ga-crop-weather State Georgia Crop Weather Week Ending Date March 22, 2010 Issue GA-CW1210 Agricultural Summary March 22, 2010 SPRING-LIKE CONDITIONS For the week ending March 21, 2010, warmer weather arrived just in time for the first day of spring, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service, Georgia Field Office. Daily average high temperatures ranged from the lower 50's to lower 70's. Low temperatures averaged from the low to mid 40's. Soil moisture conditions were rated at 0% very short, 0% short, 54% adequate, and 46% surplus. Some areas received some precipitation on Wednesday and Sunday, statewide the average rainfall for the week was around one half inch. The warmer temperatures have allowed pastures to grow and peach trees to bloom. Crop conditions have improved from last week as well as pasture and range conditions. The main activities for the week were fertilizing and weed control where conditions allowed. Many fields remained wet in spots, keeping preparations and planting progress slow. County Extension Agents reported an average of 3.9 days suitable for fieldwork. Crop Progress for Week Ending 03/21/10 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop Stage : This Week : Prev Week : Prev Year : 5 Year Avg -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Corn Planted : 8 5 27 22 Winter Wheat Jointing : 31 24 70 47 Winter Wheat Boot : 3 2 13 10 Peaches Blooming : 38 3 83 47 Watermelons Planted : 6 1 14 11 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop Condition for Week Ending 03/21/10 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Corn : 2 22 46 30 0 Winter Wheat : 2 23 44 29 2 Range and Pasture : 6 27 41 25 1 Onions : 0 6 52 42 0 Peaches : 0 0 0 61 39 Vegetables : 1 18 58 23 0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Topsoil Moisture for Week Ending 03/21/10 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : This Week :Previous Week : -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Very Short : 0 0 Short : 0 1 Adequate : 54 38 Surplus : 46 61 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Topsoil Moisture for Week Ending 03/21/10, by District -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- District : Very Short : Short : Adequate : Surplus -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : District 1 (NW) : 0 0 57 43 District 2 (NC) : 0 0 80 20 District 3 (NE) : 0 0 66 34 District 4 (WC) : 0 0 50 50 District 5 (C) : 0 0 21 79 District 6 (EC) : 0 0 54 46 District 7 (SW) : 0 0 48 52 District 8 (SC) : 0 0 62 38 District 9 (SE) : 0 7 57 36 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * A list of the counties in each of the nine Georgia Agricultural Statistics Districts is available at http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Georgia/Publications/County_Esti mates/index.asp. Pasture Condition for Week Ending 03/21/10, by District -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- District : Very Poor : Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : District 1 (NW) : 13 20 42 24 1 District 2 (NC) : 0 4 43 47 6 District 3 (NE) : 0 21 34 43 2 District 4 (WC) : 10 27 42 60 0 District 5 (C) : 14 33 29 24 0 District 6 (EC) : 0 16 55 29 0 District 7 (SW) : 5 42 29 24 0 District 8 (SC) : 3 42 44 11 0 District 9 (SE) : 0 6 86 8 0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * A list of the counties in each of the nine Georgia Agricultural Statistics Districts is available at http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Georgia/Publications/County_Esti mates/index.asp. Weather Summary for Week Ending 03/21/10, by Station Location ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Temperature : Precipitation : Location :-----------------:-------------------------------------:Soil : Max : Min : Avg :Weekly : Days :30 Day :60 Day:Season :Temp ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alapaha : 65 45 55 0.74 3 3.48 9.16 11.29 57 Albany : 66 46 56 0.49 3 2.80 9.99 11.99 58 Alma : 67 45 56 0.27 2 3.01 8.53 9.79 57 Alpharetta : 63 40 51 0.58 2 6.53 14.26 15.65 50 Arabi : 60 44 52 0.56 1 2.60 10.67 12.67 54 Arlington : 66 45 56 0.54 3 3.54 11.34 13.78 57 Atlanta : 61 44 53 0.47 4 3.66 10.62 10.29 NA Attapulgus : 64 45 54 0.74 3 4.70 11.30 13.19 58 Baxley : 66 44 55 0.23 3 3.17 8.83 11.28 58 Blairsville : 59 37 48 0.72 3 3.01 9.88 8.98 48 Blue Ridge : 57 38 47 0.37 1 3.27 12.66 10.79 47 Brunswick : 66 48 57 0.11 2 1.74 7.63 9.07 59 Byromville : 65 44 54 0.71 2 5.31 14.70 16.75 56 Byron : 64 44 54 0.49 2 3.93 10.19 12.51 55 Cairo : 64 46 55 0.67 3 3.84 9.71 11.71 57 Calhoun : 59 38 49 0.25 1 2.81 10.19 10.02 50 Camilla : 66 45 55 0.67 2 3.94 11.85 13.58 57 Cordele : 