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: September 8, 2008 Volume 08 No. 27 Days suitable for fieldwork: 1.3 Soil moisture supplies: 31% adequate and 69% surplus. Field Crops Report Louisiana was hammered by Hurricane Gustav early in the week with most of the state receiving anywhere from 12-20 inches of rain. Producers were busy harvesting crops prior to the hurricane landfall. Powerful winds and heavy rain from the hurricane damaged crops across the state. Producers were busy assessing crop damage from the hurricane and the full extent of the damage is not yet known. Fruits, Vegetables, and Specialty Crops Report Extensive rainfall and winds from the hurricane damaged most of the vegetables. Livestock, Pasture, and Range Report Cattlemen were busy assessing damage from the hurricane. Some pastures were flooded due to levees breaking. Hay and water were being supplied to areas where needed. Crop Progress Table PERCENT OF PROGRESS Current Last 5 YR CROP STAGE Week Week 2007 AVG Corn Harvested 73 69 90 91 Cotton Bolls Opening 65 57 72 69 Hay Second Cutting 89 88 96 96 Rice Ripe 91 84 96 97 Harvested 48 45 79 83 Sorghum Mature 100 99 99 97 Harvested 74 68 90 85 Soybeans Setting Pods 100 99 100 100 Turning Color 61 53 84 70 Dropping Leaves 52 39 68 55 Harvested 19 15 28 33 Sweetpotatoes Harvested 14 13 13 14 Sugarcane Planted 36 35 68 64 Crop Condition Table CONDITIONS IN PERCENTAGES CROP VERY POOR POOR FAIR GOOD EXCELLENT Cotton 22 24 34 20 0 Rice 6 22 39 27 6 Soybeans 20 22 33 25 0 Sugarcane 18 24 40 18 0 Livestock 4 11 47 35 3 Vegetables 19 20 47 14 0 Pasture 6 17 41 34 2 LOUISIANA OFFICE OF STATE CLIMATOLOGY, LSU, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA LOUISIANA WEATHER SUMMARY FROM 09/01/08 TO 09/07/08 AIR PRECIPITATION TEMPERATURE WEEKLY FOUR YR.TO MAX MIN AVE NRM TOTAL WEEKS DATE NORM 1. Northwest LSU-Bossier City 91 59 75 79 2.05 5.60 39.07 35.39 Minden 89 58 74 79 3.50 7.84 35.03 38.01 Mooringsport 91 61 74 MM 2.28 6.89 34.29 31.62 Extreme/Average 91 58 74 79 2.61 6.78 36.13 36.17 2. North-Central LSU-Calhoun 91 61 75 80 8.77 18.06 41.29 38.67 Homer/Hill Farm 89 (55) 73 78 4.22 7.74 32.08 38.19 ULM-Monroe 93 64 76 80 10.30 20.36 39.52 40.14 Colmubia Lock 91 64 76 MM 9.36 15.62 41.01 41.93 Extreme/Average 93 55 75 79 8.16 15.45 38.48 39.37 3. Northeast Lake Providence 90 66 75 79 11.47 19.05 50.31 41.24 LSU-St Joseph 93 66 77 80 10.29 24.52 51.23 40.06 LSU-Winnsboro 93 66 77 79 9.34 14.63 42.23 39.47 Tallulah 90 66 75 79 7.70 14.01 45.81 41.24 Extreme/Average 93 66 76 79 9.70 18.05 49.12 40.42 4. West-Central Leesville 92 59 76 79 4.67 8.01 33.02 39.51 LSU-Rosepine 90 63 75 79 3.75 7.09 34.12 40.43 Natchitoches MM MM MM 80 M.MM 4.58 32.05 37.97 Extreme/Average 92 59 76 79 4.21 7.55 33.57 38.71 5. Central Alexandria (94) 68 78 81 14.09 16.81 45.08 41.55 Brusly 94 70 80 79 11.22 16.10 49.89 45.72 Bunkie 90 67 78 80 14.06 19.70 48.95 42.68 LSU-Alexandria 93 66 78 80 18.19 20.67 48.71 40.00 Extreme/Average 94 66 78 80 14.39 18.32 48.16 41.95 6. East-Central Franklinton 5SW MM MM MM MM M.MM 4.46 34.70 MM.MM LSU-Baton Rouge 89 70 79 80 7.87 12.80 45.83 44.71 LSU-Clinton MM MM MM 79 M.MM MM.MM 32.77 45.31 LSU-Hammond MM MM MM 80 M.MM 6.14 44.73 47.14 Slidell 88 70 79 80 7.17 13.22 51.56 46.10 Extreme/Average 89 70 79 80 7.52 13.01 48.70 46.83 7. Southwest De Ridder 91 63 76 80 3.20 7.99 40.69 41.84 Jennings 93 65 79 80 5.35 7.79 42.55 41.57 LSU-Crowley 91 67 79 80 6.18 10.08 42.38 42.39 Extreme/Average 93 63 78 81 4.91 8.62 41.87 42.66 8. South-Central Donaldsonville MM MM MM 80 1.13 6.34 36.42 44.49 LSU-Jeanerette 90 66 78 80 9.94 17.25 47.93 45.05 Morgan City MM MM MM 80 M.MM 5.91 33.01 47.23 Extreme/Average 90 66 78 81 9.94 17.25 47.93 45.49 9. Southeast Galliano MM MM MM 81 M.MM 6.99 45.95 48.63 Houma MM MM MM 81 M.MM 6.30 38.76 47.16 Terrytown 3S MM MM MM MM 1.56 9.98 58.83 MM.MM Reserve 89 65 79 80 4.41 14.15 48.19 47.82 Extreme/Average 89 65 79 81 4.41 14.15 48.19 46.97 State State Averages 94 55 77 80 7.60 13.44 43.92 42.26 M = Missing ( ) = Extremes Yr. To Date = Through September 7, 2008