ga-crop-weather State Georgia Crop Weather Week Ending Date April 7, 2008 Issue GA-CW1408 Agricultural Summary April 7, 2008 RAIN DELAYS FIELDWORK Georgia experienced cloudy, wet weather and erratic temperatures last week, according to the USDA, NASS, Georgia Field Office. Daily average high temperatures fluctuated between the mid-60's and low 80's. Average lows were in the 50's most of the week. Soil moisture conditions were rated at 1% very short, 16% short, 67% adequate, and 16% surplus. Rains last week delayed producers preparing land for peanuts and cotton. Corn planting was also behind schedule. The cool, damp weather during the week was hard on wheat and the crop needed sunshine to remain in good condition. No disease has been reported, but farmers planned to spray to prevent any future occurrence. Other activities included preparing fields and equipment for planting, applying poultry litter, planting corn and vegetables, clipping and spraying tobacco plants in greenhouses, applying lime and fertilizer to pastures and hayfields, hay feeding for livestock, and the routine care of poultry and livestock. County Extension Agents reported an average of 4.9 days suitable for fieldwork. Crop Progress for Week Ending 04/06/08 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop Stage : This Week : Prev Week : Prev Year : 5 Year Avg -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Corn Planted : 53 40 70 57 Corn Emerged : 27 14 44 37 Sorghum Planted : 6 1 1 1 Cotton Planted : 0 NA 0 0 Winter Wheat Jointing : 87 80 88 86 Winter Wheat Boot : 47 26 55 50 Winter Wheat Headed : 12 2 25 19 Apples Blooming : 7 5 44 20 Onions Harvested : 0 NA 1 1 Tobacco Transplanted : 11 2 26 11 Watermelons Planted : 49 30 56 40 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop Condition for Week Ending 04/06/08 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Corn : 0 1 24 73 2 Winter Wheat : 0 2 22 52 24 Range and Pasture : 5 12 39 42 2 Hay : 8 14 50 27 1 Onions : 0 0 8 52 40 Peaches : 0 5 22 73 0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Topsoil Moisture for Week Ending 04/06/08 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : This Week :Previous Week : 5 Year Avg -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Very Short : 1 2 13 Short : 16 18 27 Adequate : 67 72 42 Surplus : 16 8 18 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Topsoil Moisture for Week Ending 04/06/08, by District -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- District : Very Short : Short : Adequate : Surplus -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : District 1 (NW) : 6 18 55 21 District 2 (NC) : 0 7 75 18 District 3 (NE) : 3 4 91 2 District 4 (WC) : 0 1 76 23 District 5 (C) : 1 16 61 22 District 6 (EC) : 0 10 70 20 District 7 (SW) : 3 28 52 17 District 8 (SC) : 1 27 65 7 District 9 (SE) : 0 14 75 11 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * 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 04/06/08, by District -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- District : Very Poor : Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : District 1 (NW) : 6 22 50 22 0 District 2 (NC) : 0 7 26 61 6 District 3 (NE) : 5 17 50 28 0 District 4 (WC) : 8 27 28 37 0 District 5 (C) : 13 5 32 48 2 District 6 (EC) : 0 5 58 36 1 District 7 (SW) : 1 13 39 43 4 District 8 (SC) : 5 8 36 51 0 District 9 (SE) : 9 9 21 59 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 04/06/08, by Station Location ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Temperature : Precipitation : Location :-----------------:---------------------------------------:Soil : Max : Min : Avg :Weekly : Days :30 Day :60 Day : Season :Temp ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Albany : 86 47 68 1.78 2 2.52 8.57 14.20 70 Alma : 85 47 68 1.97 5 2.55 9.15 13.13 67 Alpharetta : 78 42 57 1.39 3 3.60 10.39 15.21 57 Arlington : 87 47 67 1.27 2 1.86 7.51 12.25 67 Attapulgus : 84 49 67 4.01 4 4.58 17.84 21.89 71 