ga-crop-weather State Georgia Crop Weather Week Ending Date July 7, 2008 Issue GA-CW2708 Agricultural Summary July 7, 2008 MORE RAIN NEEDED Scattered showers provided limited improvement to moisture condition, according to the USDA, NASS, Georgia Field Office. Daily average high temperatures fluctuated between the high 80's and low 90's. Average lows were in the 60's most of week. Soil moisture conditions were rated at 25% very short, 38% short, 35% adequate, and 2% surplus. Rain helped prevent further declines in soil moisture conditions. More rain will be needed to end the drought. Corn and hayfields suffered from lack of moisture. In some areas, land was very dry causing hay and row crops to wilt. Some farmers expect reduced yields due to drought conditions and insect damage on corn. Other activities included controlling weeds in cotton, applying fungicides to peanuts and fertilizer to tobacco. County Extension Agents reported an average of 6.0 days suitable for fieldwork. Crop Progress for Week Ending 07/06/08 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop Stage : This Week : Prev Week : Prev Year : 5 Year Avg -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Corn Silked : 93 90 89 91 Corn Dough : 56 45 54 60 Corn Dent : 18 10 17 20 Soybeans Planted : 97 94 93 97 Soybeans Emerged : 88 86 86 92 Soybeans Blooming : 10 6 6 18 Sorghum Planted : 83 79 88 91 Cotton Squaring : 66 56 50 74 Cotton Setting Bolls : 15 7 9 25 Peaches Harvested : 57 56 65 56 Peanuts Blooming : 75 68 56 76 Peanuts Pegging : 40 27 25 44 Tobacco Harvested : 5 1 7 9 Watermelons Harvested : 63 52 66 65 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop Condition for Week Ending 07/06/08 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Corn : 4 18 38 31 9 Soybeans : 5 21 49 23 2 Sorghum : 4 15 45 35 1 Cotton : 3 13 43 34 7 Range and Pasture : 16 25 40 18 1 Apples : 0 4 17 27 52 Hay : 17 26 39 16 2 Peanuts : 2 7 31 51 9 Pecans : 0 8 43 44 5 Tobacco : 0 7 34 46 13 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Topsoil Moisture for Week Ending 07/06/08 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : This Week :Previous Week : 5 Year Avg -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Very Short : 25 33 9 Short : 38 38 21 Adequate : 35 28 51 Surplus : 2 1 19 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Topsoil Moisture for Week Ending 07/06/08, by District -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- District : Very Short : Short : Adequate : Surplus -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : District 1 (NW) : 21 63 16 0 District 2 (NC) : 16 63 21 0 District 3 (NE) : 50 24 26 0 District 4 (WC) : 32 40 28 0 District 5 (C) : 29 41 30 0 District 6 (EC) : 34 34 32 0 District 7 (SW) : 14 19 56 11 District 8 (SC) : 17 35 48 0 District 9 (SE) : 19 35 46 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 07/06/08, by District -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- District : Very Poor : Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : District 1 (NW) : 0 9 58 33 0 District 2 (NC) : 5 37 42 15 1 District 3 (NE) : 54 19 25 2 0 District 4 (WC) : 6 41 41 12 0 District 5 (C) : 22 27 43 8 0 District 6 (EC) : 29 38 22 11 0 District 7 (SW) : 10 13 41 33 3 District 8 (SC) : 4 23 47 23 3 District 9 (SE) : 2 19 47 31 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. Weather Summary for Week Ending 07/06/08, by Station Location ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Temperature : Precipitation : Location :-----------------:---------------------------------------:Soil : Max : Min : Avg :Weekly : Days :30 Day :60 Day : Season :Temp ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weather data are not available for the week ending 7/06/2008 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *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 July 6, 2008 DISTRICT 1 - NORTHWEST It is now becoming very dry and showing it marks on pastures, hay fields and crops beginning to look wilted and twisting during the afternoon hours. Ponds, creeks and rivers are noticeably dropping now. DISTRICT 2 - NORTH CENTRAL Rain this week prevented further declines in soil moisture condition but still did not end drought conditions. More rain is needed. Corn and pasture/hayfields are suffering from moisture stress. DISTRICT 3 - NORTHEAST Conditions deteriorating rapidly. We are dry. DISTRICT 4 - WEST CENTRAL Widely scattered showers across county are helping maintain some soil moisture; Bermuda grass is extremely slow to show any signs of growth or improvement, little Bermuda grass hay cut so far. DISTRICT 5 - CENTRAL We need rainfall. We have not been able to complete all of our planting. Scattered afternoon rains during the week. A blessing! Producers cutting what hay is ready. Cattle producers feeding hay due to lack of pasture. Soybeans planting is finished. Drought conditions worsening. Fuel and fertilizer expenses are a tremendous burden on farmer's production costs. Especially with the drought affecting yields. A farmer puts out thousands of dollars of nitrogen to have it volatilize into the air from lack of rain. DISTRICT 6 - EAST CENTRAL Getting some much needed scattered showers which means some fields are getting relief but many are not. Surprisingly, the cotton and peanuts are holding up pretty well and we know from the last two years that timely August rains can save those two crops. I believe resistant pigweeds have arrived in several places but no positive confirmation. Grazing is scarce and hay is terribly short. I also believe we'll see some yield reduction in our corn due to stink bugs and oppressive heat during pollination. Double-cropped peanuts seem to be doing well but soybeans and cotton behind wheat is slow to emerge and will probably run out of time (to make good yields) this fall. Finally getting some rain! Some scattered showers. DISTRICT 7 - SOUTHWEST Much stink bug damage is evident on corn. Yields will be reduced. DISTRICT 8 - SOUTH CENTRAL No comments available. DISTRICT 9 - SOUTHEAST No comments available.