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: November 2, 2009 Volume 09 No. 35 Days suitable for fieldwork: 2.0 Soil moisture supplies: 1% short, 26% adequate, and 73% surplus Field Crops Report Rainfall continued across most of the state slowing the harvest progress of field crops and bringing planting and 2010 crop winter wheat to a near-standstill. Cotton harvest reached thirty-four percent, falling far behind the five-year average of ninety-four percent. Soybean harvest reached eighty percent, falling behind the five-year average of ninety-seven percent. Fruits, Vegetables, and Specialty Crops Report Producers harvested greenhouse tomatoes, greens, and eggplants. Sweet potatoes reached a critical point for damage and breakdown due to wet conditions in the field. Citrus producers continued to harvest satsumas. Pecan harvest reached twenty-nine percent, behind the five-year average of thirty-seven percent. Crawfish producers checked ponds and monitored water quality. Livestock, Pasture, and Range Report Rain continued to delay the planting of winter forages. Cattlemen continued to market calves. Crop Progress Table PERCENT OF PROGRESS Last CROP STAGE 2009 Week 2008 5 YR AVG Cotton Harvested 34 29 95 94 Hay Second Cutting 99 98 100 100 Pecans Harvested 29 22 31 37 Rice Harvested 98 97 100 100 Sorghum Harvested 99 99 100 100 Soybeans Dropping Leaves 100 100 100 100 Harvested 80 73 97 97 Sweet Potatoes Harvested 47 46 72 79 Sugarcane Planted 99 99 100 100 Harvested 27 17 19 27 Winter Wheat Planted 15 14 22 21 Emerged 4 3 6 3 Crop Condition Table CONDITIONS IN PERCENTAGES CROP VERY POOR POOR FAIR GOOD EXCELLENT Cotton 24 49 23 3 1 Sugarcane 5 11 36 36 12 Livestock 11 35 33 19 2 Vegetables Pasture 5 21 40 29 5 Weather Information Table LOUISIANA OFFICE OF STATE CLIMATOLOGY, LSU, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA LOUISIANA WEATHER SUMMARY FROM 10/26/09 TO 11/01/09 AIR PRECIPITATION TEMPERATURE WEEKLY FOUR YR. TO MAX MIN AVG NRM TOTAL WEEKS DATE NORM 1. Northwest LSU-Bossier City 79 44 59 61 8.26 15.55 56.46 42.31 Minden 79 41 57 60 5.35 16.51 62.53 45.07 Mooringsport 78 44 59 MM 5.44 17.26 64.24 38.61 Extreme/Average 79 41 58 61 6.35 16.44 61.08 43.31 2. North-Central LSU-Calhoun 83 42 57 61 5.29 18.12 57.86 45.59 Homer/Hill Farm 78 (39) 56 59 6.44 19.41 67.49 45.57 ULM-Monroe 84 45 59 61 5.11 21.00 61.38 47.16 Columbia Lock 84 44 59 MM 4.31 14.03 51.83 48.57 Extreme/Average 84 39 58 61 5.29 18.14 59.64 46.53 3. Northeast Lake Providence 83 45 60 61 3.16 16.04 57.56 48.12 LSU-St Joseph 85 43 62 62 2.46 7.82 44.99 45.97 LSU-Winnsboro 85 42 60 61 3.43 11.71 50.12 45.77 Tallulah 84 41 60 61 2.55 9.27 55.97 47.50 Extreme/Average 85 41 61 62 2.72 11.04 52.84 46.82 4. West-Central Leesville 81 41 59 62 9.18 16.12 50.61 46.55 LSU-Rosepine 80 44 59 63 8.06 13.61 47.64 47.96 Natchitoches 85 50 62 62 5.76 17.53 55.89 44.53 Extreme/Average 85 41 60 62 7.67 15.75 51.38 45.66 5. Central Alexandria 83 47 61 64 5.06 10.96 47.12 49.47 Brusly (89) 42 65 63 2.94 10.27 45.82 53.17 Bunkie 86 44 61 63 2.84 12.19 51.58 50.15 LSU-Alexandria 84 44 61 62 5.96 10.74 46.83 47.89 Extreme/Average 89 42 62 63 4.20 11.04 48.08 49.71 6. East-Central Franklinton 5SW 84 43 63 MM 1.00 6.65 43.14 MM.MM LSU-Baton Rouge 85 44 64 64 1.90 7.24 41.96 51.63 Amite 85 41 64 63 1.80 8.30 46.48 55.67 LSU-Hammond 84 41 63 63 0.99 5.88 37.98 53.99 Slidell 83 44 64 65 1.70 7.75 47.47 52.97 Extreme/Average 85 41 63 64 1.48 7.16 43.47 53.97 7. Southwest DeRidder 81 46 61 64 5.25 12.43 52.05 49.61 Jennings 84 47 64 65 2.92 10.28 49.14 50.31 LSU-Crowley 83 47 65 65 4.09 13.37 55.42 50.20 Extreme/Average 84 46 63 65 4.09 12.03 52.20 51.14 8. South-Central Donaldsonville 86 44 64 65 1.74 12.14 56.43 52.44 LSU-Jeanerette 86 47 66 64 3.14 12.36 65.48 53.13 Morgan City 83 52 66 66 1.00 6.56 43.71 55.60 Extreme/Average 86 44 65 66 1.96 10.35 55.21 53.60 9. Southeast Galliano 85 49 68 66 1.45 7.06 50.87 56.91 Houma 85 46 66 66 0.79 4.04 37.06 54.84 Terrytown 3S 84 48 66 MM 1.44 5.79 55.09 MM.MM Reserve MM MM MM 65 M.MM M.MM 10.08 55.45 Extreme/Average 85 46 67 67 1.23 5.63 52.98 54.83 State State Averages 89 39 62 63 3.82 11.76 52.57 49.79 M = Missing ( ) = Extremes Yr. To Date = Through November 1, 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.