ga-crop-weather State Georgia Crop Weather Week Ending Date December 14, 2008 Issue GA-CW5008 Agricultural Summary December 15, 2008 BENEFICIAL RAIN Beneficial rain on last week improved soil moisture conditions, according to the USDA, NASS, Georgia Field Office. Daily average high temperatures were in the 50's most of the week. Average lows were in the 30's and 40's. Soil moisture conditions were rated at 0% very short, 6% short, 52% adequate, and 42% surplus. Late wheat planting will begin when fields begin to dry out. Freezes in some areas have delayed ryegrass and small grain growth. Wet soils have slowed down field operations and the spreading of fertilizer. There was cotton and soybeans left to be harvested in some areas. Cold weather has slowed the progress of winter grazing. Other activities included planting small grain for grazing and routine care of livestock and poultry. County Extension Agents reported an average of 3.6 days suitable for fieldwork. Crop Progress for Week Ending 12/14/08 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop Stage : This Week : Prev Week : Prev Year : 5 Year Avg -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Data collection for crop progress will resume in March 2009. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop Condition for Week Ending 12/14/08 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Winter Wheat : 0 3 45 51 1 Range and Pasture : 9 20 50 20 1 Vegetables : 0 3 35 61 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Topsoil Moisture for Week Ending 12/14/08 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : This Week :Previous Week : 5 Year Avg -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Very Short : 0 3 0 Short : 6 15 0 Adequate : 52 61 0 Surplus : 42 21 0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Topsoil Moisture for Week Ending 12/14/08, by District -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- District : Very Short : Short : Adequate : Surplus -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : District 1 (NW) : 2 12 34 52 District 2 (NC) : 0 21 63 16 District 3 (NE) : 1 11 79 9 District 4 (WC) : 1 5 50 44 District 5 (C) : 0 7 46 47 District 6 (EC) : 0 0 48 52 District 7 (SW) : 0 0 44 56 District 8 (SC) : 0 0 40 60 District 9 (SE) : 0 4 81 15 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * 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 12/14/08, by District -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- District : Very Poor : Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : District 1 (NW) : 3 16 49 32 0 District 2 (NC) : 5 11 55 28 1 District 3 (NE) : 7 26 57 10 0 District 4 (WC) : 3 23 56 18 0 District 5 (C) : 30 16 39 13 2 District 6 (EC) : 21 8 55 16 0 District 7 (SW) : 6 26 39 26 3 District 8 (SC) : 2 22 49 27 0 District 9 (SE) : 1 32 52 15 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 12/14/08, by Station Location ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Temperature : Precipitation : Location :-----------------:-------------------------------------:Soil : Max : Min : Avg :Weekly : Days :30 Day :60 Day:Season :Temp ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alapaha : 75 28 51 0.91 2 8.06 12.13 47.11 55 Albany : 75 29 52 5.09 3 7.67 12.30 47.32 54 Alma : 77 31 54 0.40 2 5.63 10.20 48.34 55 Alpharetta : 64 23 43 3.19 3 5.83 7.48 35.09 44 Arabi : 73 27 50 4.63 2 7.77 10.28 38.88 54 Arlington : 76 28 52 7.65 2 10.27 14.56 41.53 53 Atlanta : 67 25 46 1.91 3 3.82 5.48 30.25 NA Attapulgus : 73 28 51 1.93 2 6.49 11.40 67.15 56 Baxley : 75 28 51 0.51 2 6.52 11.59 49.83 55 Blairsville : 63 18 40 2.94 3 4.14 6.09 36.39 47 Blue Ridge : 64 20 42 3.96 4 6.46 9.19 44.75 44 Brunswick : 75 35 55 0.65 2 1.41 5.13 39.37 60 Byromville : 73 27 50 7.45 2 10.78 14.54 46.43 53 Byron : 72 26 49 4.88 2 9.88 13.22 42.83 52 Cairo : 74 30 52 1.51 2 7.17 11.87 66.84 58 Calhoun : 65 19 42 3.51 3 6.33 8.37 36.67 47 Camilla : 74 29 51 5.15 2 7.38 10.66 54.53 54 Clarks Hill : 70 24 47 3.79 2 10.18 12.41 37.09 51 Cordele : 73 27 50 3.62 2 6.21 7.98 33.76 53 Covington : 68 22 45 1.57 2 4.93 6.32 29.54 48 Dahlonega : 62 22 42 3.42 3 5.77 7.38 49.74 45 Dallas : 65 23 44 3.89 3 6.40 8.04 35.72 47 Dawson : 73 27 50 8.23 2 11.85 15.71 52.48 55 Dearing : 71 27 49 3.65 2 9.86 12.70 44.87 53 Dixie : 74 30 52 0.88 2 7.60 11.19 55.42 56 Douglas : 74 29 52 0.49 1 5.07 7.29 41.51 55 Dublin : 73 27 50 3.78 2 8.04 10.95 39.14 54 Dunwoody : 65 24 45 3.34 3 5.70 7.56 39.52 48 Eatonton : 71 22 46 3.58 2 8.83 10.81 43.69 49 Elberton : 66 25 45 3.29 2 