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 26, 2009 Volume 09 No. 34 Days suitable for fieldwork: 3.6 Soil moisture supplies: 34% adequate and 66% surplus Field Crops Report Rain continued to hinder fieldwork. Soybean harvest reached seventy-three percent, behind the five-year average of ninety-four percent. Cotton harvest reached twenty-nine percent, behind the five-year average of eighty-nine percent. Rice producers tried to dry fields so they could begin harvesting the ratoon rice crop. Sugarcane farmers continued to harvest in spite of the muddy conditions. Fruits, Vegetables, and Specialty Crops Report Vegetable producers continued to harvest fall crops and plant winter crops. Sweet potato reports were positive, indicating that yield and size were good. Citrus producers continued to harvest satsumas. Crawfish farmers flooded ponds. Livestock, Pasture, and Range Report Fall forage planting continued to be delayed. Cattlemen continued to market calves Crop Progress Table PERCENT OF PROGRESS Last CROP STAGE 2009 Week 2008 5 YR AVG Cotton Harvested 29 23 92 89 Hay Second Cutting 98 97 100 100 Pecans Harvested 22 13 24 28 Rice Harvested 97 97 100 100 Sorghum Harvested 99 98 100 100 Soybeans Dropping Leaves 100 98 100 100 Harvested 73 64 94 94 Sweet Potatoes Harvested 46 25 63 69 Sugarcane Planted 99 98 99 100 Harvested 17 16 12 19 Winter Wheat Planted 14 2 11 10 Emerged 3 2 1 1 Crop Condition Table CONDITIONS IN PERCENTAGES CROP VERY POOR POOR FAIR GOOD EXCELLENT Cotton 8 35 37 19 1 Sugarcane 3 9 37 37 14 Livestock 1 6 40 47 6 Vegetables 7 22 43 27 1 Pasture 3 14 42 37 4 Weather Information Table LOUISIANA OFFICE OF STATE CLIMATOLOGY, LSU, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA LOUISIANA WEATHER SUMMARY FROM 10/19/09 TO 10/25/09 AIR PRECIPITATION TEMPERATURE WEEKLY FOUR YR. TO MAX MIN AVG NRM TOTAL WEEKS DATE NORM 1. Northwest LSU-Bossier City 76 40 59 63 1.59 8.44 48.20 41.25 Minden 76 39 57 63 1.69 14.97 57.18 44.02 Mooringsport 76 42 59 MM 3.30 13.52 58.80 37.56 Extreme/Average 76 39 58 63 2.19 12.31 54.73 42.23 2. North-Central LSU-Calhoun 75 38 56 63 1.50 14.35 52.57 44.58 Homer/Hill Farm 76 (36) 56 62 1.63 17.56 61.05 44.52 ULM-Monroe 75 42 58 63 0.78 17.45 56.27 46.11 Columbia Lock 75 39 57 MM 1.00 10.66 47.52 47.53 Extreme/Average 76 36 57 63 1.23 15.01 54.35 45.49 3. Northeast Lake Providence 74 41 56 63 2.43 14.68 54.40 47.00 LSU-St Joseph 77 40 58 64 0.88 6.84 42.53 45.03 LSU-Winnsboro 75 38 57 63 1.32 11.50 50.77 44.73 Tallulah 75 40 56 63 0.68 8.54 53.32 46.51 Extreme/Average 77 38 57 64 1.33 10.02 50.08 45.80 4. West-Central Leesville 77 37 59 64 1.81 8.31 41.43 45.59 LSU-Rosepine 77 39 58 65 1.72 6.90 39.39 46.96 Natchitoches 78 45 61 64 2.19 12.60 50.13 43.55 Extreme/Average 78 37 59 64 1.91 9.27 40.41 44.68 5. Central Alexandria 77 44 60 66 2.23 7.23 41.00 48.27 Brusly 80 40 61 65 1.61 8.73 42.88 52.19 Bunkie 78 42 60 66 1.78 11.05 48.74 49.07 LSU-Alexandria 78 39 59 65 1.49 4.81 40.87 46.72 Extreme/Average 80 39 60 65 1.78 7.96 44.16 48.61 6. East-Central Franklinton 5SW 80 40 59 MM 0.41 6.10 42.14 MM.MM LSU-Baton Rouge 80 41 59 66 0.66 6.31 40.06 50.72 Amite 80 38 59 65 0.60 7.32 44.68 54.73 LSU-Hammond 80 39 59 65 0.58 5.86 36.99 53.10 Slidell 80 42 61 67 0.43 6.97 45.77 52.15 Extreme/Average 80 38 59 66 0.54 6.62 41.88 53.06 7. Southwest DeRidder 77 42 60 66 1.94 8.25 46.80 48.61 Jennings 81 45 62 67 2.62 8.37 46.22 49.31 LSU-Crowley 81 44 62 67 1.83 9.86 51.33 49.20 Extreme/Average 81 42 61 67 2.13 8.83 48.12 50.12 8. South-Central Donaldsonville 81 41 61 67 1.58 10.92 54.69 51.56 LSU-Jeanerette (86) 44 63 66 2.58 10.84 62.34 52.27 Morgan City 81 48 63 68 1.44 7.10 42.71 54.73 Extreme/Average 86 41 62 68 1.87 9.62 53.25 52.70 9. Southeast Galliano 82 47 63 68 0.62 6.85 49.42 56.05 Houma 82 43 63 68 1.28 5.57 36.27 54.11 Terrytown 3S 83 45 64 MM 0.42 4.75 53.65 MM.MM Reserve MM MM MM 67 M.MM M.MM 10.08 54.63 Extreme/Average 83 43 63 69 0.77 5.80 51.54 54.02 State State Averages 86 36 60 65 1.51 9.33 48.49 48.80 M = Missing( ) = Extremes Yr. To Date = Through October 26, 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.