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 28, 2008 Volume 08 No. 21 Days suitable for fieldwork: 6.4 Soil moisture supplies: 24% very short, 46% short, 29% adequate and 1% surplus. Field Crops Report Hot dry weather depleted soil moisture and increased the need for irrigation where possible. Producers started harvesting corn this week. Some of the cotton had open bolls. Producers were in the early phase of harvesting rice, and growers with personal bins started to dry down rice. Producers continued to treat soybean fields with insecticides and fungicides. Grain sorghum producers applied insecticides to treat for armyworms, stinkbugs, and webworms. Sugarcane producers continued to scout for borers. Sugarcane growth was slowed considerably due to the lack of moisture. Fruits, Vegetables, and Specialty Crops Report Vegetable producers continued to harvest crops. Crawfish producers planted rice for forage and repaired levees in preparation for flooding this fall. Livestock, Pasture, and Range Report Livestock continued to suffer from heat stress caused by the high temperatures. Cattlemen continued cutting hay but were in need of more rain. Pasture and hay growth was slowed by the hot, dry weather. Crop Progress Table PERCENT OF PROGRESS Current Last 5 YR CROP STAGE Week Week 2007 AVG Corn Dough 99 96 97 98 Mature 76 40 55 59 Harvested 2 0 0 1 Cotton Squaring 97 94 100 100 Setting Bolls 84 75 90 91 Hay Second Cutting 66 54 61 50 Peaches Harvested 95 89 88 90 Rice Headed 79 64 83 81 Ripe 17 0 15 21 Harvested 4 0 5 8 Sorghum Headed 97 94 97 94 Turning Color 72 56 60 57 Soybeans Blooming 97 94 97 94 Setting Pods 72 56 60 57 Crop Condition Table CONDITIONS IN PERCENTAGES CROP VERY POOR POOR FAIR GOOD EXCELLENT Corn 3 6 35 53 3 Cotton 2 14 34 49 1 Rice 0 3 20 71 6 Sorghum 0 4 37 54 5 Soybeans 2 15 36 44 3 Sugarcane 3 13 31 35 18 Livestock 1 8 39 45 7 Vegetables 7 17 50 22 4 Pasture 5 22 43 24 6 LOUISIANA OFFICE OF STATE CLIMATOLOGY, LSU, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA LOUISIANA WEATHER SUMMARY FROM 07/21/08 TO 07/27/08 AIR PRECIPITATION TEMPERATURE WEEKLY FOUR YR.TO MAX MIN AVE NRM TOTAL WEEKS DATE NORM 1. Northwest LSU-Bossier City 99 72 86 83 0.28 0.48 32.93 31.46 Minden 101 72 86 82 0.40 0.95 26.67 34.10 Mooringsport 100 73 87 MM 0.00 0.28 26.84 27.89 Extreme/Average 101 72 86 83 0.23 0.57 28.81 32.14 2. North-Central LSU-Calhoun (102) 70 86 83 0.05 0.19 22.70 34.37 Homer/Hill Farm 97 69 83 82 0.64 2.87 24.21 34.08 ULM-Monroe 102 70 85 83 0.23 1.61 18.80 36.16 Colmubia Lock 100 70 85 MM 0.65 2.62 24.53 37.39 Extreme/Average 102 69 85 83 0.39 1.82 22.56 35.09 3. Northeast Lake Providence 99 73 86 83 0.15 0.43 30.68 37.37 LSU-St Joseph 99 (65) 85 83 0.04 0.29 25.19 35.68 LSU-Winnsboro 102 70 86 83 0.00 1.35 27.05 35.43 Tallulah 99 70 84 82 0.30 0.40 27.19 37.04 Extreme/Average 102 65 85 83 0.12 0.62 27.53 36.32 4. West-Central Leesville 101 70 84 82 0.22 1.43 23.95 34.41 LSU-Rosepine 98 72 84 82 1.07 1.61 23.08 34.91 Natchitoches 100 74 87 84 1.00 1.45 26.12 33.34 Extreme/Average 101 70 85 83 0.76 1.52 23.52 33.94 5. Central Alexandria 101 73 86 84 0.04 0.88 27.62 35.70 Brusly 96 70 82 82 0.96 1.16 30.16 37.92 Bunkie 100 70 85 83 0.27 1.11 27.07 37.48 LSU-Alexandria 99 65 83 83 0.52 0.97 25.90 34.48 Extreme/Average 101 65 84 83 0.45 1.03 27.69 36.31 6. East-Central Franklinton 5SW 99 71 83 MM 0.97 1.12 28.24 MM.MM LSU-Baton Rouge 97 71 83 82 2.31 4.00 30.69 37.08 LSU-Clinton MM MM MM 81 0.00 3.38 30.94 38.38 LSU-Hammond 98 70 83 82 0.99 2.49 35.56 38.53 Slidell 96 73 83 82 1.95 3.76 35.72 38.09 Extreme/Average 99 70 83 82 1.56 3.25 33.13 39.39 7. Southwest De Ridder 99 70 84 83 0.71 3.58 30.05 36.04 Jennings 97 74 84 82 0.92 2.48 31.28 34.81 LSU-Crowley 97 74 84 82 0.44 1.60 30.32 35.51 Extreme/Average 99 70 84 83 0.69 2.04 30.80 35.49 8. South-Central Donaldsonville 95 72 83 82 0.75 2.24 26.26 36.68 LSU-Jeanerette 96 73 83 82 0.38 2.59 26.86 36.54 Morgan City 94 70 82 82 1.22 2.35 22.12 37.16 Extreme/Average 96 70 83 83 0.78 2.39 25.08 37.02 9. Southeast Galliano 94 74 82 82 1.44 3.29 31.83 38.91 Houma 98 72 83 83 0.95 4.51 25.28 37.87 Terrytown 3S 97 73 85 MM 1.67 3.05 41.71 MM.MM Reserve 95 73 84 82 0.25 3.12 31.06 40.33 Extreme/Average 98 72 83 83 0.88 3.64 29.39 38.26 State State Averages 102 65 84 83 0.65 1.92 27.88 36.12 M = Missing ( ) = Extremes Yr. To Date = Through July 27, 2008