65 45 55 0.64 2 4.09 12.71 15.05 55 Covington : 64 42 53 0.40 3 4.32 10.33 12.17 52 Dahlonega : 61 41 51 0.94 1 3.75 11.53 13.22 49 Dallas : 60 41 51 0.33 3 5.37 12.02 12.02 51 Danielsville : 65 41 53 0.21 1 3.00 10.73 10.63 55 Dawson : 65 44 55 0.36 2 2.98 13.11 16.37 56 Dearing : 66 43 55 0.23 2 3.38 8.56 11.00 56 Dixie : 65 45 55 0.71 3 4.59 11.97 14.41 58 Douglas : 65 45 55 0.49 2 2.90 8.51 10.51 57 Dublin : 67 43 55 0.36 2 4.27 11.44 13.73 56 Dunwoody : 61 42 51 0.29 2 5.28 11.90 13.11 50 Eatonton : 65 40 53 0.28 2 4.81 11.37 13.70 53 Elberton : 67 41 54 0.27 1 2.80 10.56 12.94 55 Ellijay : 59 38 48 0.81 1 3.99 10.93 12.44 50 Gainesville : 63 42 52 0.43 2 4.84 12.33 14.32 53 Georgetown : 64 44 54 0.33 3 4.00 12.73 15.08 55 Griffin : 62 41 52 0.64 2 5.86 12.03 13.59 52 Hatley : 64 45 55 0.57 2 2.79 10.79 11.80 55 Homerville : 66 44 55 0.55 3 3.56 10.18 11.82 59 Jeffersonville : 65 42 53 0.48 3 4.50 11.78 10.65 55 Johns Creek : 63 41 52 0.63 2 5.36 12.49 13.95 52 Jonesboro : 63 42 52 0.81 3 3.98 11.20 14.07 51 Lake Seminole : 63 49 56 0.74 2 5.06 11.44 8.93 55 Midville : 67 45 56 0.37 2 3.33 9.53 12.11 57 Moultrie : 62 47 54 0.71 2 2.74 9.12 12.55 55 Nahunta : 67 44 56 0.27 2 2.67 9.36 10.79 57 Newton : 66 45 56 0.64 3 3.66 12.01 14.30 58 Odum : 66 44 55 0.13 2 3.29 10.34 12.42 59 Ossabaw : 66 48 57 0.13 2 2.31 10.59 11.07 55 Pine Mountain : 62 40 51 0.77 3 5.66 12.47 14.12 52 Plains : 64 45 55 0.92 2 3.96 15.84 14.83 54 Roopville : 61 41 51 0.55 3 5.15 11.74 13.21 52 Rome : 61 41 51 0.56 2 4.28 11.84 12.74 51 Savannah : 69 44 57 0.12 2 2.91 9.58 11.77 59 Shellman : 65 45 55 0.36 3 2.88 11.97 14.14 57 Skidaway : 64 47 55 0.13 2 3.05 9.24 11.62 55 Sparta : 66 42 54 0.27 3 4.04 10.09 12.66 55 Statesboro : 66 43 55 0.16 2 2.68 8.77 11.93 57 Tennille : 66 43 55 0.28 2 3.89 10.03 12.62 56 Tifton : 64 46 55 0.81 2 4.26 10.28 12.51 55 Tiger : 60 38 49 1.26 2 4.26 14.84 17.03 49 Unadilla : 65 44 54 0.61 2 3.91 12.83 13.28 55 Valdosta : 66 47 57 0.62 3 4.20 11.85 14.69 58 Vienna : 65 45 55 0.66 2 4.23 12.60 14.98 55 Vidalia : 67 45 56 0.33 3 3.29 9.64 12.44 57 Wat-UGA : 64 43 53 0.19 3 3.16 10.72 12.68 53 Williamson : 62 40 51 0.61 4 6.12 13.01 14.19 52 Woodbine : 68 45 56 0.14 2 2.09 8.46 10.03 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 March 21, 2010 DISTRICT 1 - NORTHWEST Some sunshine and some warmer weather, pastures are starting to grow Approximately 0.03 inches of rain yesterday. DISTRICT 2 - NORTH CENTRAL High 60's this weekend, and snow flurries this morning. Showers this week maintained high soil moisture levels - routine care of livestock and poultry are major activities DISTRICT 3 - NORTHEAST Soggy pastures still need relief. DISTRICT 4 - WEST CENTRAL Liming and forage weed control were activities last week. Many fields remain wet at least in spots. DISTRICT 5 - CENTRAL We've had 4 days of pretty good rainfall. The rates were .64, .94, .01 and .15. We haven't begun spring planting yet. Light rain occurred mid week. Fields still wet. Wheat looking better with warm weather and nitrogen application. Farmers ready to plant, DISTRICT 6 - EAST CENTRAL Showers predicted for Sunday just as we are getting dried out. If rain is not heavy, corn planting should begin in earnest by mid-week as weed burn down has already been accomplished. Wheat is coming on much better after fertilization. We're right on the brink of jointing with the majority of the crop. Yields will be off due to weak places in the fields and lack of tilling due to late planting and hard cold. Ryegrass is jumping where it was over seeded and grazing should be good for the next 8 weeks. Ornamental nurseries and turf farms are still suffering due to lowered demand caused by "down" economy. DISTRICT 7 - SOUTHWEST Cool wet soils and periodic rain is still delaying corn planting. Environmental conditions are still preventing farmers from entering field and are still slowing the land prepping and planting for this spring. Growers are ready to start the season but mother nature has everyone sitting on the starting line. Some corn has been planted but due to cool soil temperatures emergence is slow. Some vegetables are starting to get planted but the vast majority of farmers are not in any rush like congress is with health care. DISTRICT 8 - SOUTH CENTRAL Blueberries, Highbush are blooming, some damage due to freeze. Need some sunshine. Early Rabbit eye are starting to bloom. This has been very similar to the past weeks rains and cold, however the Pepper crop is being transplanted during this week. We will know more in the coming weeks how this cold weather has affected the new crop of Vegetables. DISTRICT 9 - SOUTHEAST No comments available.