ga-crop-weather State Georgia Crop Weather Week Ending Date January 25, 2009 Issue GA-CW0409 Agricultural Summary January 26, 2009 COLD CONDITIONS The state experienced cold temperatures during the week, according to the USDA, NASS, Georgia Field Office. Average high temperatures ranged from the upper 30's to mid 60's. Average lows ranged from the lower 20's to the lower 40's. Soil moisture conditions were rated at 0% very short, 9% short, 83% adequate, and 8% surplus. Cold weather has deterred most farm work and has slowed growth in winter annual grazing. Wheat was being sprayed for weeds. Some areas saw freezes in the past week. Blueberry growers had some blossom loss caused by the freezing temperatures. Growers tried to limit damage by spraying bushes with water. The weight of the resulting ice pulled plants out of the ground and broke limbs. Other activities included planting tobacco seed in greenhouses, applying poultry litter, feeding hay to livestock, and the routine care of poultry and livestock. County Extension Agents reported an average of 5.5 days suitable for fieldwork. Crop Progress for Week Ending 01/25/09 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 01/25/09 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Winter Wheat : 1 3 40 53 3 Range and Pasture : 7 17 43 31 2 Vegetables : 0 5 48 46 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Topsoil Moisture for Week Ending 01/25/09 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : This Week :Previous Week : 5 Year Avg -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Very Short : 0 1 0 Short : 9 8 0 Adequate : 83 77 0 Surplus : 8 14 0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Topsoil Moisture for Week Ending 01/25/09, by District -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- District : Very Short : Short : Adequate : Surplus -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : District 1 (NW) : 0 4 66 30 District 2 (NC) : 1 8 79 12 District 3 (NE) : 1 15 72 12 District 4 (WC) : 0 11 77 12 District 5 (C) : 0 11 84 5 District 6 (EC) : 0 4 91 5 District 7 (SW) : 0 13 85 2 District 8 (SC) : 0 8 85 7 District 9 (SE) : 0 5 95 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 01/25/09, by District -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- District : Very Poor : Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : District 1 (NW) : 6 21 42 31 0 District 2 (NC) : 2 8 31 59 0 District 3 (NE) : 1 35 48 16 0 District 4 (WC) : 0 11 55 33 1 District 5 (C) : 17 15 29 35 4 District 6 (EC) : 18 10 54 18 0 District 7 (SW) : 4 26 40 25 5 District 8 (SC) : 3 9 48 39 1 District 9 (SE) : 1 30 43 26 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 01/25/09, by Station Location ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Temperature : Precipitation : Location :-----------------:-------------------------------------:Soil : Max : Min : Avg :Weekly : Days :30 Day :60 Day:Season :Temp ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alapaha : 68 19 44 0.05 1 0.82 8.05 0.05 50 Albany : 70 22 46 0.04 1 0.95 7.96 0.04 48 Alma : 68 22 45 0.19 3 1.49 6.20 0.19 48 Alpharetta : 64 16 40 0.06 1 4.90 11.08 0.06 34 Arabi : 69 20 44 0.12 1 1.28 8.03 0.12 48 Arlington : 71 20 45 0.04 1 1.56 11.53 0.04 48 Atlanta : 66 17 41 0.12 1 2.27 6.63 0.12 NA Attapulgus : 71 20 45 0.05 2 0.90 4.98 0.05 50 Baxley : 67 20 43 0.14 2 1.14 6.59 0.14 48 Blairsville : 58 8 33 0.03 1 4.54 10.00 0.03 40 Blue Ridge : 56 11 33 0.03 1 6.97 15.37 0.03 36 Brunswick : 69 25 47 0.17 4 1.40 2.37 0.17 54 Byromville : 68 20 44 0.07 1 1.49 11.86 0.07 46 Byron : 69 19 44 0.13 1 1.49 9.92 0.13 45 Cairo : 69 22 46 0.01 1 1.24 6.72 0.01 53 Calhoun : 64 15 40 0.19 1 6.63 15.56 0.19 38 Camilla : 69 22 45 0.04 1 2.15 9.24 0.04 47 Cordele : 69 21 45 0.04 1 0.69 6.42 0.04 47 Covington : 67 18 43 0.23 1 2.29 5.82 0.23 41 Dahlonega : 60 11 36 