ga-crop-weather State Georgia Crop Weather Week Ending Date February 15, 2009 Issue GA-CW0709 Agricultural Summary February 17, 2009 WARM CONDITIONS Temperatures dropped some by the weekend, but overall the weather remained warm during the week, according to the USDA, NASS, Georgia Field Office. Daily average high temperatures ranged from the lower 60's to lower 70's. Lows ranged from the mid 30's to the upper 40's. Soil moisture conditions were rated at 2% very short, 36% short, 59% adequate, and 3% surplus. The lack of rainfall, in the State, continued to stress winter annual grazing and wheat. Continued dry weather could delay planting, especially where irrigation is not available. Prescribed burning, on pastures and forest land, started. Farmers were irrigating winter cattle grazing, grain wheat and miscellaneous vegetables. Blueberries suffered additional freeze damage. Farmers were spraying for weeds and applying nitrogen where possible. Other activities included taking soil samples, mowing stalks and harrowing, spreading lime and poultry litter, feeding hay to livestock, and the routine care of poultry and livestock. County Extension Agents reported an average of 5.9 days suitable for fieldwork. Crop Progress for Week Ending 02/15/09 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 02/15/09 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Winter Wheat : 1 4 47 44 4 Range and Pasture : 6 19 49 25 1 Vegetables : 0 12 50 38 0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Topsoil Moisture for Week Ending 02/15/09 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : This Week :Previous Week : 5 Year Avg -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Very Short : 2 1 0 Short : 36 26 0 Adequate : 59 69 0 Surplus : 3 4 0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Topsoil Moisture for Week Ending 02/15/09, by District -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- District : Very Short : Short : Adequate : Surplus -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : District 1 (NW) : 0 24 65 11 District 2 (NC) : 0 35 62 6 District 3 (NE) : 1 27 71 1 District 4 (WC) : 2 38 60 0 District 5 (C) : 3 39 55 3 District 6 (EC) : 0 33 62 5 District 7 (SW) : 7 42 46 5 District 8 (SC) : 2 28 69 1 District 9 (SE) : 0 57 43 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 02/15/09, by District -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- District : Very Poor : Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : District 1 (NW) : 5 17 47 31 0 District 2 (NC) : 2 4 51 41 2 District 3 (NE) : 1 33 46 20 0 District 4 (WC) : 1 14 61 24 0 District 5 (C) : 19 17 29 32 3 District 6 (EC) : 4 16 62 18 0 District 7 (SW) : 6 20 50 20 4 District 8 (SC) : 5 22 51 22 0 District 9 (SE) : 1 24 62 13 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 02/15/09, by Station Location ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Temperature : Precipitation : Location :-----------------:-------------------------------------:Soil : Max : Min : Avg :Weekly : Days :30 Day :60 Day:Season :Temp ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alapaha : 76 34 55 0.70 3 1.51 1.95 1.84 56 Albany : 78 35 57 0.36 3 1.01 1.65 1.53 58 Alma : 78 35 56 0.17 2 1.25 1.93 1.89 56 Alpharetta : 71 30 51 0.28 2 0.77 6.63 5.25 44 Arabi : 75 32 54 0.13 3 0.64 1.62 1.51 55 Arlington : 76 33 55 2.25 3 2.95 4.30 4.16 55 Atlanta : 70 39 55 NA NA 0.41 3.45 2.32 NA Baxley : 77 32 54 0.11 1 1.06 1.46 1.42 57 Blairsville : 67 25 46 0.43 1 1.09 7.25 4.86 47 Blue Ridge : 69 27 48 0.62 2 1.62 10.94 7.44 46 Brunswick : 76 41 58 0.17 2 1.66 2.71 2.67 59 Byromville : 75 33 54 0.15 2 1.20 2.13 2.03 55 Byron : 73 38 56 0.13 2 0.76 1.98 