ga-crop-weather State Georgia Crop Weather Week Ending Date October 12, 2008 Issue GA-CW4108 Agricultural Summary October 13, 2008 RAIN WELCOMED BUT CONDITIONS REMAIN DRY Much of the state received significant rainfall during the week, according to the USDA, NASS, Georgia Field Office. Daily average high temperatures were in the 70's most of the week. Average lows were in the 60's. Soil moisture conditions were rated at 11% very short, 24% short, 57% adequate, and 8% surplus. While a considerable amount of rain fell across much of the state, some areas received little precipitation to ease the dry conditions. Many farmers, except those who had to delay the harvest of crops, were glad to get the rain and see crop and soil moisture conditions improve, if only slightly. Fall planting should pick up, but growers were hoping for even more rain before planting small grains and winter grazing. The cotton harvest was underway and there was a good bit of variability in the yields. The commercial grape harvest was nearing completion. Other activities included chopping silage, servicing harvest equipment, and cutting and baling hay. County Extension Agents reported an average of 4.8 days suitable for fieldwork. Crop Progress for Week Ending 10/12/08 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop Stage : This Week : Prev Week : Prev Year : 5 Year Avg -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Soybeans Dropping Leaves : 63 44 46 63 Soybeans Harvested : 5 1 4 7 Sorghum Harvested : 61 54 30 51 Cotton Bolls Opening : 92 87 83 90 Cotton Harvested : 19 10 11 21 Winter Wheat Planted : 6 3 6 7 Apples Harvested : 40 33 50 58 Peanuts Dug : 61 45 37 58 Peanuts Combined : 44 29 24 43 Pecans Harvested : 2 0 2 3 Rye Planted : 23 17 28 27 Other Small Grains Planted : 20 14 23 20 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop Condition for Week Ending 10/12/08 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Soybeans : 4 17 46 29 4 Cotton : 4 15 43 32 6 Range and Pasture : 11 21 48 19 1 Apples : 4 8 12 24 52 Hay : 10 25 44 20 1 Peanuts : 2 5 27 47 19 Pecans : 7 13 37 38 5 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Topsoil Moisture for Week Ending 10/12/08 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : This Week :Previous Week : 5 Year Avg -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Very Short : 11 44 14 Short : 24 42 28 Adequate : 57 14 49 Surplus : 8 0 8 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Topsoil Moisture for Week Ending 10/12/08, by District -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- District : Very Short : Short : Adequate : Surplus -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : District 1 (NW) : 15 54 27 4 District 2 (NC) : 3 27 58 12 District 3 (NE) : 5 18 77 0 District 4 (WC) : 6 23 63 8 District 5 (C) : 18 14 64 4 District 6 (EC) : 21 8 61 10 District 7 (SW) : 7 30 60 3 District 8 (SC) : 12 23 47 18 District 9 (SE) : 15 30 51 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 10/12/08, by District -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- District : Very Poor : Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : District 1 (NW) : 0 25 56 19 0 District 2 (NC) : 6 22 63 9 0 District 3 (NE) : 10 25 57 8 0 District 4 (WC) : 22 15 41 22 0 District 5 (C) : 24 25 38 11 2 District 6 (EC) : 17 13 58 12 0 District 7 (SW) : 5 31 43 18 