ga-crop-weather State Georgia Crop Weather Week Ending Date April 21, 2008 Issue GA-CW1608 Agricultural Summary April 21, 2008 FROST REPORTED IN SOME AREAS Much of Georgia experienced sunny and cool temperatures with little to no rainfall, according to the USDA, NASS, Georgia Field Office. Daily average high temperatures fluctuated between the high-70's and low-50's. Average lows were in the 30's most of the week. Soil moisture conditions were rated at 3% very short, 23% short, 71% adequate, and 3% surplus. Despite the sunny skies, frost was reported in some areas. Soil moisture will become a serious problem for some if the rain doesn't come. The cool temperature stressed some vegetable crops. Wheat has the potential to be very good crop. Other activities included cotton planting and irrigating corn. Some ponds were beginning to dry up but the spring fed ponds were maintaining their levels. County Extension Agents reported an average of 6.1 days suitable for fieldwork. Crop Progress for Week Ending 04/20/08 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop Stage : This Week : Prev Week : Prev Year : 5 Year Avg -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Corn Planted : 85 71 86 80 Corn Emerged : 67 49 77 67 Soybeans Planted : 1 NA 1 2 Sorghum Planted : 17 15 10 8 Cotton Planted : 1 0 2 4 Winter Wheat Boot : 88 71 95 86 Winter Wheat Headed : 59 31 79 67 Apples Blooming : 59 25 72 65 Onions Harvested : 7 2 16 10 Peanuts Planted : 0 NA 1 1 Tobacco Transplanted : 51 28 59 51 Watermelons Planted : 83 71 84 75 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop Condition for Week Ending 04/20/08 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Corn : 0 4 25 69 2 Winter Wheat : 0 3 22 54 21 Range and Pasture : 4 11 42 42 1 Hay : 3 13 45 38 1 Onions : 0 7 17 49 27 Peaches : 0 10 38 52 0 Watermelons : 0 1 46 52 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Topsoil Moisture for Week Ending 04/20/08 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : This Week :Previous Week : 5 Year Avg -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Very Short : 3 0 11 Short : 23 10 28 Adequate : 71 82 50 Surplus : 3 8 10 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Topsoil Moisture for Week Ending 04/20/08, by District -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- District : Very Short : Short : Adequate : Surplus -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : District 1 (NW) : 6 37 55 2 District 2 (NC) : 0 23 77 0 District 3 (NE) : 3 10 86 0 District 4 (WC) : 2 13 85 0 District 5 (C) : 2 34 64 1 District 6 (EC) : 9 16 74 1 District 7 (SW) : 6 28 51 15 District 8 (SC) : 1 15 83 1 District 9 (SE) : 1 31 65 4 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * 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 04/20/08, by District -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- District : Very Poor : Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : District 1 (NW) : 3 13 55 30 0 District 2 (NC) : 0 7 25 66 2 District 3 (NE) : 5 10 49 34 2 District 4 (WC) : 14 21 35 26 3 District 5 (C) : 3 14 33 49 0 District 6 (EC) : 0 4 56 37 3 District 7 (SW) : 0 12 42 42 4 District 8 (SC) : 1 7 40 52 1 District 9 (SE) : 4 8 29 54 4 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * 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 04/20/08, by Station Location ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Temperature : Precipitation : Location :-----------------:---------------------------------------:Soil : Max : Min : Avg :Weekly : Days :30 Day :60 Day : Season :Temp ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Albany : 82 34 59 0.33 1 2.30 8.24 14.72 67 Alma : 80 38 59 0.10 1 2.18 7.82 13.34 64 Alpharetta : 80 32 55 0.31 2 2.77 8.95 15.90 59 Arlington : 82 36 58 0.10 1 1.40 6.74 12.38 65 Attapulgus : 80 35 57 0.38 1 4.40 14.54 22.28 69 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 : 81 37 57 0.06 1 2.05 6.86 12.23 67 Brunswick : 82 41 60 0.00 0 1.47 6.84 10.98 67 Byromville : 80 35 57 0.49 2 3.67 8.45 15.08 63 