ga-crop-weather State Georgia Crop Weather Week Ending Date March 1, 2009 Issue GA-CW0909 Agricultural Summary March 3, 2009 RAIN AND SNOW A cold front blew through the state on Sunday, dropping temperatures significantly, according to the USDA, NASS, Georgia Field Office. Earlier in the week daily average high temperatures ranged from the upper 50's to 60's. On Sunday the average high dropped to the mid-40's. Average lows ranged from the mid-20's to the lower 50's. Soil moisture conditions were rated at 2% very short, 15% short, 66% adequate, and 17% surplus. The state received rain on Friday and Saturday prior to the cold front. Sunday brought snow to the northern half of the state. Cold weather was suppressed winter grazing significantly in some areas. Wheat topdressing is near completion. Low temperatures have harmed some early rabbit-eye blueberries. Vegetable growers were laying plastic for March planting and transplanting. Heavy hay feeding continues for livestock. Other activities included getting equipment ready for planting corn, clipping tobacco plants in greenhouses, and the routine care of poultry and livestock. County Extension Agents reported an average of 5.2 days suitable for fieldwork. Crop Progress for Week Ending 03/01/09 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop Stage : This Week : Prev Week : Prev Year : 5 Year Avg -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Corn Planted : 0 0 0 0 Winter Wheat Jointing : 22 0 0 4 Winter Wheat Boot : 1 0 0 0 Peaches Blooming : 16 0 0 0 Watermelons Planted : 0 0 0 0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop Condition for Week Ending 03/01/09 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Winter Wheat : 1 6 41 46 6 Range and Pasture : 9 20 45 25 1 Onions : 0 1 39 60 0 Peaches : 0 9 82 9 0 Vegetables : 1 11 46 42 0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Topsoil Moisture for Week Ending 03/01/09 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : This Week :Previous Week : 5 Year Avg -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Very Short : 2 3 0 Short : 15 24 0 Adequate : 66 68 0 Surplus : 17 5 0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Topsoil Moisture for Week Ending 03/01/09, by District -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- District : Very Short : Short : Adequate : Surplus -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : District 1 (NW) : 0 8 75 17 District 2 (NC) : 0 7 77 16 District 3 (NE) : 1 25 74 0 District 4 (WC) : 0 3 73 24 District 5 (C) : 1 18 69 12 District 6 (EC) : 10 16 54 20 District 7 (SW) : 8 20 59 13 District 8 (SC) : 0 20 50 30 District 9 (SE) : 0 22 78 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 03/01/09, by District -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- District : Very Poor : Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : District 1 (NW) : 10 24 34 32 0 District 2 (NC) : 2 4 60 32 2 District 3 (NE) : 1 41 44 14 0 District 4 (WC) : 1 15 63 21 0 District 5 (C) : 18 12 29 38 3 District 6 (EC) : 23 15 45 17 0 District 7 (SW) : 10 22 47 17 4 District 8 (SC) : 5 25 44 26 0 District 9 (SE) : 1 18 47 34 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 03/01/09, by Station Location ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Temperature : Precipitation : Location :-----------------:-------------------------------------:Soil : Max : Min : Avg :Weekly : Days :30 Day :60 Day:Season :Temp ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alapaha : 68 41 54 1.49 2 3.23 4.37 4.37 55 Albany : 69 43 56 1.39 2 1.80 2.96 2.96 57 Alma : 68 40 54 1.32 2 1.98 3.70 3.70 54 Alpharetta : 56 39 47 3.36 4 4.60 9.49 9.49 45 Arabi : 66 41 53 1.59 2 1.82 3.18 3.18 55 Arlington : 67 40 54 1.92 2 4.23 6.10 6.10 55 Atlanta : 57 40 49 2.60 3 3.34 5.54 5.54 NA Baxley : 66 38 52 1.64 2 2.30 3.61 3.61 55 Blairsville : 52 34 43 1.02 5 2.60 6.76 6.76 45 Blue Ridge : 53 35 44 1.10 5 3.22 9.74 9.74 44 Brunswick : 63 43 53 1.72 2 2.96 5.16 