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 25, 2008 Volume 08 No. 25 Days suitable for fieldwork: 3.1 Soil moisture supplies: 1% very short, 13% short, 51% adequate and 35% surplus. Field Crops Report Many areas of the state received scattered showers last week, improving conditions for most crops, but the weather delayed harvesting of most crops. Some rice farmers were reporting lodging and panicle blight in rice fields, which may cause lower yields. Soybean producers continued scouting and applying fungicides and insecticides as needed. Sugarcane planting was delayed due to the rain. Fruits, Vegetables, and Specialty Crops Report Strawberry producers applied lime and fertilizer to fields. Vegetable producers harvested eggplant, squash, and cucumbers. Tomato fields were sprayed to control insects and disease. Vegetable producers were busy preparing land for fall crops. Crawfish producers prepared ponds for flooding. Citrus producers sprayed trees for insect control Livestock, Pasture, and Range Report Rain throughout the state slowed forage harvest. Cattlemen continued to market weaned calves. Crop Progress Table PERCENT OF PROGRESS Current Last 5 YR CROP STAGE Week Week 2007 AVG Corn Harvested 55 42 60 63 Cotton Setting Bolls 100 96 100 100 Bolls Opening 45 30 35 39 Hay Second Cutting 87 84 92 88 Peaches Harvested 100 99 100 100 Rice Headed 99 97 100 99 Ripe 78 65 85 87 Harvested 44 35 65 65 Sorghum Turning Color 100 99 96 97 Harvested 51 38 69 56 Soybeans Setting Pods 97 91 100 97 Turning Color 49 34 54 52 Dropping Leaves 34 22 30 33 Sweetpotatoes Harvested 3 0 3 5 Sugarcane Planted 22 13 36 33 Crop Condition Table CONDITIONS IN PERCENTAGES CROP VERY POOR POOR FAIR GOOD EXCELLENT Corn 4 9 38 47 2 Cotton 5 13 42 39 1 Rice 0 4 24 60 12 Sorghum 0 11 44 42 3 Soybeans 4 12 36 43 5 Sugarcane 4 10 30 42 14 Livestock 2 8 40 45 5 Vegetables 7 20 47 25 1 Pasture 2 15 41 37 5 LOUISIANA OFFICE OF STATE CLIMATOLOGY, LSU, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA LOUISIANA WEATHER SUMMARY FROM 08/31/08 TO 09/06/08 AIR PRECIPITATION TEMPERATURE WEEKLY FOUR YR.TO MAX MIN AVE NRM TOTAL WEEKS DATE NORM 1. Northwest LSU-Bossier City 92 71 79 82 1.97 4.43 37.32 34.13 Minden 91 69 78 81 2.16 4.52 31.19 36.53 Mooringsport 91 70 78 MM 2.81 4.65 31.64 30.19 Extreme/Average 92 69 79 82 2.31 4.53 33.38 34.79 2. North-Central LSU-Calhoun 93 71 80 82 2.35 9.70 32.42 37.24 Homer/Hill Farm 90 68 77 80 1.31 3.00 27.21 36.61 ULM-Monroe 93 (66) 79 82 1.94 9.95 28.75 38.73 Colmubia Lock 94 70 79 MM 2.22 6.01 30.54 40.47 Extreme/Average 94 66 79 81 1.96 7.17 29.73 37.86 3. Northeast Lake Providence 91 70 79 81 2.10 6.94 37.62 39.99 LSU-St Joseph 93 71 81 81 2.67 11.95 37.16 38.66 LSU-Winnsboro 92 71 81 81 1.18 5.21 32.26 38.21 Tallulah 91 69 79 81 1.74 6.54 33.73 39.84 Extreme/Average 93 69 80 82 1.92 8.03 35.68 39.10 4. West-Central Leesville 91 68 78 81 1.79 4.35 28.30 37.67 LSU-Rosepine 92 68 79 81 1.90 7.23 30.42 38.54 Natchitoches 94 70 80 82 2.77 6.37 32.49 36.50 Extreme/Average 94 68 79 81 2.15 5.98 30.40 37.09 5. Central Alexandria 93 73 80 83 0.31 2.98 30.60 39.63 Brusly 92 71 80 81 1.57 6.27 36.43 43.36 Bunkie 92 70 80 82 2.02 6.58 33.76 40.78 LSU-Alexandria 94 70 81 81 0.70 4.25 30.15 38.02 Extreme/Average 94 70 80 82 1.15 5.02 32.74 40.01 6. East-Central Franklinton 5SW 91 70 81 MM 0.20 4.26 32.78 MM.MM LSU-Baton Rouge (95) 71 81 81 2.12 5.11 35.98 42.26 LSU-Clinton MM MM MM 81 M.MM 0.18 32.77 43.09 LSU-Hammond 94 70 82 81 0.99 7.57 43.23 44.54 Slidell 92 71 81 82 0.23 6.35 42.07 43.47 Extreme/Average 95 70 81 81 1.11 6.34 40.43 44.45 7. Southwest De Ridder 93 71 79 82 2.97 7.37 37.42 39.81 Jennings 92 72 82 81 0.72 5.74 37.09 39.03 LSU-Crowley 94 72 81 82 1.02 5.55 35.92 40.08 Extreme/Average 94 71 81 82 1.57 6.22 36.81 40.14 8. South-Central Donaldsonville 93 70 81 82 0.08 6.44 32.70 41.85 LSU-Jeanerette 93 73 82 81 1.84 8.52 35.38 42.14 Morgan City 91 70 80 81 1.74 9.41 31.53 43.87 Extreme/Average 93 70 81 82 1.22 8.12 33.20 42.69 9. Southeast Galliano 92 71 82 82 1.66 11.87 43.70 45.41 Houma 95 69 82 82 2.52 10.60 35.88 44.02 Terrytown 3S 95 72 83 MM 1.45 12.74 54.45 MM.MM Reserve 94 71 81 81 2.34 9.22 40.28 45.13 Extreme/Average 95 69 82 83 1.99 11.11 43.58 43.94 State State Averages 95 66 80 82 1.67 6.92 35.35 40.17 M = Missing ( ) = Extremes Yr. To Date = Through August 31, 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.