Byron : 79 37 57 0.19 1 2.48 7.35 15.08 63 Cairo : 81 37 58 0.10 1 2.87 13.26 20.46 65 Calhoun : 78 28 54 0.45 2 3.04 8.10 12.76 61 Pine Mountain : 77 32 55 0.13 1 2.55 7.53 14.30 61 Camilla : 82 35 58 0.16 1 3.35 12.25 20.75 66 Clarks Hill : 82 30 55 0.01 1 1.29 6.86 13.01 61 Cordele : 80 35 58 0.20 1 3.31 8.60 14.72 65 Covington : 78 34 56 0.03 1 3.99 7.48 12.38 60 Dahlonega : 76 34 54 0.67 1 2.82 10.39 18.33 57 Dallas : 78 33 55 0.50 2 3.15 9.53 14.38 59 Dawson : 81 36 57 0.37 1 2.63 8.05 14.31 65 Dearing : 81 34 58 0.01 1 3.23 8.87 16.02 62 Dempsey : 77 34 56 0.05 1 2.42 5.49 9.91 63 Dixie : 79 36 58 0.04 1 2.19 12.17 18.13 65 Dublin : 80 34 57 0.09 1 2.43 8.46 14.81 65 Duluth : 78 33 55 0.23 2 3.24 8.61 14.11 60 Dunwoody : 78 34 56 0.19 1 2.78 9.09 14.64 59 Eatonton : 79 31 56 0.01 1 3.86 8.46 15.71 61 Elberton : 81 32 57 0.00 0 3.35 7.69 12.97 60 Ellijay : 76 29 52 0.51 1 2.76 6.86 11.40 59 Rome : 73 19 45 0.75 2 3.38 6.33 6.33 47 Fort Valley : 79 36 57 0.22 1 2.27 6.31 13.14 63 Gainesville : 80 37 56 0.14 1 2.23 9.77 16.50 60 Georgetown : 82 33 57 0.45 1 3.67 7.26 18.20 64 Homerville : 82 34 58 0.04 1 6.29 14.98 19.77 66 Jonesboro : 79 34 56 0.07 2 3.54 8.72 13.40 60 Jeffersonville : 79 35 57 0.07 2 2.46 8.35 15.92 63 Lafayette : 78 30 55 0.60 2 3.37 9.12 16.54 58 McRae : 80 32 56 0.03 1 1.55 8.70 15.68 65 Midville : 72 27 49 0.76 1 4.94 8.77 8.77 53 Newton : 83 35 58 0.13 1 2.13 9.03 15.57 67 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 34 58 0.04 2 1.35 4.70 9.02 66 Skidaway : 80 39 59 0.04 4 1.20 5.02 10.77 63 Sneads : 80 42 61 0.33 1 3.73 13.11 21.52 67 Statesboro : 80 39 59 0.02 1 3.27 8.91 14.92 68 Tiger : 76 28 52 0.26 2 2.58 11.34 18.97 58 Valdosta : 81 39 60 0.01 1 2.82 12.09 16.64 65 Vidalia : 80 38 59 0.07 1 1.39 7.70 13.71 64 Roopville : 77 33 55 0.29 2 3.48 10.48 15.78 60 Watkinsville : 77 34 56 0.06 1 2.85 7.59 11.94 61 Woodbine : 83 36 59 0.00 0 2.55 8.87 13.13 68 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *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 20, 2008 DISTRICT 1 - NORTHWEST A few producers in the area are trying to get some hay mowed. Believe weather should be in 80s this week. We have missed recent rains in the area. It is starting to get dry again. Watershed ponds are beginning to dry up, the spring fed ponds are still maintaining their levels. DISTRICT 2 - NORTH CENTRAL Sunny skies but frost two nights this week, frost protection required in strawberries and grape vineyards. DISTRICT 3 - NORTHEAST Scattered frost may have impacted certain fruit varieties this week. Soil moisture may become a serious problem if significant rain doesn't show up this week. DISTRICT 4 - WEST CENTRAL Starting to turn dry, received some rain over the weekend. Producers thinking about starting to plant cotton this week. Some producers are watering corn. DISTRICT 5 - CENTRAL We have gotten quite a bit of rainfall lately, yet we still are lagging behind in overall rainfall for the year. Some producers cutting and baling ryegrass hay this week. Need rain! Sounds strange to say that but the grain crops need rain! Corn planting wrapping up. DISTRICT 6 - EAST CENTRAL Wind has dried the ground rather quickly even after all the rain we've had, rotary hoe was needed in some fields to get a corn stand. Finishing up corn planting soon and cotton land is being prepared. More cotton will be planted this coming week. Had one frosty morning but wheat was unaffected. Wheat crop has potential to be very good. DISTRICT 7 - SOUTHWEST Light frost two days. Recoverable damage to tender corn and vegetables. Peanut bed preparation for planting. DISTRICT 8 - SOUTH CENTRAL Light frost but little damage reported as of yet. Tobacco planting is in full swing. Preparing land to plant other crops and spreading poultry litter. Cool temperatures bring stress to vegetable crops. Spring planting preparation in full swing. DISTRICT 9 - SOUTHEAST Frost damage on forages and some crops. Soil conditions are starting to dry out again, rain will be needed, and irrigations for wheat have resumed.