5.16 58 Byromville : 66 40 53 1.29 2 1.66 3.45 3.45 54 Byron : 65 39 52 2.29 3 3.52 4.91 4.91 52 Cairo : 68 42 55 1.27 2 3.58 5.26 5.26 57 Calhoun : 55 37 46 1.70 4 3.38 9.36 9.36 47 Camilla : 68 42 55 1.17 2 3.88 6.24 6.24 56 Cordele : 66 41 54 1.39 2 1.77 2.43 2.43 54 Covington : 60 39 49 4.12 3 5.60 7.97 7.97 49 Dahlonega : 53 36 44 2.33 3 4.12 9.91 9.91 45 Dallas : 56 39 47 2.76 5 4.45 8.09 8.09 47 Danielsville : 57 38 47 2.29 4 3.31 6.70 6.70 51 Dawson : 67 41 54 0.96 2 1.28 3.20 3.20 56 Dearing : 61 40 50 3.21 3 4.80 6.64 6.64 52 Dixie : 68 42 55 1.50 2 2.78 4.38 4.38 56 Douglas : 67 38 52 1.63 2 2.17 3.17 3.17 54 Dublin : 65 40 52 0.97 2 1.98 3.30 3.30 54 Dunwoody : 56 38 47 3.53 5 4.33 8.13 8.13 47 Eatonton : 61 39 50 4.55 4 6.15 8.71 8.71 50 Elberton : 56 37 47 4.18 3 5.23 7.42 7.42 49 Ellijay : 53 36 44 1.37 5 3.17 8.13 8.13 45 Gainesville : 54 38 46 2.77 5 4.60 10.52 10.52 48 Georgetown : 65 40 53 0.56 2 1.09 4.30 4.30 56 Griffin : 60 40 50 4.72 3 6.15 9.68 9.68 51 Hatley : 65 41 53 1.90 2 2.27 3.51 3.51 54 Homerville : 69 37 53 3.94 2 6.36 8.35 8.35 56 Jeffersonville : 64 39 52 1.13 3 3.18 4.45 4.45 53 Johns Creek : 56 37 47 3.87 5 4.87 8.47 8.47 49 Jonesboro : 60 40 50 4.35 3 5.45 8.72 8.72 49 Lake Seminole : 66 48 57 0.35 2 2.11 3.54 3.54 57 Midville : 63 40 51 1.14 3 1.97 2.88 2.88 54 Moultrie : 67 43 55 1.29 3 4.94 6.12 6.12 54 Nahunta : 68 38 53 1.73 2 3.42 5.51 5.51 56 Newton : 68 41 55 1.30 2 4.39 6.20 6.20 56 Odum : 66 38 52 1.65 2 2.24 3.88 3.88 56 Ossabaw : 63 43 53 0.91 2 2.32 4.32 4.32 55 Pine Mountain : 62 39 51 2.84 3 3.77 7.45 7.45 50 Plains : 64 39 52 2.55 2 3.54 5.77 5.77 52 Roopville : 59 38 49 3.64 3 4.76 7.89 7.89 49 Rome : 57 39 48 2.50 6 5.13 12.38 12.38 48 Sasser : 67 42 54 1.13 2 1.56 2.80 2.80 54 Savannah : 65 38 52 1.77 2 2.64 3.88 3.88 55 Shellman : 67 41 54 0.67 2 1.14 3.04 3.04 59 Skidaway : 59 40 50 1.12 2 2.07 3.76 3.76 52 Sparta : 61 39 50 4.01 3 5.20 7.57 7.57 50 Statesboro : 64 40 52 0.96 4 1.93 2.74 2.74 55 Tennille : 63 39 51 2.66 3 3.50 4.89 4.89 53 Tifton : 66 42 54 1.46 2 2.23 3.87 3.87 54 Tiger : 50 33 42 1.93 5 3.59 8.45 8.45 44 Unadilla : 65 40 53 2.13 2 2.80 4.17 4.17 53 Valdosta : 69 43 56 2.71 2 4.10 5.46 5.46 58 Vienna : 65 41 53 2.32 2 4.62 6.12 6.12 53 Vidalia : 66 41 54 1.79 2 3.11 4.48 4.48 55 Wat-UGA : 57 39 48 3.85 4 5.44 8.29 8.29 49 Williamson : 61 40 50 3.76 3 4.85 7.85 7.85 50 Woodbine : 68 40 54 1.29 2 3.15 5.15 5.15 59 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *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 March 1, 2009 DISTRICT 1 - NORTHWEST No comments available. DISTRICT 2 - NORTH CENTRAL Some pasture weed control this week, other major activities include routine care of livestock and poultry and pruning of commercial grape vineyards Continued bursts of cold weather have suppressed Winter grazing significantly. DISTRICT 3 - NORTHEAST No comments available. DISTRICT 4 - WEST CENTRAL Rain over the weekend was welcomed. Peaches are starting to move. Wheat topdressing is nearly complete. Entire county received around 2 inches of rainfall on Saturday and varying amounts of snow on Sunday. Rainfall of 1-1.5 inches and varying amounts of snow. Much needed rain received, some snow. Around 4 inches of snow on 3/1/09. DISTRICT 5 - CENTRAL Warmer temperatures late in the week. Wheat growers topdressing wheat with nitrogen. Land being prepared for spring planting. Heavy hay feeding continues for livestock. We only received about 0.05 of rainfall within the last 7 days. Rain over the weekend. Cool weather returns. Need additional rains. DISTRICT 6 - EAST CENTRAL Wheat conditions seem to be holding. Still need rain. Other winter grazing & oats have been hit hard by cold weather. Warm then cold, windy and snow. Finally some rain. DISTRICT 7 - SOUTHWEST No comments available. DISTRICT 8 - SOUTH CENTRAL This week has been very cold, vegetable growers have been laying plastic for March planting/transplanting. DISTRICT 9 - SOUTHEAST No comments available.