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 16, 2009 Volume 09 No. 37 Days suitable for fieldwork: 6.6 Soil moisture supplies: 5% very short, 4% short,76 % adequate, and 15% surplus Field Crops Report Dry weather improved harvest conditions. Cotton harvest was at eighty-nine percent, but behind the five-year average of ninety-nine percent. Rice producers completed harvest of the ratoon crop. Soybean harvest was at ninety- six percent, behind the five year average of one hundred percent. Sugarcane harvest has improved with the drier weather conditions. Producers have planted twenty-four percent of the winter wheat crop, behind the five year average of forty-seven percent. Fruits, Vegetables, and Specialty Crops Report Pecan harvest reached forty-seven percent, but behind the five-year average of fifty-six percent. Harvest of sweetpotatoes continued with sixty-three percent harvested, behind the five year average of ninety-three percent. Sweet potato producers reported that quality has started to deteriorate. Livestock, Pasture, and Range Report Cattlemen were busy planting ryegrass for winter pasture, and marketing calves. Crop Progress Table PERCENT OF PROGRESS Last CROP STAGE 2009 Week 2008 5 YR AVG Cotton Harvested 89 64 99 99 Hay Second Cutting 47 36 53 56 Pecans Harvested Rice Harvested 100 99 100 100 Soybeans Harvested 96 90 100 100 Sweet Potatoes Harvested 63 50 91 93 Sugarcane Harvested 42 35 37 42 Winter Wheat Planted 24 15 53 47 Emerged 12 4 22 17 Crop Condition Table CONDITIONS IN PERCENTAGES CROP VERY POOR POOR FAIR GOOD EXCELLENT Sugarcane 1 8 38 37 16 Livestock 1 6 46 42 5 Vegetables 6 24 41 26 3 Pasture 2 13 44 38 3 Weather Information Table LOUISIANA OFFICE OF STATE CLIMATOLOGY, LSU, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA LOUISIANA WEATHER SUMMARY FROM 11/09/09 TO 11/16/09 AIR PRECIPITATION TEMPERATURE WEEKLY FOUR YR. TO MAX MIN AVG NRM TOTAL WEEKS DATE NORM 1. Northwest LSU-Bossier City 77 42 62 56 0.00 9.85 56.46 44.47 Minden 75 39 60 56 0.00 7.04 62.53 47.51 Mooringsport 77 46 62 MM 0.00 8.74 64.24 40.84 Extreme/Average 77 39 61 57 0.00 8.54 61.08 45.57 2. North-Central LSU-Calhoun 76 36 59 57 0.01 6.80 57.87 47.69 Homer/Hill Farm 74 (35) 58 55 0.05 8.12 67.54 48.00 ULM-Monroe 76 40 61 56 0.00 5.91 61.40 49.42 Columbia Lock 76 41 61 MM 0.00 5.31 51.83 50.83 Extreme/Average 76 35 60 56 0.02 6.54 59.66 48.74 3. Northeast Lake Providence 75 41 60 56 0.00 5.59 57.56 50.43 LSU-St Joseph (78) 36 60 58 0.01 3.35 45.00 48.20 LSU-Winnsboro 77 36 60 57 0.00 4.75 50.12 48.09 Tallulah 76 37 60 56 0.00 3.23 55.97 49.80 Extreme/Average 78 36 60 57 0.00 4.23 52.84 49.10 4. West-Central Leesville 76 36 62 58 0.03 11.02 50.79 48.88 LSU-Rosepine 75 37 62 58 0.06 9.31 46.78 50.27 Natchitoches 78 43 63 57 0.00 7.95 55.89 46.59 Extreme/Average 78 36 62 58 0.03 9.43 51.15 47.82 5. Central Alexandria 78 43 63 59 0.01 7.30 47.13 52.07 Brusly 75 37 61 59 0.05 4.60 45.87 55.17 Bunkie 78 38 62 59 0.00 4.62 51.58 52.68 LSU-Alexandria 78 38 62 58 0.00 7.46 46.84 50.69 Extreme/Average 78 37 62 59 0.02 6.00 48.10 52.24 6. East-Central Franklinton 5SW 74 39 60 MM 0.00 1.11 48.79 MM.MM LSU-Baton Rouge 76 38 61 60 0.18 2.75 42.15 53.76 Amite 76 36 61 59 0.06 2.46 46.54 57.81 LSU-Hammond 75 36 60 60 0.00 1.57 37.98 56.12 Slidell 74 41 61 61 0.72 2.85 48.19 55.29 Extreme/Average 76 36 61 60 0.19 2.15 44.73 56.20 7. Southwest DeRidder 77 40 63 59 0.00 7.19 52.05 51.89 Jennings 78 43 65 60 0.07 5.61 49.21 52.72 LSU-Crowley 78 41 63 61 0.06 6.00 55.50 52.51 Extreme/Average 78 40 64 61 0.04 6.27 52.25 53.47 8. South-Central Donaldsonville 75 39 61 61 0.09 3.41 56.52 54.50 LSU-Jeanerette 77 43 64 61 0.09 5.83 65.59 55.12 Morgan City 74 48 64 62 0.17 2.62 43.89 57.86 Extreme/Average 77 39 63 62 0.12 3.95 55.33 55.73 9. Southeast Galliano 77 42 63 63 0.02 5.09 53.89 59.06 Houma 77 41 63 63 0.08 2.16 37.15 56.87 Terrytown 3S 77 45 64 MM 0.13 1.99 55.22 MM.MM Reserve MM MM MM 61 M.MM M.MM 10.08 57.63 Extreme/Average 77 41 63 63 0.08 3.08 54.56 57.01 State State Averages 78 35 62 60 0.05 5.51 52.91 52.07 M = Missing ( ) = Extremes Yr. To Date = Through November 15, 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.