0.06 1 6.30 19.75 0.06 38 Dallas : 65 17 41 0.25 1 3.83 10.77 0.25 41 Danielsville : 65 16 41 0.04 1 3.53 9.57 0.04 41 Dawson : 70 20 45 0.08 1 1.80 12.65 0.08 49 Dearing : 66 17 42 0.14 3 1.83 8.75 0.14 45 Dixie : 69 21 45 0.22 3 1.11 6.19 0.22 50 Douglas : 67 21 44 0.08 3 0.86 8.57 0.08 49 Dublin : 68 18 43 0.17 1 1.15 8.86 0.17 47 Dunwoody : 65 17 41 0.07 1 3.82 9.99 0.07 41 Eatonton : 67 16 41 0.18 1 2.52 9.80 0.18 42 Elberton : 67 15 41 0.05 1 2.18 8.42 0.05 42 Ellijay : 61 9 35 0.10 1 4.97 11.79 0.10 36 Gainesville : 62 19 40 0.06 1 6.25 12.94 0.06 41 Georgetown : 69 19 44 0.07 2 3.22 13.63 0.07 46 Griffin : 66 17 41 0.20 1 3.34 8.39 0.20 45 Hatley : 68 21 45 0.06 1 1.19 7.50 1.15 49 Homerville : 69 19 44 0.16 3 1.66 4.95 1.64 50 Jeffersonville : 68 16 42 0.12 1 1.24 10.32 1.13 45 Johns Creek : 67 16 41 0.06 1 3.62 9.88 0.06 43 Jonesboro : 68 20 44 0.35 1 3.17 8.13 3.04 41 Lake Seminole : 69 27 48 0.06 2 1.19 10.40 1.03 50 Midville : 67 20 44 0.13 3 1.09 7.09 0.84 46 Moultrie : 69 23 46 0.03 1 0.73 6.60 0.73 48 Nahunta : 69 20 45 0.17 4 1.57 3.56 1.56 50 Newton : 70 21 46 0.02 1 1.53 9.55 1.49 49 Odum : 67 18 43 0.23 1 1.42 5.47 1.36 49 Ossabaw : 68 25 47 0.09 2 1.38 3.09 1.33 51 Pine Mountain : 68 16 42 0.25 1 3.56 8.41 3.39 44 Plains : 68 19 43 0.08 1 2.02 12.31 1.93 45 Roopville : 68 17 42 0.29 1 3.23 10.63 3.02 41 Rome : 65 15 40 0.32 1 7.83 16.37 7.04 40 Sasser : 70 20 45 0.06 1 1.16 9.30 1.09 49 Savannah : 69 20 45 0.19 2 0.98 3.47 0.98 50 Shellman : 71 20 46 0.08 1 1.77 10.00 1.73 47 Skidaway : 68 23 45 0.23 3 1.44 3.48 1.34 46 Sparta : 67 17 42 0.14 1 2.33 10.35 2.17 42 Statesboro : 67 21 44 0.08 2 0.73 3.51 0.70 47 Tennille : 67 19 43 0.21 1 1.51 9.49 1.09 45 Tifton : 67 21 44 0.11 1 1.42 7.27 1.41 50 Tiger : 64 8 36 NA NA 5.41 14.04 4.39 37 Unadilla : 68 18 43 0.11 1 1.14 7.76 1.11 46 Valdosta : 69 24 46 0.16 3 1.02 5.75 1.03 52 Vienna : 67 21 44 0.07 1 1.36 9.02 1.28 48 Vidalia : 69 21 45 0.12 2 1.44 5.92 1.23 48 Wat-UGA : 64 16 40 0.06 1 2.83 7.66 2.69 41 Williamson : 67 16 41 0.25 1 2.91 7.78 2.85 42 Woodbine : 69 23 46 0.06 3 1.13 2.54 1.13 55 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *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 January 25, 2009 DISTRICT 1 - NORTHWEST 0.1 inches of rainfall for this past week. Low temperatures have been in the 20's and highs in the 30's and 40's. I posted 6 days suitable for field work thanks to dry weather but the cold may have kept some folks inside. DISTRICT 2 - NORTH CENTRAL DISTRICT 3 - NORTHEAST DISTRICT 4 - WEST CENTRAL Below freezing temperatures most of the week. DISTRICT 5 - CENTRAL Very cold! Lows in the teens several mornings. Increased hay feeding for livestock due to continued decline in pasture conditions. We have been cold and dry. Scattered rain showers and cold temperatures this past week. Weed control in small grains continued. DISTRICT 6 - EAST CENTRAL Cold temperatures have really slowed growth in winter annual grazing. Not much insect pressure or other problems in wheat yet. Still some remnants of peanuts and cotton. Wheat being sprayed for ryegrass and broadleaf weeds. DISTRICT 7 - SOUTHWEST Most wheat (except late planted) is tillering. Temperatures have been very cold the last two nights. Apples and peaches (home garden) had already bloomed and leafed out in some cases in warm weather early in the month. DISTRICT 8 - SOUTH CENTRAL Cold weather has deterred most farm work. Some harrowing and spreading lime and poultry litter. Planting tobacco seed in greenhouses. Feeding livestock. Prescribe burning timber land. DISTRICT 9 - SOUTHEAST Three freezes in the past week have resulted in significant crop losses to commercial blueberry producer. Plants were in 60-70% bloom when freezes hit. In addition to bloom losses, plants have been pulled out of the ground and numerous branches broken by irrigation ice loading.