3 District 8 (SC) : 1 11 39 49 0 District 9 (SE) : 1 31 49 19 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 10/12/08, by Station Location ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Temperature : Precipitation : Location :-----------------:-------------------------------------:Soil : Max : Min : Avg :Weekly : Days :30 Day :60 Day:Season :Temp ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alapaha : 86 61 72 2.12 4 2.20 9.24 35.87 74 Albany : 87 66 72 0.38 3 0.52 11.99 40.12 77 Alma : 84 65 73 3.65 5 4.04 9.91 38.43 74 Alpharetta : 81 51 68 2.36 2 2.36 6.67 30.80 69 Arabi : 85 62 72 1.51 4 1.66 8.84 33.21 75 Arlington : 88 58 72 0.62 3 0.62 14.21 34.62 75 Atlanta : 80 61 69 1.68 1 1.68 4.17 26.68 0 Attapulgus : 88 63 73 0.19 4 0.24 21.13 59.59 79 Baxley : 83 60 72 2.95 5 3.15 10.40 38.74 77 Blairsville : 77 43 65 1.31 2 1.41 5.93 33.24 68 Blue Ridge : 78 46 65 2.13 3 2.43 7.08 39.52 68 Brunswick : 79 62 73 2.31 3 2.93 8.44 34.78 76 Byromville : 87 57 71 0.42 3 0.57 8.46 39.31 74 Byron : 87 54 70 3.17 4 3.45 9.05 34.47 71 Cairo : 86 66 74 0.43 3 1.48 20.32 56.48 75 Calhoun : 82 47 67 1.65 2 1.99 6.69 31.81 70 Camilla : 87 61 73 1.14 3 1.20 13.65 49.02 77 Clarks Hill : 83 50 69 2.92 3 3.87 8.53 28.48 77 Cordele : 85 56 70 2.71 4 2.75 7.85 29.39 72 Covington : 82 54 69 2.79 2 2.87 5.67 26.46 74 Dahlonega : 77 49 65 2.45 2 2.58 14.09 45.78 71 Dallas : 80 51 68 1.20 2 1.22 6.20 31.57 67 Danielsville : 80 51 66 3.64 4 4.29 11.11 31.36 70 Dawson : 85 59 72 0.77 4 1.11 14.52 44.98 72 Dearing : 84 57 70 3.12 3 3.24 10.38 35.83 73 Dixie : 85 65 74 2.58 5 2.85 15.91 45.11 77 Douglas : 82 61 72 2.45 4 2.51 8.04 34.76 74 Dublin : 87 57 71 1.27 3 1.30 8.52 31.97 74 Dunwoody : 79 53 68 1.91 2 1.93 8.42 35.31 69 Eatonton : 83 48 69 2.57 3 3.06 8.15 36.46 70 Elberton : 84 54 69 3.55 2 4.06 8.88 31.55 71 Ellijay : 79 49 66 1.21 2 1.30 5.40 38.52 69 Ft Valley : 85 58 71 1.91 3 2.13 9.45 34.19 73 Gainesville : 80 54 67 1.91 2 1.97 9.88 34.42 72 Georgetown : 85 58 70 2.44 4 4.80 15.72 42.53 73 Griffin : 81 52 68 2.09 4 2.15 8.82 30.39 72 Hatley : 85 61 71 2.57 4 3.11 9.25 29.83 74 Homerville : 83 61 72 1.35 5 1.74 11.11 43.50 74 Jeffersonville : 85 56 69 0.59 4 1.38 6.96 32.43 73 Johns Creek : 81 48 56 1.97 2 1.97 7.12 32.42 71 Jonesboro : 83 52 69 2.95 2 3.07 6.41 30.63 71 Lafayette : 81 48 68 1.58 2 2.30 8.80 35.27 69 Lake Seminole : 82 66 74 0.18 2 0.19 9.17 49.45 76 Mcrae : 86 55 72 1.14 5 9.11 9.01 36.88 77 Midville : 85 56 70 0.32 4 0.80 7.12 32.07 74 Moultrie : 85 63 73 1.31 5 1.45 10.28 38.02 75 Nahunta : 87 60 60 1.09 3 1.14 8.33 30.97 77 Newton : 84 61 74 0.43 3 0.43 15.80 39.27 76 Odum : 85 61 72 1.47 5 0.39 7.57 0.00 75 Ossabaw : 84 67 75 2.76 4 4.81 9.91 35.31 76 Pine Mountain : 83 57 69 2.77 5 3.50 11.70 35.14 71 Plains : 82 57 69 0.37 3 0.42 12.60 37.41 73 Roopville : 83 48 69 2.12 3 2.12 7.45 34.52 72 Rome : 83 49 69 1.48 2 1.57 7.00 30.64 71 Sasser : 85 58 72 0.74 4 0.85 11.78 0.00 73 Savannah : 85 63 73 4.55 6 5.36 13.32 33.85 73 Shellman : 85 60 72 0.43 2 0.92 13.76 41.05 76 Skidaway : 79 63 72 9.70 6 10.91 16.06 41.89 73 Sparta : 83 51 67 1.81 4 1.84 10.53 0.00 72 Statesboro : 84 58 70 1.09 5 1.15 6.59 31.74 75 Tennille : 85 54 70 0.92 4 0.93 6.03 31.58 74 Tifton : 85 63 73 1.66 4 1.69 12.01 39.01 74 Tiger : 77 45 63 2.22 2 2.53 13.77 44.52 68 Ty Ty : 85 61 73 0.99 4 1.26 12.17 37.36 76 Unadilla : 84 