ga-crop-weather State Georgia Crop Weather Week Ending Date May 19, 2008 Issue GA-CW2008 Agricultural Summary May 19, 2008 SCATTERED SHOWERS Scattered showers brought relief to some farmers, according to the USDA, NASS, Georgia Field Office. Daily average high temperatures were in the high 70's to lower-80's. Average lows were in the 50's. Soil moisture conditions were rated at 12% very short, 29% short, 56% adequate, and 3% surplus. Pasture and hay field conditions made some improvements due to the rain. Wheat conditions improved slightly and harvest is underway. Corn silking has began. The top soil moisture, which had been decreasing, improved slightly with the rains. The high winds last week caused some breakage in commercial grape vines. There was some damage done to small grains from the storm. Some beef producers are still feeding hay due to dry conditions and slow grass growth. Other activities included spreading more poultry litter than normal due to high nitrogen prices. County Extension Agents reported an average of 5.7 days suitable for fieldwork. Crop Progress for Week Ending 05/18/08 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop Stage : This Week : Prev Week : Prev Year : 5 Year Avg -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Corn Silked : 1 NA 1 1 Soybeans Planted : 29 15 14 27 Soybeans Emerged : 15 8 7 13 Sorghum Planted : 41 34 31 35 Cotton Planted : 50 32 36 55 Winter Wheat Harvested : 3 1 8 5 Onions Harvested : 69 45 75 61 Peaches Harvested : 5 1 3 7 Peanuts Planted : 44 20 27 41 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop Condition for Week Ending 05/18/08 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Corn : 1 6 32 54 7 Winter Wheat : 1 5 27 48 19 Range and Pasture : 2 11 46 39 2 Apples : 0 0 9 27 64 Hay : 1 10 44 43 2 Onions : 8 8 43 40 1 Peaches : 11 19 28 42 0 Tobacco : 0 2 27 61 10 Watermelons : 0 4 28 63 5 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Topsoil Moisture for Week Ending 05/18/08 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : This Week :Previous Week : 5 Year Avg -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Very Short : 12 10 17 Short : 29 43 28 Adequate : 56 45 48 Surplus : 3 2 8 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Topsoil Moisture for Week Ending 05/18/08, by District -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- District : Very Short : Short : Adequate : Surplus -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : District 1 (NW) : 8 11 73 8 District 2 (NC) : 1 16 70 13 District 3 (NE) : 2 27 70 1 District 4 (WC) : 2 39 59 0 District 5 (C) : 1 26 68 5 District 6 (EC) : 15 31 54 0 District 7 (SW) : 46 33 21 0 District 8 (SC) : 18 38 44 0 District 9 (SE) : 0 32 68 0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * 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 05/18/08, by District -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- District : Very Poor : Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : District 1 (NW) : 0 6 47 46 1 District 2 (NC) : 1 9 12 66 12 District 3 (NE) : 1 3 45 48 3 District 4 (WC) : 2 16 45 37 0 District 5 (C) : 4 14 45 37 0 District 6 (EC) : 5 4 56 35 0 District 7 (SW) : 2 20 50 24 4 District 8 (SC) : 1 17 61 21 0 District 9 (SE) : 4 11 24 61 0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * 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 05/18/08, by Station Location ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Temperature : Precipitation : Location :-----------------:---------------------------------------:Soil : Max : Min : Avg :Weekly : Days :30 Day :60 Day : Season :Temp ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Albany : 86 53 71 0.19 1 1.05 3.02 15.44 80 Alma : 84 54 69 0.22 1 4.94 7.02 18.18 72 Alpharetta : 79 43 63 0.87 2 2.91 5.51 18.64 68 Arlington : 86 48 69 0.30 1 0.92 2.22 13.20 76 Attapulgus : 85 49 70 1.31 2 2.35 6.37 24.25 81 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 54 69 0.30 1 0.69 2.68 12.86 79 Brunswick : 85 56 71 0.51 1 2.33 3.96 13.31 74 Byromville : 83 51 69 0.00 0 3.90 7.09 18.50 74 Byron : 82 49 67 0.02 1 2.16 4.45 17.05 71 Cairo : 85 51 70 2.77 1 3.84 6.61 24.20 73 Calhoun : 79 40 61 1.35 2 4.70 7.32 17.04 68 Pine Mountain : 79 44 65 1.82 2 2.69 6.04 16.86 70 Camilla : 86 49 71 0.45 1 0.86 4.05 21.45 80 Clarks Hill : 83 44 65 0.26 2 2.76 4.04 15.76 72 Cordele : 83 52 70 0.00 0 2.68 5.79 17.20 74 Covington : 79 45 65 0.36 1 1.24 5.20 13.59 69 Dahlonega : 74 39 60 0.84 3 4.85 7.00 22.51 65 Dallas : 76 45 63 1.15 2 3.32 6.07 17.30 67 Dawson : 85 53 69 0.93 1 2.19 4.45 16.13 75 Dearing : 81 49 67 0.03 1 2.04 5.26 18.05 71 Dempsey : 78 44 64 0.34 1 2.22 4.59 12.08 70 Dixie : 85 51 70 0.87 1 1.11 3.26 19.20 79 Dublin : 84 49 69 0.16 1 2.38 4.72 17.10 74 Duluth : 77 42 62 1.00 2 3.21 6.29 17.16 67 Dunwoody : 78 44 63 1.02 2 4.07 6.66 18.52 66 Eatonton : 80 42 64 0.31 1 1.37 5.22 17.07 72 Elberton : 82 46 65 0.40 3 2.99 6.34 15.96 70 Ellijay : 77 38 59 0.53 2 3.79 6.04 14.68 66 Rome : 73 19 45 0.75 2 3.38 6.33 6.33 47 Fort Valley : 80 48 67 0.00 0 2.41 4.46 15.33 71 Gainesville : 75 46 63 1.05 2 3.37 5.46 19.73 70 Georgetown : 85 43 69 0.18 2 1.19 4.41 18.94 77 Homerville : 84 47 69 0.57 1 1.21 7.49 20.94 75 Jonesboro : 78 45 65 0.93 2 2.24 5.72 15.58 69 Jeffersonville : 82 48 67 0.07 1 2.69 5.13 18.58 73 Lafayette : 77 39 60 0.68 2 3.96 6.78 19.95 66 McRae : 84 46 68 0.16 1 3.93 5.46 19.58 74 Midville : 72 27 49 0.76 1 4.94 8.77 8.77 53 Newton : 85 49 71 0.28 1 0.73 2.74 16.17 80 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 49 69 0.29 1 1.99 3.34 10.97 74 Skidaway : 86 55 69 0.29 3 2.28 3.61 13.04 70 Sneads : 85 61 72 1.23 3 2.00 5.40 23.19 76 Statesboro : 85 49 68 0.32 1 3.16 6.41 18.06 75 Tiger : 72 38 58 0.95 4 5.66 8.00 24.38 64 Valdosta : 85 54 72 0.75 1 1.27 4.08 17.90 73 Vidalia : 85 54 69 0.09 1 1.72 3.04 15.36 74 Roopville : 77 46 63 1.49 2 4.14 7.36 19.66 68 Watkinsville : 79 44 64 0.63 3 3.86 6.65 15.74 69 Woodbine : 85 51 68 1.06 3 3.29 6.09 16.42 77 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *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 May 18, 2008 DISTRICT 1 - NORTHWEST We had about an inch of rain on Thursday, May 15th. Rains yesterday, Thursday afternoon and evening, amounted to just under one inch is a welcome site. It was starting to get very dry again. There are still a lot of water shed ponds needing water while spring fed ponds are full. DISTRICT 2 - NORTH CENTRAL High winds this week caused some breakage in commercial grape vines, some wheat blown down by wind and rain, most hay fields ready for cutting when suitable weather arrives. DISTRICT 3 - NORTHEAST No comments available. DISTRICT 4 - WEST CENTRAL Wheat crop is maturing out. Making hay from small grains. Some rain scattered around last week but soil moisture is lacking. Some weed control and talk of fertilization. DISTRICT 5 - CENTRAL Many hay producers cutting hay. Pasture and hay field conditions continue to improve due to rains. Wheat conditions also improving slightly. We received 0.46 of an inch of rainfall on May 9, 0.23 of an inch on May 10 and 1.01 in on May 11. We have begun to plant our spring crops. Some damage to small grains from storm. Most beef producers still feeding hay due to dry conditions and slow grass growth. Hay production looking light at this time. Farmers Market to start second Saturday in June. DISTRICT 6 - EAST CENTRAL Nights still a little cool for good Bermuda grass growth. Good rain from storms last Sunday morning will probably save some dry cotton fields although some replanting is being done on strip planted fields. Conditions are good for peanut planting, corn has been top-dressed and laid by except for a last weed spray. Soybean seed is scarce and may alter some planting intentions. Wheat harvest will be a little late and this could alter some planting intentions also. Many trees down from storm, lots of property damage but no crop damage. Some scattered showers. Field work well under way. Wind is blowing. DISTRICT 7 - SOUTHWEST Dry conditions persist. Soil moisture very low. Continued lack of rain affected pasture and hay field growth. Corn irrigated weekly. Peanuts and cotton being irrigated to get stands. Dryland peanuts dusted in dry dirt. DISTRICT 8 - SOUTH CENTRAL Very dry! We missed the Mothers Day rainfall. Good chance of rainfall on Friday. Planting cotton and peanuts. Side dressing fertilizer on tobacco. Spreading more poultry litter than normal due to high nitrogen prices. Applying herbicides and insecticides and inoculants as they plant. Lawns and gardens are in need of rainfall, also. Rains bring relief to farmers. Drier conditions as of Friday a.m. have an adverse effect on crop conditions. Rain desperately needed in southern half of the county. DISTRICT 9 - SOUTHEAST Thanks Lord for the rain this week.