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: July 07, 2008 Volume 08 No. 18 Days suitable for fieldwork: 5.7 Soil moisture supplies: 10% very short, 34% short, 48% adequate and 8% surplus. Field Crops Report Early planted rice varieties have begun to head and fill. Some rice producers were draining fields for harvest. Fertilizer and insecticide applications were made on late-planted rice. Soybeans producers scouted fields for insects and disease. Some soybean fields have been affected by armyworms infestations. Sorghum producers scouted for midge. Sugarcane producers scouted for borers and finished field preparation for planting. Fruits, Vegetables, and Specialty Crops Report Crawfish producers prepared to plant rice as a forage crop and prepared ponds. Vegetable producers coninued to harvest and sell summer produce. Livestock, Pasture, and Range Report Pasture and hay field conditions were declining due to the dry conditions. Cattlemen were fertilizing pastures and continued cutting hay. Crop Progress Table PERCENT OF PROGRESS Current Last 5 YR CROP STAGE Week Week 2007 AVG Corn Dough 80 72 76 67 Mature 2 0 9 7 Cotton Squaring 82 80 91 91 Setting Bolls 42 19 35 40 Hay First Cutting 95 92 96 93 Second Cutting 36 17 28 17 Peaches Harvested 73 56 56 60 Rice Headed 39 30 48 47 Sorghum Headed 86 70 80 66 Turning Color 20 6 14 12 Soybeans Planted 100 99 100 99 Emerged 99 97 100 96 Blooming 59 55 82 64 Setting Pods 35 30 58 43 Sweet Potatoes Planted 98 95 99 92 Crop Condition Table CONDITIONS IN PERCENTAGES CROP VERY POOR POOR FAIR GOOD EXCELLENT Corn 2 5 38 49 6 Cotton 0 3 42 53 2 Rice 0 1 25 66 8 Sorghum 0 3 39 53 5 Soybeans 3 8 39 44 6 Sugarcane 1 5 22 43 29 Livestock 1 7 34 50 8 Vegetables 5 12 40 39 4 Pasture 3 11 42 37 7 LOUISIANA OFFICE OF STATE CLIMATOLOGY, LSU, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA LOUISIANA WEATHER SUMMARY FROM 06/30/08 TO 07/06/08 AIR PRECIPITATION TEMPERATURE WEEKLY FOUR YR.TO MAX MIN AVE NRM TOTAL WEEKS DATE NORM 1. Northwest LSU-Bossier City 94 65 80 82 0.00 7.13 32.42 28.96 Minden 94 64 79 81 0.04 5.85 25.61 31.38 Mooringsport 95 65 80 MM 0.00 3.82 26.56 26.11 Extreme/Average 95 64 80 82 0.01 5.60 28.20 29.53 2. North-Central LSU-Calhoun 94 64 80 82 0.01 4.76 22.52 31.89 Homer/Hill Farm 94 62 78 80 0.40 4.50 21.77 31.29 ULM-Monroe (96) 65 81 82 0.33 0.58 17.52 33.76 Colmubia Lock 94 63 80 MM 0.00 1.81 21.91 34.89 Extreme/Average 96 62 80 82 0.19 2.91 20.93 32.48 3. Northeast Lake Providence 94 65 79 82 0.15 3.35 30.40 34.88 LSU-St Joseph 93 64 80 82 0.12 2.07 25.00 33.09 LSU-Winnsboro 96 (60) 80 82 0.00 0.47 25.60 33.17 Tallulah 93 65 79 81 0.00 2.02 26.79 34.42 Extreme/Average 96 60 79 82 0.07 1.98 26.95 33.81 4. West-Central Leesville 95 63 79 81 0.55 1.96 23.07 31.41 LSU-Rosepine 94 63 79 81 0.28 1.56 21.86 31.42 Natchitoches 95 64 81 83 0.31 0.84 24.13 31.10 Extreme/Average 95 63 80 82 0.38 1.76 22.47 31.15 5. Central Alexandria 92 67 80 83 0.33 3.11 27.07 32.89 Brusly 91 66 79 81 0.19 2.28 29.19 33.83 Bunkie 93 66 80 82 0.78 3.38 26.74 34.91 LSU-Alexandria 94 60 79 82 0.25 3.31 25.43 31.41 Extreme/Average 94 60 80 82 0.39 3.02 27.11 33.19 6. East-Central Franklinton 5SW 93 65 80 MM 0.30 3.08 27.42 MM.MM LSU-Baton Rouge 92 66 80 81 1.52 3.16 28.21 33.49 LSU-Clinton 91 65 78 81 3.19 5.62 30.75 34.84 LSU-Hammond 93 64 80 81 0.18 3.01 33.17 34.31 Slidell 92 68 81 82 0.98 1.99 32.94 33.51 Extreme/Average 93 64 80 82 1.23 2.81 30.44 35.29 7. Southwest De Ridder 94 64 80 82 1.45 3.11 27.92 32.51 Jennings 91 67 80 81 0.18 3.30 28.98 30.97 LSU-Crowley 91 68 81 82 0.06 4.95 28.78 31.61 Extreme/Average 94 64 80 82 0.56 3.79 28.56 31.55 8. South-Central Donaldsonville 90 69 80 82 0.00 3.92 24.02 32.30 LSU-Jeanerette 91 67 81 81 0.34 5.62 24.61 32.32 Morgan City 91 71 81 81 0.26 4.01 20.03 31.94 Extreme/Average 91 67 80 82 0.20 4.52 24.32 32.38 9. Southeast Galliano 92 72 81 81 0.41 2.93 29.64 33.60 Houma 93 68 81 82 0.14 4.99 20.91 32.46 Terrytown 3S 96 71 83 MM 1.11 8.15 39.77 MM.MM Reserve 92 70 81 82 0.50 5.81 28.44 36.03 Extreme/Average 96 68 82 82 0.54 5.47 29.69 33.48 State State Averages 96 60 80 82 0.43 3.53 26.74 32.63 M = Missing ( ) = Extremes Yr. To Date = Through July 06, 2008