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: October 14, 2008 Volume 08 No. 32 Days suitable for fieldwork: 6.8 Soil moisture supplies: 5% very short, 29% short, 63% adequate and 3% surplus. Field Crops Report The drier weather assisted producers as they worked to complete the harvest of soybeans and rice. Sweet potato harvest was slowed due to low soil moisture levels. Sugarcane harvest was well underway, and mills were operating in full swing. Fruits, Vegetables, and Specialty Crops Report Producers planted additional strawberry plants, harvested green beans, cucumbers, and tomatoes, and sprayed plants for disease control. Citrus producers harvested satsumas. Crawfish producers flooded ponds. Livestock, Pasture, and Range Report Cattlemen continued to harvest hay and plant winter forages. Beef producers began to market weaned calves. Crop Progress Table PERCENT OF PROGRESS Current Last 5 YR CROP STAGE Week Week 2007 AVG Corn Harvested 100 100 100 100 Cotton Harvested 70 45 58 68 Hay Second Cutting 98 96 100 99 Pecans Harvested 6 0 18 0 Rice Harvested 98 95 100 99 Sorghum Harvested 100 97 100 100 Soybeans Turning Color 99 96 100 99 Dropping Leaves 96 89 99 94 Harvested 80 70 89 79 Sweet Potatoes Harvested 39 28 56 56 Sugarcane Planted 89 74 99 99 Harvested 4 1 10 10 Winter Wheat Planted 3 0 0 3 Crop Condition Table CONDITIONS IN PERCENTAGES CROP VERY POOR POOR FAIR GOOD EXCELLENT Cotton 30 37 26 7 0 Soybeans 16 25 38 20 1 Sugarcane 7 28 38 25 2 Livestock 1 9 34 51 5 Vegetables 13 16 44 25 2 Pasture 3 11 48 37 1 LOUISIANA OFFICE OF STATE CLIMATOLOGY, LSU, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA LOUISIANA WEATHER SUMMARY FROM 10/06/08 TO 10/12/08 AIR PRECIPITATION TEMPERATURE WEEKLY FOUR YR.TO MAX MIN AVE NRM TOTAL WEEKS DATE NORM 1. Northwest LSU-Bossier City 85 48 70 68 0.16 0.18 40.99 39.47 Minden 85 49 68 67 0.00 0.00 37.32 42.44 Mooringsport 84 (47) 69 MM 0.39 0.45 35.67 35.88 Extreme/Average 85 47 69 68 0.18 0.21 37.99 40.49 2. North-Central LSU-Calhoun 87 51 70 68 0.07 0.11 45.44 42.90 Homer/Hill Farm 85 52 69 66 0.33 0.33 33.31 42.92 ULM-Monroe 89 55 72 68 0.06 0.09 41.60 44.44 Colmubia Lock 88 52 70 MM 0.10 1.66 43.27 45.90 Extreme/Average 89 51 70 67 0.14 0.55 40.91 43.83 3. Northeast Lake Providence 86 55 71 68 0.88 2.53 52.93 45.20 LSU-St Joseph 87 55 72 69 0.17 0.90 54.81 43.64 LSU-Winnsboro 89 53 71 68 0.12 0.97 51.76 43.13 Tallulah 87 55 71 67 0.05 1.31 45.28 45.03 Extreme/Average 89 53 71 68 0.31 1.47 53.87 44.21 4. West-Central Leesville 88 47 70 68 0.13 0.14 35.33 44.16 LSU-Rosepine 86 53 71 69 0.24 0.28 36.35 45.39 Natchitoches 88 56 72 69 0.18 0.18 36.44 41.88 Extreme/Average 88 47 71 68 0.18 0.23 36.35 43.11 5. Central Alexandria 88 51 70 70 0.00 0.37 41.15 46.36 Brusly 88 54 71 69 0.55 1.15 51.98 50.60 Bunkie 88 55 72 70 0.70 2.23 52.67 47.47 LSU-Alexandria 89 55 72 69 0.49 1.64 53.45 45.04 Extreme/Average 89 51 71 70 0.44 1.35 52.70 46.91 6. East-Central Franklinton 5SW 85 57 72 MM 0.68 2.89 43.67 MM.MM LSU-Baton Rouge 88 56 73 70 0.34 0.98 48.69 49.36 LSU-Clinton MM MM MM 69 M.MM M.MM 41.37 50.18 LSU-Hammond 87 55 72 70 1.37 2.22 51.00 51.76 Slidell 85 57 73 71 0.63 1.45 53.14 51.04 Extreme/Average 88 55 73 70 0.76 1.89 49.13 51.72 7. Southwest De Ridder 87 54 72 70 0.73 0.84 43.32 47.03 Jennings 89 55 72 71 1.34 2.32 46.09 47.75 LSU-Crowley (90) 55 73 71 0.60 2.33 46.12 47.68 Extreme/Average 90 54 72 71 0.89 1.83 45.18 48.53 8. South-Central Donaldsonville 90 55 72 71 0.05 2.93 43.80 50.16 LSU-Jeanerette 90 56 73 70 0.01 0.85 53.32 50.83 Morgan City 89 60 74 72 0.12 1.57 36.15 53.47 Extreme/Average 90 55 73 72 0.06 1.89 53.32 51.26 9. Southeast Galliano 87 63 74 72 0.47 3.69 50.24 54.79 Houma 90 56 74 72 0.15 3.02 51.37 53.10 Terrytown 3S 87 62 75 MM 0.31 3.06 64.02 MM.MM Reserve 90 57 74 71 0.00 1.51 50.37 53.45 Extreme/Average 90 56 74 72 0.23 3.04 51.37 52.89 State State Averages 90 47 72 70 0.40 1.46 47.12 47.27 M = Missing ( ) = Extremes Yr. To Date = Through October 12, 2008