LA-WEATHER United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service, Louisiana Field Office Crop Weather Cooperating with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture Louisiana Field Office · 5825 Florida Blvd · Baton Rouge, LA 70806 (225) 922-1362 · (225) 922-0744 FAX www.nass.usda.gov/la Released: April 27, 2009 Volume 09 No. 08 Days suitable for fieldwork: 5.5 Soil moisture supplies: 3% very short, 4% short, 79% adequate and 14% surplus Field Crops Report Farmers continued to make repairs to equipment while waiting for fields to dry out early in the week. Planting of field crops resumed by mid-week. Windy and wet conditions slowed rice producers application of herbicides. Sugarcane producers fertilized fields. Fruits, Vegetables, and Specialty Crops Report Vegetable producers continued to plant crops and scout for presence of disease and insects on vegetable crops. Strawberry producers continued to harvest strawberries. Crawfish producers reported good catches. Livestock, Pasture, and Range Report Rain helped establishment of summer perennial grasses. Cattlemen fertilized pastures and hay fields. Crop Progress Table PERCENT OF PROGRESS Last CROP STAGE 2009 Week 2008 5 YR AVG Corn Planted 100 99 100 100 Emerged 98 85 99 98 Cotton Planted 35 7 45 36 Hay First Cutting 10 5 21 14 Rice Planted 79 65 85 81 Emerged 59 35 68 65 Sorghum Planted 28 17 72 67 Soybeans Planted 34 17 46 34 Winter Wheat Headed 100 97 99 97 Turning Color 13 0 40 28 Land Preparation Spring plowing 94 91 89 89 Crop Condition Table CONDITIONS IN PERCENTAGES CROP VERY POOR POOR FAIR GOOD EXCELLENT Corn 0 4 39 55 2 Sugarcane 2 14 34 41 9 Wheat 0 2 25 66 7 Livestock 2 5 32 56 5 Vegetables 1 7 40 49 3 Pasture 1 7 34 54 4 Weather Information Table LOUISIANA OFFICE OF STATE CLIMATOLOGY, LSU, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA LOUISIANA WEATHER SUMMARY FROM 04/20/09 TO 04/26/09 AIR PRECIPITATION TEMPERATURE WEEKLY FOUR YR.TO MAX MIN AVE NRM TOTAL WEEKS DATE NORM 1. Northwest LSU-Bossier City 89 53 72 66 0.01 3.18 13.31 17.65 Minden 88 49 69 65 0.00 3.72 15.70 19.43 Mooringsport (91) 53 72 MM 0.00 3.50 13.28 16.06 Extreme/Average 91 49 71 66 0.00 3.47 14.10 17.97 2. North-Central LSU-Calhoun 90 51 70 66 0.01 2.97 14.43 20.43 Homer/Hill Farm 87 49 70 64 0.22 3.42 14.29 19.63 ULM-Monroe 90 54 71 66 0.00 3.15 13.64 21.69 Columbia Lock 89 52 70 MM 0.00 3.50 14.80 22.43 Extreme/Average 90 49 70 66 0.06 3.26 14.29 20.53 3. Northeast Lake Providence 89 51 69 66 0.00 1.89 13.04 22.67 LSU-St Joseph 87 53 71 67 0.01 3.01 16.95 22.28 LSU-Winnsboro 85 52 70 66 0.00 2.63 13.96 21.66 Tallulah 88 51 70 66 0.00 2.32 18.00 22.16 Extreme/Average 89 51 70 67 0.00 2.46 15.49 22.12 4. West-Central Leesville 85 47 70 67 0.00 5.80 16.80 19.43 LSU-Rosepine 89 50 71 67 0.00 5.43 16.26 19.18 Natchitoches 91 56 73 67 0.00 5.43 17.97 19.30 Extreme/Average 91 47 71 67 0.00 5.55 17.01 19.26 5. Central Alexandria 88 (43) 69 68 0.00 5.67 17.19 21.01 Brusly 87 54 72 68 0.00 3.32 16.79 21.89 Bunkie 85 53 72 68 0.00 6.08 20.87 21.93 LSU-Alexandria 88 54 72 67 0.00 5.75 18.04 20.01 Extreme/Average 88 43 71 68 0.00 5.21 18.57 21.04 6. East-Central Franklinton 5SW 85 48 70 MM 0.04 2.76 18.85 MM.MM LSU-Baton Rouge 84 52 71 68 0.01 3.34 17.02 20.49 LSU-Clinton MM MM MM 67 M.MM 0.00 12.71 22.58 LSU-Hammond 86 47 69 67 0.34 2.63 12.42 22.75 Slidell MM MM MM 68 0.00 2.02 13.81 21.47 Extreme/Average 86 47 70 68 0.13 2.91 16.10 22.51 7. Southwest DeRidder 88 52 72 68 0.02 4.96 17.46 19.75 Jennings 83 55 72 69 0.00 5.41 17.34 17.81 LSU-Crowley 82 56 71 69 0.01 8.63 21.07 18.52 Extreme/Average 88 52 72 69 0.01 6.33 18.62 18.02 8. South-Central Donaldsonville 86 54 70 69 0.00 2.92 14.53 20.19 LSU-Jeanerette 87 55 71 69 0.02 3.41 16.62 17.98 Morgan City 83 51 69 69 0.00 2.27 12.08 18.52 Extreme/Average 87 51 70 70 0.01 2.87 14.41 18.87 9. Southeast Galliano 83 51 72 69 0.00 1.45 7.37 19.77 Houma 83 53 71 70 0.00 1.01 9.43 18.83 Terrytown 3S 87 55 72 MM 0.00 0.69 16.48 MM.MM Reserve MM MM MM 69 M.MM 0.00 10.08 21.95 Extreme/Average 87 51 72 70 0.00 1.05 11.09 20.31 State State Averages 91 43 71 68 0.02 3.84 15.76 20.11 M = Missing ( ) = Extremes Yr. To Date = Through April 26, 2009