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: August 18, 2008 Volume 08 No. 24 Days suitable for fieldwork: 4.1 Soil moisture supplies: 11% very short, 22% short, 47% adequate and 20% surplus. Field Crops Report Many areas of the state received scattered showers last week, improving conditions for most crops. Some rice farmers were reporting lodging and panicle blight in rice fields, which may cause lower yields. Fertilizer and fungicide applications were applied to late planted rice. Soybeans in dryer areas of the state still had difficulty filling pods. Soybean producers continued couting and applying fungicides and insecticides as needed. Sugarcane planting was delayed due to the rain. Fruits, Vegetables, and Specialty Crops Report Strawberry producers prepared fields. Tomato fields were sprayed to control insects and disease. Vegetable producers were busy preparing land for fall crops. Crawfish producers planted forage. Citrus producers sprayed trees for insect control. Livestock, Pasture, and Range Report Cattlemen were still in need of rain for forage and hay production. Stressed fields were cut to stimulate new growth. Cattlemen started marketing calves. Crop Progress Table PERCENT OF PROGRESS Current Last 5 YR CROP STAGE Week Week 2007 AVG Corn Mature 100 98 100 99 Harvested 42 34 38 39 Cotton Setting Bolls 96 92 100 100 Bolls Opening 30 16 23 26 Hay Second Cutting 84 81 87 82 Peaches Harvested 100 99 100 100 Rice Headed 97 94 99 97 Ripe 65 57 75 76 Harvested 35 24 49 50 Sorghum Headed 100 99 100 100 Turning Color 99 95 92 93 Harvested 38 28 48 35 Soybeans Blooming 99 97 100 99 Setting Pods 91 87 99 94 Turning Color 34 22 44 43 Dropping Leaves 22 17 21 23 Sugarcane Planted 13 5 17 16 Crop Condition Table CONDITIONS IN PERCENTAGES CROP VERY POOR POOR FAIR GOOD EXCELLENT Corn 2 7 38 47 6 Cotton 5 14 40 40 1 Rice 0 2 21 69 8 Sorghum 0 7 36 53 3 Soybeans 3 13 42 47 4 Sugarcane 3 11 32 38 16 Livestock 3 10 41 42 4 Vegetables 13 23 43 20 1 Pasture 9 21 38 27 5 LOUISIANA OFFICE OF STATE CLIMATOLOGY, LSU, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA LOUISIANA WEATHER SUMMARY FROM 08/11/08 TO 08/17/08 AIR PRECIPITATION TEMPERATURE WEEKLY FOUR YR.TO MAX MIN AVE NRM TOTAL WEEKS DATE NORM 1. Northwest LSU-Bossier City 95 70 81 82 1.88 2.74 35.35 33.50 Minden 93 69 78 82 1.84 2.76 29.03 35.95 Mooringsport 94 69 79 MM 1.43 1.84 28.83 29.56 Extreme/Average 95 69 79 82 1.72 2.45 31.07 34.16 2. North-Central LSU-Calhoun 95 69 78 83 6.84 7.39 30.07 36.54 Homer/Hill Farm 92 67 76 81 1.56 2.33 25.90 35.98 ULM-Monroe 90 67 77 83 7.65 8.24 26.81 38.10 Colmubia Lock 92 67 78 MM 3.06 4.45 28.33 39.70 Extreme/Average 95 67 77 82 4.78 5.60 27.78 37.17 3. Northeast Lake Providence 92 69 77 82 4.26 4.99 35.52 39.36 LSU-St Joseph 91 (65) 79 82 8.22 9.78 34.93 37.96 LSU-Winnsboro 94 70 79 82 3.48 4.03 31.08 37.53 Tallulah 90 68 78 81 2.65 5.30 32.19 39.20 Extreme/Average 94 65 78 82 4.65 6.27 33.84 38.47 4. West-Central Leesville 95 66 82 81 1.50 2.78 26.51 36.86 LSU-Rosepine 94 67 81 82 1.37 6.41 28.43 37.69 Natchitoches (97) 72 84 83 2.94 5.29 30.41 35.73 Extreme/Average 97 66 83 82 2.16 5.85 29.42 36.32 5. Central Alexandria 95 70 83 83 2.02 2.71 30.29 38.65 Brusly 92 68 80 81 1.07 5.66 34.86 42.06 Bunkie 95 69 81 82 2.49 4.83 31.74 39.92 LSU-Alexandria 96 69 83 82 1.41 4.07 29.45 37.12 Extreme/Average 96 68 82 82 1.75 4.32 31.59 39.10 6. East-Central Franklinton 5SW 93 69 79 MM 2.34 4.43 32.13 MM.MM LSU-Baton Rouge 93 69 81 82 0.84 5.30 33.86 40.96 LSU-Clinton MM MM MM 81 M.MM 2.85 32.77 41.95 LSU-Hammond 93 67 80 82 3.37 7.39 41.96 43.09 Slidell 92 71 80 82 3.50 8.07 41.84 42.21 Extreme/Average 93 67 80 82 2.51 6.30 37.45 43.25 7. Southwest De Ridder 95 71 83 82 1.75 5.11 34.45 38.90 Jennings 93 72 82 82 1.61 5.94 36.37 37.96 LSU-Crowley 94 71 82 82 2.57 4.94 34.87 38.96 Extreme/Average 95 71 82 83 1.98 5.44 35.62 38.97 8. South-Central Donaldsonville 93 70 81 82 2.54 7.11 32.62 40.59 LSU-Jeanerette 92 71 81 81 1.72 5.92 32.40 40.74 Morgan City 90 70 79 81 2.69 8.89 29.79 42.23 Extreme/Average 93 70 80 82 2.32 7.31 31.60 41.29 9. Southeast Galliano 91 74 81 82 3.08 11.65 42.04 43.85 Houma 95 72 82 82 1.41 9.03 33.36 42.55 Terrytown 3S 95 72 83 MM 4.15 12.96 53.00 MM.MM Reserve 92 71 81 82 3.90 7.27 38.08 43.94 Extreme/Average 95 71 82 83 3.14 10.23 41.62 42.54 State State Averages 97 65 80 82 2.76 5.98 33.62 39.18 M = Missing ( ) = Extremes Yr. To Date = Through August 17, 2008 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.