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: October 5, 2009 Volume 09 No. 31 Days suitable for fieldwork: 4.5 Soil moisture supplies: 4% very short, 3% short, 51% adequate and 42% surplus Field Crops Report Rain continued to slow most agriculture activities across the state. Corn producers completed the harvest. Rice harvest neared completion. Soybean harvest was at 58 percent falling behind the five year average of 74 percent. Sugarcane producers continued to plant sugarcane; the sugarcane harvest was just getting underway. Sugarcane mills were grinding. Fruits, Vegetables, and Specialty Crops Report Vegetable producers continued to harvest fall crops. Citrus producers continued to harvest and market satsumas. Livestock, Pasture, and Range Report Cattlemen cut hay in the early part of the week and planted winter forages. Crop Progress Table PERCENT OF PROGRESS Last CROP STAGE 2009 Week 2008 5 YR AVG Corn Harvested 100 99 100 100 Cotton Bolls Opening 92 89 100 98 Harvested 17 5 43 45 Hay Second Cutting 97 96 96 99 Pecans Harvested 3 1 0 3 Rice Harvested 94 88 94 97 Sorghum Harvested 98 97 97 99 Soybeans Turning Color 97 94 96 97 Dropping Leaves 86 78 88 91 Harvested 58 50 68 74 Sweet Potatoes Harvested 22 19 27 37 Sugarcane Planted 95 90 71 92 Harvested 1 0 1 2 Crop Condition Table CONDITIONS IN PERCENTAGES CROP VERY POOR POOR FAIR GOOD EXCELLENT Cotton 2 12 37 45 4 Sugarcane 2 8 30 45 15 Livestock 1 6 45 42 6 Vegetables 5 25 45 23 2 Pasture 3 8 45 37 7 Weather Information Table LOUISIANA OFFICE OF STATE CLIMATOLOGY, LSU, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA LOUISIANA WEATHER SUMMARY FROM 09/28/09 TO 10/04/09 AIR PRECIPITATION TEMPERATURE WEEKLY FOUR YR. TO MAX MIN AVG NRM TOTAL WEEKS DATE NORM AIR PRECIPITATION TEMPERATURE WEEKLY FOUR YR. TO MAX MIN AVG NRM TOTAL WEEKS DATE NORM 1. Northwest LSU-Bossier City 91 49 69 71 1.15 4.26 40.91 38.24 Minden 89 49 68 70 3.81 9.07 46.02 41.36 Mooringsport 91 51 68 MM 1.70 7.15 46.98 34.71 Extreme/Average 91 49 68 71 2.22 6.83 44.64 39.27 2. North-Central LSU-Calhoun MM MM MM 71 1.52 10.50 39.74 41.72 Homer/Hill Farm 89 (45) 66 70 4.59 15.66 48.08 41.75 ULM-Monroe 90 49 70 71 1.75 11.72 40.57 43.27 Columbia Lock 90 51 68 MM 0.25 4.53 37.11 44.79 Extreme/Average 90 45 66 71 4.59 15.66 48.08 42.66 3. Northeast Lake Providence 90 52 69 71 1.80 5.84 41.52 43.98 LSU-St Joseph 90 51 71 72 1.48 5.35 37.81 42.72 LSU-Winnsboro MM MM MM 71 3.22 10.27 42.49 42.07 Tallulah 89 51 69 70 1.82 6.36 46.60 44.04 Extreme/Average 90 51 69 71 1.81 6.10 44.06 43.14 4. West-Central Leesville 92 51 73 71 1.37 4.65 34.49 43.11 LSU-Rosepine 91 58 74 72 1.35 4.43 33.84 44.22 Natchitoches 94 57 73 72 0.83 6.31 38.36 40.73 Extreme/Average 94 51 73 71 1.10 4.65 34.49 41.97 5. Central Alexandria 93 58 72 73 1.33 4.03 36.16 45.03 Brusly 91 54 72 72 1.40 6.71 35.55 49.43 Bunkie (95) 54 74 73 1.70 5.68 39.25 46.30 LSU-Alexandria 93 53 72 72 1.05 3.80 37.11 43.87 Extreme/Average 95 53 73 73 1.38 5.40 37.30 45.72 6. East-Central Franklinton 5SW MM MM MM MM M.MM 0.00 36.04 MM.MM LSU-Baton Rouge 93 56 75 73 0.97 5.03 34.72 48.36 Amite 93 52 73 72 0.82 6.60 38.18 52.11 LSU-Hammond 92 53 73 73 0.97 7.79 32.10 50.77 Slidell 91 57 74 74 0.92 9.42 39.72 50.20 Extreme/Average 93 52 74 73 0.92 7.21 36.18 50.72 7. Southwest DeRidder 93 56 73 73 1.07 4.39 39.62 45.84 Jennings 92 60 76 74 1.01 5.12 38.86 46.50 LSU-Crowley 92 59 76 74 0.58 5.67 42.05 46.51 Extreme/Average 93 56 75 74 0.89 5.06 40.18 47.27 8. South-Central Donaldsonville 90 59 74 74 0.52 9.62 44.29 49.02 LSU-Jeanerette 91 60 76 73 2.17 14.87 53.93 49.66 Morgan City 88 65 76 75 1.54 6.63 37.15 52.39 Extreme/Average 91 59 75 74 1.41 10.37 45.12 50.11 9. Southeast Galliano 91 60 76 74 1.24 10.37 43.81 53.71 Houma MM MM MM 75 2.32 6.64 33.02 52.16 Terrytown 3S 93 63 77 MM 0.40 9.96 49.30 MM.MM Reserve MM MM MM 74 M.MM MM.MM MM.MM 52.47 Extreme/Average 93 60 76 75 0.82 10.17 46.56 51.91 State State Averages 95 45 72 73 1.67 7.91 41.70 46.14 M = Missing( ) = Extremes Yr. To Date = Through October 4, 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.