56 70 0.85 5 0.90 6.65 25.66 73 Valdosta : 84 66 74 0.76 5 0.77 13.85 42.15 75 Vienna : 86 56 71 2.33 4 2.41 6.95 30.40 73 Vidalia : 84 62 72 2.90 5 3.17 11.65 37.48 76 Wat-UGA : 81 45 68 3.25 2 3.30 6.78 26.24 72 Williamson : 82 50 69 2.24 5 2.24 6.46 30.58 72 Woodbine : 89 63 74 3.46 4 4.63 12.59 48.19 76 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *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 October 12, 2008 DISTRICT 1 - NORTHWEST It has become extremely dry once again. We did receive scattered showers last Thursday but it was hit or miss depending on the location. What did fall was quickly utilized. DISTRICT 2 - NORTH CENTRAL Heavy rain this week improved soil moisture - commercial grape harvest nearing completion - silage chopping nearing completion. DISTRICT 3 - NORTHEAST Beneficial rains improved conditions slightly. Parts of the county received as much as 3.5 inches of rain on Tuesday and Wednesday. DISTRICT 4 - WEST CENTRAL Much needed rain was received 10/8/08. Some areas of the county received up to 2 inches. Much needed rain received last week, 2+ inches over most of the county. Perhaps we might yet plant some wheat and winter grazing. DISTRICT 5 - CENTRAL Welcome rain! Most areas of the county got 3 inches or more. Small grain and winter grazing planting will be in full swing when soil conditions will allow. Many hay producers will be working on getting their last cutting of hay for the year harvested. October has been very dry. We did receive close to an inch of rainfall on Wednesday. It was much needed. Welcome rain on Friday and Saturday. Still dry. Some cattle producers planting winter grazing in dry dirt. We had 4 inches of rain fall over a 24 hour period (Wednesday through Thursday). This is the largest rainfall since February. Fall planting should pick up after this rainfall. Dry as I've seen it since I started working in 1999....over half of our cotton acres are not realistically worth picking.... DISTRICT 6 - EAST CENTRAL Got some rain but very inconsistent. County rainfall ranged from 0.3" to 2.7". Enough to delay peanut harvest. About half the crop is dug but only about 1/8 is combined. Dryland cotton is being picked with pretty good yields although it will vary in the county from 400 to 1200 lb/A. Soybeans are past insect and disease stage. All in all, we've done about all we can for this crop......everything is waiting for harvest, which is late this year and will extent at least a couple of weeks into November. Farmers really scratching their heads about planting intentions for next year. Prices look bleak on both input and output sides. DISTRICT 7 - SOUTHWEST Weather front passed through on Wednesday providing from 0.2 to 5.0 inches of rain. Rain was needed to provide moisture to dig remaining peanuts, to seed winter grazing and to bolster pastures. DISTRICT 8 - SOUTH CENTRAL We got 3.5" of rainfall. Really too much too late. Delaying cotton harvest and peanut harvest. May affect quality of crops. Some late planted peanuts should benefit from rainfall. Rain will help small grain planting and wildlife food plots. Hay production about over. Farmers working on and servicing cotton and peanut harvest equipment. This week has been very dry, however very good for harvest peanuts. We need some rain for growers to continue digging peanuts. DISTRICT 9 - SOUTHEAST No comments available.