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 : 85 46 67 1.88 5 2.14 9.15 12.06 70 Brunswick : 84 48 68 1.38 4 2.20 8.02 10.89 68 Byromville : 84 46 65 3.18 4 3.74 8.63 14.59 65 Byron : 83 44 63 2.12 4 3.17 8.58 14.73 64 Cairo : 85 49 68 2.71 2 3.20 15.98 20.30 67 Calhoun : 79 45 57 1.79 5 3.91 8.52 12.13 58 Pine Mountain : 82 44 62 2.05 3 2.99 7.73 13.80 61 Camilla : 85 47 66 3.05 5 4.03 13.93 20.45 70 Clarks Hill : 82 43 60 0.14 1 2.48 7.29 11.92 61 Cordele : 87 46 65 2.86 4 3.53 8.77 14.27 66 Covington : 81 42 59 1.53 3 4.21 7.35 11.58 59 Dahlonega : 76 42 56 1.27 4 4.25 11.58 17.42 55 Dallas : 76 43 57 1.65 3 4.10 10.12 13.55 57 Dawson : 85 47 67 1.96 3 2.60 7.85 13.64 67 Dearing : 83 43 61 1.92 4 4.65 10.56 15.81 61 Dempsey : 81 42 59 1.34 3 2.19 5.11 9.11 61 Dixie : 84 48 66 1.58 3 1.71 13.67 17.52 70 Dublin : 84 46 64 2.11 4 3.42 9.95 14.71 65 Duluth : 79 42 57 1.35 3 4.18 9.65 13.53 58 Dunwoody : 77 41 57 1.30 3 4.22 10.22 14.19 57 Eatonton : 83 43 60 1.44 4 4.15 8.87 15.00 61 Elberton : 81 43 58 1.79 3 3.19 7.60 11.90 59 Ellijay : 75 41 56 1.35 4 3.24 7.57 10.64 57 Rome : 73 19 45 0.75 2 3.38 6.33 6.33 47 Fort Valley : 83 44 63 1.97 6 2.72 7.67 12.84 64 Gainesville : 78 42 56 1.24 4 5.17 10.75 15.77 57 Georgetown : 85 47 66 2.52 2 3.70 9.65 17.05 67 Homerville : 87 48 68 5.69 4 6.10 15.24 19.17 70 Jonesboro : 79 43 59 1.49 3 4.18 8.42 12.56 59 Jeffersonville : 84 43 63 2.35 4 3.33 10.08 15.81 63 Lafayette : 78 46 57 1.15 4 4.14 9.57 15.37 57 McRae : 85 45 65 1.34 4 2.35 10.04 15.47 66 Midville : 72 27 49 0.76 1 4.94 8.77 8.77 53 Newton : 87 49 68 1.84 4 2.62 10.28 15.28 69 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 : 87 47 67 1.31 4 2.11 6.20 8.98 67 Skidaway : 83 47 65 1.16 5 1.69 6.51 10.73 66 Sneads : 82 53 68 3.37 2 5.55 16.20 21.16 69 Statesboro : 84 44 63 2.97 3 4.59 11.85 14.67 67 Tiger : 75 39 55 1.52 6 5.26 12.71 18.60 55 Valdosta : 86 50 69 2.33 1 2.46 12.68 16.15 68 Vidalia : 85 46 66 1.08 4 1.69 10.40 13.40 66 Roopville : 80 45 59 1.77 3 3.94 10.38 14.64 60 Watkinsville : 80 41 58 1.21 4 2.86 7.15 10.99 59 Woodbine : 87 48 68 2.51 4 3.50 9.97 13.09 70 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *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 April 6, 2008 DISTRICT 1 - NORTHWEST Been scattered showers around, it is just luck if you receive any. They are calling for area wide rains today and tonight. It does look like rain. Hopefully we will get it. DISTRICT 2 - NORTH CENTRAL No comments available. DISTRICT 3 - NORTHEAST Beneficial rains over the weekend. DISTRICT 4 - WEST CENTRAL Heavy rain over the weekend has stopped all producers who are working up land for peanuts and cotton. Corn planting somewhat behind, some corn silage growers still trying to plant. Wheat crop is looking good, recent rain will increase chances for disease. Received 1.8-2.5 inches of rain countywide. Liming, fertilizing pastures and hayfields; 1.5 inch rain over most of the county last week has soil moisture in good shape for now. DISTRICT 5 - CENTRAL We have gotten more than our share of wet weather lately. We can only hope the trend continues. DISTRICT 6 - EAST CENTRAL Corn planting delayed due to weather pattern of cloudy weather with intermittent rains that has lasted a week. Temperatures slightly below normal and the ground remains wet and little sunshine to dry it out. Cool, damp weather bad on wheat, no disease noticed but virtually every field will be sprayed beginning next week as we are in boot stage pretty much county- wide. Still have potential for some excellent yields. Need sunshine. Rain! DISTRICT 7 - SOUTHWEST Received 2.84" of rainfall. Field preparation, corn and vegetable planting. DISTRICT 8 - SOUTH CENTRAL Preparing tobacco land and clipping and spraying tobacco plants in greenhouse. Planting corn. Spreading poultry litter. Applying lime and fertilizer to hay fields. Repairing and getting equipment ready to plant crops. Need rain as soon as possible....land is getting dry! DISTRICT 9 - SOUTHEAST No comments available.