LA-WEATHER

United States Department of Agriculture
National Agricultural Statistics Service, Louisiana Field Office
Crop Weather
Cooperating with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry 
and the Louisiana State University Ag Center
Louisiana Field Office · 5825 Florida Blvd · Baton Rouge, LA 70806
(225) 922-1362 · (225) 922-0744 FAX   www.nass.usda.gov/la

Released: March 17, 2008				      Volume 08 No. 02


Days suitable for fieldwork: 2.9
Soil moisture supplies: 1% short, 50% adequate and 49% surplus


Field Crops Report
Wet conditions remained across the state last week.  Most field work was slow 
due to the wet conditions.  Some producers were able to begin planting corn 
and rice, but in general corn planting has gotten off to a slow start due to 
the wet conditions; progress was 41 points behind last year.  Rice planting was 
in-line with last year's and the five-year average.  Sugarcane producers 
continued destroying old stubble and applying herbicides to fields.


Fruits, Vegetables, and Specialty Crops Report
Producers continued spraying and harvesting their strawberry fields.  Vegetable 
producers continued preparing for planting of spring crops and selling cole 
crops.  Crawfish producers were reporting a better quality of crawfish being 
caught.  


Livestock, Pasture, and Range Report
Calving continued last week.  Cattlemen were fertilizing and spraying pastures.  
The cool temperatures and wet conditions have allowed pastures to remain in good 
to fair condition.



Crop Progress Table
                                         PERCENT OF PROGRESS
                                     Current   Last            5 YR
CROP               STAGE              Week     Week    2007     AVG

Corn	          Planted	        3       0       44      19
 
Rice		  Planted               2       0        3       3

Land Preparation  Spring plowing       15       0        8       7


          

Crop Condition Table
                            CONDITIONS IN PERCENTAGES
CROP               VERY POOR   POOR    FAIR    GOOD  EXCELLENT

Sugarcane		1	15	46	34	 4
Wheat			0	 4	37	51	 8
Livestock		1	 9	44	44	 2
Vegetables	        3	20	53	23	 1
Pasture			1	16	45	36	 2





			Weather Information Table
       LOUISIANA OFFICE OF STATE CLIMATOLOGY, LSU, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
            LOUISIANA WEATHER SUMMARY FROM 03/10/08 TO 03/16/08  
       
                         AIR               PRECIPITATION      
                     TEMPERATURE    WEEKLY  FOUR  YR.TO         
                   MAX MIN AVE NRM  TOTAL  WEEKS   DATE   NORM          

1. Northwest
   LSU-Bossier City 84  36  60  56   0.65   3.65  10.44  11.66             
   Minden           84  35  58  55   0.37   5.37  12.26  12.68             
   Mooringsport     84  37  59  MM   0.45   3.61  11.15  10.83             
   Extreme/Average  84  35  59  57   0.49   4.51  11.35  11.94             

2. North-Central
   LSU-Calhoun      86 (30) 59  57   0.79   3.40   8.44  13.71             
   Homer/Hill Farm  85  32  58  55   0.67   3.95  10.33  12.83             
   ULM-Monroe       86  32  61  56   1.03   3.77   8.56  14.21             
   Colmubia Lock    85  30  59  MM   0.57   2.43  10.02  14.49             
   Extreme/Average  86  30  59  57   0.77   3.71   9.11  13.65             

3. Northeast
   Lake Providence  81  33  59  55   0.69   4.69  13.56  14.37             
   LSU-St Joseph    84  38  61  58   0.51   5.97  13.01  14.67             
   LSU-Winnsboro    85  34  60  56   0.61   4.48  12.79  14.03             
   Tallulah         83  31  60  56   0.56   4.58  13.45  14.47             
   Extreme/Average  85  31  60  57   0.59   4.93  13.20  14.34             

4. West-Central
   Leesville       (88) 34  62  59   0.86   4.89  12.92  13.36             
   LSU-Rosepine     85  38  60  58   1.17   3.38  12.77  13.17             
   Natchitoches     84  37  61  57   0.98   2.99  11.69  13.07             
   Extreme/Average  88  34  61  58   1.00   4.14  12.85  13.10             

5. Central
   Alexandria       85  34  58  59   0.89   5.34  15.80  14.12             
   Brusly           87  38  62  60   0.46   3.88  15.58  14.60             
   Bunkie           87  40  61  59   1.33   5.22  15.22  14.43             
   LSU-Alexandria   86  43  62  58   1.01   3.55  14.17  13.76             
   Extreme/Average  87  34  61  60   0.92   4.50  15.19  14.16             

6. East-Central
   Franklinton 5SW  86  35  60  MM   0.63   4.46  12.76  MM.MM             
   LSU-Baton Rouge  84  42  61  60   0.63   5.31  16.01  13.65             
   LSU-Clinton      84  39  59  58   1.05   3.22  15.63  14.93             
   LSU-Hammond      87  35  60  59   0.87   4.68  16.16  15.01             
   Slidell          82  40  60  60   0.71   3.31  12.83  14.78             
   Extreme/Average  87  35  60  60   0.78   4.20  14.68  14.88             

7. Southwest
   De Ridder        85  37  66  59   1.78   5.71  17.38  13.88             
   Jennings         87  42  62  60   1.88   3.54  16.17  12.40             
   LSU-Crowley      87  42  63  60   2.21   4.87  14.70  12.78             
   Extreme/Average  87  37  64  61   1.96   4.71  16.08  12.43             

8. South-Central
   Donaldsonville   84  38  61  61   0.42   2.84  11.08  13.21             
   LSU-Jeanerette   85  42  62  60   0.72   2.57   9.90  11.88             
   Morgan City      79  36  60  61   0.42   1.47   9.44  12.82             
   Extreme/Average  85  36  61  61   0.52   2.29  10.14  12.59             

9. Southeast
   Galliano         79  50  64  62   0.59   8.06  16.76  13.52             
   Houma            80  43  62  62   0.10   2.63   8.76  12.75             
   Terrytown 3S     84  47  64  MM   0.42   5.78  15.50  MM.MM             
   Reserve          84  45  62  61   0.75   4.79  13.40  14.88             
   Extreme/Average  84  43  62  62   0.42   4.40  12.55  13.72             

State
   State Averages   88  30  61  59   0.90   4.24  13.13  13.48             
      
	
M = Missing        ( ) = Extremes        Yr. To Date = Through March 16, 2008