0 6 42 49 3 District 3 (NE) : 6 16 53 25 0 District 4 (WC) : 23 27 25 25 0 District 5 (C) : 17 7 24 50 2 District 6 (EC) : 1 6 61 31 1 District 7 (SW) : 6 8 50 33 3 District 8 (SC) : 5 12 45 38 0 District 9 (SE) : 0 3 42 52 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 03/30/08, by Station Location ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Temperature : Precipitation : Location :-----------------:---------------------------------------:Soil : Max : Min : Avg :Weekly : Days :30 Day :60 Day : Season :Temp ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Albany : 85 32 58 0.00 0 2.56 9.02 12.42 64 Alma : 82 34 58 0.00 0 2.20 8.05 11.16 61 Alpharetta : 77 24 51 0.62 1 4.93 11.46 13.75 52 Arlington : 83 29 56 0.00 0 1.82 8.09 10.98 61 Attapulgus : 82 29 57 0.00 0 3.90 14.69 17.88 64 Blairsville : 68 19 40 1.05 4 4.52 9.19 9.19 46 Williamson : 72 22 48 0.78 1 3.25 8.02 8.02 50 Bowen : 82 31 57 0.00 0 2.16 7.71 10.18 64 Brunswick : 82 38 59 0.00 0 2.73 6.86 9.51 64 Byromville : 83 30 56 0.00 0 2.77 7.90 11.41 59 Byron : 83 29 56 0.00 0 2.52 8.56 12.60 60 Cairo : 83 32 58 0.00 0 3.29 14.16 17.59 62 Calhoun : 76 20 50 0.62 1 4.41 8.01 10.34 53 Pine Mountain : 81 25 53 0.00 0 2.53 7.61 11.75 56 Camilla : 82 31 57 0.00 0 3.74 14.13 17.40 63 Clarks Hill : 77 27 53 0.17 2 4.44 9.17 11.89 57 Cordele : 82 31 56 0.00 0 3.17 8.45 11.41 60 Covington : 77 27 53 0.70 1 2.97 6.49 9.09 55 Dahlonega : 72 23 49 0.62 1 6.74 12.94 16.13 51 Dallas : 75 25 52 0.65 1 4.85 9.90 11.88 53 Dawson : 76 30 55 0.00 0 3.11 8.24 11.68 61 Dearing : 77 29 56 0.60 1 4.50 10.10 13.39 58 Dempsey : 79 26 53 0.28 1 1.78 5.15 7.77 58 Dixie : 83 33 58 0.00 0 2.74 12.84 15.94 64 Dublin : 83 29 56 0.22 1 3.18 8.79 12.60 61 Duluth : 76 25 51 1.18 1 4.57 9.82 12.05 54 Dunwoody : 75 26 52 0.93 1 5.23 10.73 12.79 53 Eatonton : 78 24 52 0.17 1 3.18 8.27 12.02 56 Elberton : 77 25 53 0.14 1 2.82 7.21 9.76 55 Ellijay : 73 20 48 0.65 2 3.83 7.36 9.29 52 Rome : 73 19 45 0.75 2 3.38 6.33 6.33 47 Fort Valley : 82 30 55 0.00 0 1.96 7.14 10.87 59 Gainesville : 74 28 51 0.25 1 6.12 12.01 14.52 56 Georgetown : 77 25 55 0.00 0 1.48 10.48 14.53 61 Homerville : 83 31 57 0.00 0 2.17 9.82 13.48 63 Jonesboro : 78 27 53 0.84 1 3.70 8.18 10.70 55 Jeffersonville : 81 31 55 0.00 0 3.19 9.54 13.46 59 Lafayette : 74 22 51 1.05 1 5.86 10.82 14.22 52 McRae : 80 28 54 0.00 0 3.60 11.09 14.13 60 Midville : 72 27 49 0.76 1 4.94 8.77 8.77 53 Newton : 83 28 57 0.00 0 2.91 10.44 13.44 62 Plains : 72 24 49 0.51 1 4.05 9.30 9.30 52 Sasser : 32 32 32 0.00 0 0.00 0.00 0.00 32 Savannah : 83 32 57 0.00 0 1.56 5.14 7.67 63 Skidaway : 80 37 57 0.01 1 1.59 5.69 9.58 60 Sneads : 78 42 59 0.00 0 2.66 14.47 17.79 64 Statesboro : 82 34 57 0.00 0 2.93 9.15 11.65 64 Tiger : 72 21 47 0.68 1 7.91 14.03 17.07 51 Valdosta : 83 36 60 0.00 0 1.44 10.83 13.82 62 Vidalia : 82 34 58 0.00 0 2.57 9.66 12.32 62 Roopville : 78 26 52 0.37 1 4.81 10.13 12.67 55 Watkinsville : 74 26 53 0.34 1 2.88 7.31 9.43 56 Woodbine : 84 33 58 0.00 0 2.91 7.76 10.58 66 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *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 March 30, 2008 DISTRICT 1 - NORTHWEST We have not received any rains this week but it is in the forecast for this weekend. Hope it does because we are still in great need. DISTRICT 2 - NORTH CENTRAL Some cold damage to blooming plants. Rain this week maintained soil moisture - main activity is routine care of livestock and poultry. DISTRICT 3 - NORTHEAST Areas in definite need of rainfall again soon. Hopefully the weekend will bring showers. DISTRICT 4 - WEST CENTRAL Has been cool over the weekend. If it does not rain this week, some wheat will be irrigated. Wheat fungicide time is around the corner. DISTRICT 5 - CENTRAL We are still in a deficit in terms of rainfall. We are in the process of installing a weather station that will tie us into the Georgia weather net system. This will allow us to monitor our weather conditions closer. Soil still too wet to get into field to do much planting. Rain occurred during the week and weekend. Fields still wet. Many peach blooms got burned by the frost this week. It will take time to see how badly they were damaged. DISTRICT 6 - EAST CENTRAL Very wet, corn planting behind schedule, wet week anticipated so corn planting will fall further behind. Peach crop in the county sustained 75% damage from the Tuesday morning freeze. Pastures were also set back as well. DISTRICT 7 - SOUTHWEST No rainfall Field preparation for corn planting. DISTRICT 8 - SOUTH CENTRAL Light frost on Wednesday am. Peach and blueberry growers were concerned but appears to be light to no damage. Preparing and bedding land for tobacco transplanting and corn planting. Clipping tobacco plants in greenhouse and spraying for disease. Some target spot in greenhouses but so far no blue mold. Applying poultry litter. Some wind and frost damage on vegetables from the past two weeks of weather. DISTRICT 9 - SOUTHEAST No comments available.