1.62 54 Cairo : 73 37 55 0.88 3 2.24 2.68 2.59 57 Calhoun : 71 27 49 0.53 3 1.48 11.04 6.98 49 Camilla : 75 34 55 1.65 3 2.38 4.13 4.05 57 Cordele : 76 32 54 0.09 2 0.42 0.94 0.77 54 Covington : 71 34 53 0.03 2 0.77 3.13 2.67 51 Dahlonega : 68 31 50 0.47 2 1.16 10.33 6.43 46 Dallas : 70 31 51 0.27 2 0.97 5.54 4.14 49 Danielsville : 71 32 52 0.27 1 0.61 5.15 3.79 53 Dawson : 76 34 55 0.21 2 0.68 2.39 2.18 56 Dearing : 73 37 55 0.12 2 0.80 2.35 2.03 54 Dixie : 75 36 55 0.52 2 1.66 2.13 2.12 58 Douglas : 77 33 55 0.13 2 0.82 1.17 1.13 55 Dublin : 75 33 54 0.14 2 0.98 1.65 1.54 54 Dunwoody : 71 35 53 0.09 3 0.50 5.38 3.98 48 Eatonton : 73 30 51 0.01 1 0.86 3.82 2.82 51 Elberton : 73 34 54 0.37 3 0.79 3.57 2.62 51 Ellijay : 69 28 48 0.52 3 1.46 8.82 5.71 47 Gainesville : 69 32 51 0.66 2 1.08 9.04 6.67 51 Georgetown : 72 31 51 0.29 2 1.09 4.30 3.64 57 Griffin : 70 35 53 0.01 1 0.93 4.59 3.83 52 Hatley : 74 35 55 0.17 3 0.70 1.55 1.45 55 Homerville : 78 31 54 0.59 2 1.96 2.73 2.63 58 Jeffersonville : 74 40 57 0.11 3 0.76 1.54 1.41 54 Johns Creek : 71 29 50 0.22 3 0.60 5.16 3.87 49 Jonesboro : 73 32 53 0.01 1 0.88 4.62 3.44 49 Midville : 77 36 56 0.07 1 0.71 1.43 1.13 56 Moultrie : 75 38 56 3.12 3 3.12 4.30 4.30 59 Nahunta : 79 31 55 0.41 2 1.79 2.85 2.74 58 Newton : 76 34 55 2.46 3 3.30 4.40 4.31 57 Odum : 78 31 55 0.06 1 1.04 1.80 1.72 58 Ossabaw : 76 44 60 0.20 1 1.46 2.29 2.19 56 Pine Mountain : 72 34 53 0.12 3 1.05 4.87 3.96 51 Plains : 73 34 53 0.17 2 0.99 2.69 2.48 54 Roopville : 71 31 51 0.09 3 0.91 5.26 3.47 51 Rome : 73 30 51 0.83 3 2.03 12.33 8.65 49 Sasser : 75 34 55 0.23 3 0.58 1.71 1.51 54 Savannah : 77 35 56 0.22 1 1.12 1.58 1.54 57 Shellman : 75 34 55 0.20 3 0.71 2.32 2.19 60 Skidaway : 74 39 57 0.29 1 1.50 2.24 2.14 54 Sparta : 74 35 54 0.03 2 0.78 2.99 2.51 52 Statesboro : 77 40 58 0.04 1 0.58 1.01 0.93 58 Tennille : 75 37 56 0.09 2 0.94 2.02 1.54 54 Tifton : 74 39 57 0.53 3 1.57 2.23 2.17 55 Tiger : 66 28 47 0.55 1 1.21 9.73 5.51 45 Unadilla : 75 36 55 0.31 2 1.08 1.79 1.72 54 Valdosta : 77 40 59 0.40 2 1.07 1.83 1.76 58 Vienna : 75 36 55 0.50 2 1.20 2.15 2.04 55 Vidalia : 77 44 60 0.17 1 1.16 1.80 1.58 56 Wat-UGA : 71 38 55 0.23 1 0.73 4.07 3.22 51 Williamson : 71 29 50 0.02 1 0.92 4.00 3.37 51 Woodbine : 79 36 58 0.63 2 2.00 3.03 2.97 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 February 15, 2009 DISTRICT 1 - NORTHWEST One inch of rain in the last week. Weather has been almost spring-like. DISTRICT 2 - NORTH CENTRAL DISTRICT 3 - NORTHEAST DISTRICT 4 - WEST CENTRAL Routine care of livestock, fertilizing wheat, liming forages. DISTRICT 5 - CENTRAL We have warmed significantly over the past seven days. We haven't gotten an significant rainfall. DISTRICT 6 - EAST CENTRAL Lack of rainfall has severely hurt winter annual grazing. Wheat is also in need of rainfall. DISTRICT 7 - SOUTHWEST Dry soil conditions exist. There is much late planted wheat. DISTRICT 8 - SOUTH CENTRAL Cold weather and freezing temperatures have caused about a 65% loss of southern highbush blueberries. Not sure yet of any damage to rabbiteye. Harrowing fields and spreading poultry litter. Feeding livestock and working on farm equipment. Prescribe burning of pastures and forestry land. Need some rain. Severe cold temperatures last week has damaged 50 to 60% of the early highbush blueberries. We will need to wait a few more days to see exactly how much damage we really have. This week remains very dry, we need some rain in the county! Farmers are irrigating winter cattle grazing, grain wheat, and misc vegetables. Rainfall needed asap. DISTRICT 9 - SOUTHEAST Three night of freezing temperatures damaged Southern Highbush and some early rabbiteye Blueberries.