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: July 13, 2009 Volume 09 No. 19 Days suitable for fieldwork: 5.0 Soil moisture supplies: 28% very short, 32% short, 39% adequate and 1% surplus Field Crops Report Dry conditions persisted across the state. Forty-two percent of the rice crop was heading, behind the 5-year average of 56%. Ninety percent of the corn was at the dough state, compared to the 5-year average of 83%. Sixty percent of cotton had set bolls, slightly behind the 5-year average of 61%. Fifteen percent of the sorghum had turned color, behind the 5-year average of 22%. Sixty-five percent of beans were setting pods, ahead of the 5-year average of 57%. Sugarcane growth slowed due to the hot, dry weather. Sugarcane producers were busy as they scouted field for borers and treated for infestations. Fruits, Vegetables, and Specialty Crops Report Producers continued to harvest summer vegetables. Livestock, Pasture, and Range Report Thirty-one percent of producers had completed a second cutting of hay, slightly ahead of the 5-year average of 29%. Cattlemen continued to feed hay and market calves. Crop Progress Table PERCENT OF PROGRESS Last CROP STAGE 2009 Week 2008 5 YR AVG Corn Dough 90 82 86 83 Cotton Squaring 99 93 87 95 Setting Bolls 60 41 57 61 Hay First Cutting 99 97 98 94 Second Cutting 31 26 43 29 Peaches Harvested 70 55 82 74 Rice Headed 42 28 51 56 Sorghum Headed 89 81 89 81 Turning Color 15 2 29 22 Soybeans Blooming 77 70 69 78 Setting Pods 65 57 46 57 Crop Condition Table CONDITIONS IN PERCENTAGES CROP VERY POOR POOR FAIR GOOD EXCELLENT Corn 3 15 30 36 16 Cotton 2 25 33 31 9 Rice 0 1 23 57 19 Sorghum 5 18 43 34 0 Soybeans 10 23 33 23 11 Sugarcane 7 19 41 26 7 Livestock 6 14 44 34 2 Vegetables 11 26 37 25 1 Pasture 19 26 39 15 1 Weather Information Table LOUISIANA OFFICE OF STATE CLIMATOLOGY, LSU, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA LOUISIANA WEATHER SUMMARY FROM 07/06/09 TO 07/13/09 AIR PRECIPITATION TEMPERATURE WEEKLY FOUR YR.TO MAX MIN AVE NRM TOTAL WEEKS DATE NORM 1. Northwest LSU-Bossier City(100)70 84 83 0.32 0.32 23.43 29.61 Minden 98 70 82 82 1.03 1.03 26.94 32.10 Mooringsport 99 71 84 MM 1.20 1.48 23.21 26.62 Extreme/Average 100 70 83 82 0.85 0.94 24.53 30.21 2. North-Central LSU-Calhoun 98 69 83 83 0.73 0.73 23.31 32.52 Homer/Hill Farm 97 68 80 81 0.69 0.84 23.81 32.03 ULM-Monroe 98 70 83 83 0.90 1.00 23.75 34.38 Columbia Lock 98 70 82 MM 1.52 1.52 22.99 35.54 Extreme/Average 98 68 82 82 0.96 1.12 23.52 33.15 3. Northeast Lake Providence 99 70 82 82 0.10 0.16 26.77 35.52 LSU-St Joseph 97 71 83 82 2.13 2.14 22.20 33.72 LSU-Winnsboro 98 69 83 82 1.87 1.87 24.88 33.75 Tallulah 96 70 82 82 0.95 2.63 30.19 35.07 Extreme/Average 99 69 82 83 1.26 1.70 26.39 34.45 4. West-Central Leesville 99 69 82 81 1.08 1.27 22.06 32.16 LSU-Rosepine 98 68 83 81 0.80 1.87 24.25 32.27 Natchitoches 100 73 85 83 1.59 1.81 23.40 31.65 Extreme/Average 100 68 84 82 1.20 1.84 23.83 31.85 5. Central Alexandria 98 73 86 83 1.30 2.22 22.59 33.59 Brusly 94 71 82 81 1.16 2.12 24.34 34.78 Bunkie 99 73 85 82 0.58 1.22 28.66 35.56 LSU-Alexandria 98 73 85 82 1.70 4.25 25.77 32.16 Extreme/Average 99 71 84 83 1.19 2.45 26.26 33.94 6. East-Central Franklinton 5SW 97 70 83 MM 0.29 0.75 23.44 MM.MM LSU-Baton Rouge 95 72 83 81 0.73 2.05 23.34 34.35 LSU-Clinton MM MM MM 81 M.MM 0.60 20.05 35.66 LSU-Hammond 96 70 82 81 1.35 3.10 19.40 35.27 Slidell 98 72 82 82 3.37 4.08 21.53 34.56 Extreme/Average 98 70 83 82 1.44 1.97 22.06 36.24 7. Southwest DeRidder 97 71 84 82 0.77 2.33 26.19 33.41 Jennings 97 73 85 82 1.20 1.92 23.50 31.92 LSU-Crowley 96 73 85 82 4.26 5.77 30.76 32.56 Extreme/Average 97 71 85 82 2.08 3.34 26.82 32.51 8. South-Central Donaldsonville 94 72 82 82 2.46 6.10 27.08 33.35 LSU-Jeanerette 95 72 84 81 4.43 8.75 31.44 33.37 Morgan City 93 (66) 82 81 2.57 3.98 20.75 33.16 Extreme/Average 95 66 82 82 3.15 6.28 26.42 33.50 9. Southeast Galliano 94 73 83 82 1.31 3.23 19.48 34.84 Houma 95 73 83 82 2.50 3.66 16.49 33.75 Terrytown 3S 97 72 84 MM 1.84 3.78 25.94 MM.MM Reserve MM MM MM 82 M.MM M.MM 10.08 37.12 Extreme/Average 97 72 83 83 1.88 3.56 20.64 34.63 State State Averages 100 66 83 82 1.53 2.54 24.53 33.49 M = Missing ( ) = Extremes Yr. To Date = Through July 12, 2009 The Louisiana Crop-Weather Summary is published weekly beginning the second week of March and ending the first week of December by USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service's Louisiana Field Office. Subscription is free to respondents and cooperators, $12.00 annually to all others. For free automatic e-mail subscription to this publication, go to our homepage at http://www.nass.usda.gov/la and click on "Subscribe to LA reports" on the right hand side of the page. Choose the reports you want to receive, and complete the form.