7.11 8.17 36.42 49 Ellijay : 64 21 42 2.65 3 4.43 5.85 41.72 44 Gainesville : 63 26 45 3.38 3 5.44 6.65 37.69 48 Georgetown : 73 26 50 5.95 2 12.40 16.92 53.50 52 Griffin : 68 26 47 2.14 2 5.11 7.59 35.86 51 Hatley : 74 31 52 3.65 2 7.02 9.68 35.88 54 Homerville : 77 26 52 0.67 3 3.80 6.27 49.13 56 Jeffersonville : 72 26 49 5.62 1 9.69 12.28 39.13 52 Johns Creek : 65 23 44 3.40 3 5.87 7.52 36.47 50 Jonesboro : 69 24 46 2.18 2 4.36 6.80 35.26 47 Lake Seminole : 72 37 54 6.15 2 10.23 12.81 56.11 56 Midville : 73 28 51 2.84 2 6.47 8.39 37.95 53 Moultrie : 72 32 52 1.70 2 6.67 10.53 45.86 54 Nahunta : 78 27 53 0.49 1 2.24 5.37 36.63 57 Newton : 76 28 52 5.38 3 8.11 12.35 46.24 55 Odum : 76 27 52 0.66 1 5.81 9.65 NA 56 Ossabaw : 73 37 55 0.00 3 1.77 5.73 43.96 56 Pine Mountain : 69 24 47 2.40 3 4.91 7.17 39.92 50 Plains : 71 27 49 6.60 2 10.44 14.12 45.00 51 Roopville : 67 23 45 3.72 3 6.45 8.28 39.16 48 Rome : 67 21 44 3.42 3 6.00 7.79 35.01 48 Sasser : 74 28 51 6.09 3 9.42 12.99 NA 54 Savannah : 77 29 53 0.52 3 3.34 7.29 40.60 56 Shellman : 75 28 51 5.98 3 8.46 12.03 47.09 52 Skidaway : 70 33 52 0.37 2 2.39 6.16 47.78 54 Sparta : 72 25 48 4.90 2 10.82 13.75 NA 50 Statesboro : 74 28 51 0.58 2 3.27 6.42 37.58 54 Tennille : 73 27 50 4.80 2 9.38 11.81 35.48 52 Tifton : 73 32 53 2.86 2 6.30 11.68 47.83 55 Tiger : 61 20 40 3.57 3 6.26 8.97 49.92 44 Unadilla : 73 26 49 4.58 2 7.17 9.77 30.86 52 Valdosta : 76 32 54 0.77 2 5.94 10.03 51.40 58 Vienna : 73 28 51 5.07 2 8.86 11.44 36.79 54 Vidalia : 75 31 53 1.10 2 5.37 9.63 46.08 55 Wat-UGA : 67 27 47 2.11 2 5.03 5.86 29.04 48 Williamson : 69 22 45 2.09 2 5.16 7.94 36.46 48 Woodbine : 78 31 55 0.61 2 1.46 3.86 52.46 60 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *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 December 14, 2008 DISTRICT 1 - NORTHWEST We received a little more than 2 inches of rains this week. It was all a slow, good, ground soaking rain, much needed for a while. There is even more rains for the future forecast as well. This fall and winter recharge will make a very positive impact going into the spring plantings. 5.5" of rain Wednesday and Thursday has replenished soil moisture. DISTRICT 2 - NORTH CENTRAL No comments available. DISTRICT 3 - NORTHEAST Much needed rain arrives for 2 days. Should prove beneficial to winter grazing. 2.5 to 3.6 inches of rain throughout the county. DISTRICT 4 - WEST CENTRAL Much needed rain is falling heavily in the county with high winds. It's wet, probably only got about 3/4 of our small grains planted and it may stay that way. DISTRICT 5 - CENTRAL We have gotten 2.51 inches of rainfall over the past 24 hours, which good for the rainfall deficit. Received 4.5 inches of rain over two day period. 4 to 6 inches of rain around the county; everything has come to a halt due to beneficial rain; late wheat planting will begin again as soon as fields dry out rain was great! Cotton still to be harvested. Lots of rain mid to late week. Most places getting better than 4 inches in 48 hours. Cold weather has slowed winter grazing growth. Rainfall has wheat fields waterlogged. DISTRICT 6 - EAST CENTRAL Approximately 6-8 inches of rain over a 10 to 14 day period has caused some areas to be too wet for over seeded pasture or winter annuals to survive. Approximately 6-8 inches of rain over a 10 to 14 day period has caused some areas to be too wet for over seeded pasture or winter annuals to survive. Hard freezes stalling out ryegrass and small grain growth. Wheat having a hard time making a stand and now we've had 8.5 inches of rain in two weeks. Still a pretty fair amount of cotton in the fields. It will be slow harvesting between rains. DISTRICT 7 - SOUTHWEST Received 2-6" rainfall on Wednesday and Thursday. 10.5 inches of rain in 2 days got everything waterlogged. Beginning Wednesday the county received from 4-10 inches rain. Wheat crop looks good. Majority stands emerged. Growers will not be able to get into fields to complete any late plantings of wheat. DISTRICT 8 - SOUTH CENTRAL Wet and cool. Still have some cotton that needs harvesting and a few soybeans. Wet soils slowing down tillage and field operations and spreading of lime and fertilizer. Big concern is Pilgrims Pride bankruptcy and possible affect to the poultry industry and our economy. 5+ inches rain Wednesday and Thursday. This has been very wet week, with little field activities. Rainfall accumulations were between 2 and 5.5 inches through out the county on Wednesday -Thursday of this week. DISTRICT 9 - SOUTHEAST No comments available.