United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service Crop Progress & Condition Report Mississippi Field Office, PO Box 980 Jackson, MS 39205-0980 (601) 965-4575 * (601) 965-5622 FAX * www.nass.usda.gov Cooperating with Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce Released: August 6, 2012 Week Ending Date: AUgust 5, 2012 Issue CW3112 According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service in Mississippi, there were 6.4 days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending Sunday, August 05, 2012. Mississippi received a few scattered showers last week. Rains mixed with some cloud cover have kept crops from drying out too much. Many growers have been irrigating, were possible under these hot conditions. Some growers have started harvesting rice and corn harvest is under way. Pastures and hay fields are still growing, but have slowed down considerably because of the heat and depleting soil moisture. Soil moisture was rated 2 percent very short 22 percent short, 75 percent adequate, and 1 percent surplus. Crop progress for week ending August 5, 2012 --------------------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : 5-year Crop : week : week : year : average --------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Corn, dough : 100 99 99 99 Corn, dent : 98 90 90 92 Corn, mature : 65 37 38 41 Corn, harvested : 16 6 5 3 Cotton, squaring : 100 100 100 100 Cotton, setting bolls : 95 91 91 94 Cotton, open bolls : 3 1 1 2 Hay-Warm Season, harvested : 79 77 75 70 Peanuts, pegging : 100 99 100 99 Rice, headed : 96 87 87 77 Rice, mature : 18 7 3 5 Rice, harvested : 1 -- 0 0 Sorghum, heading : 100 99 98 98 Sorghum, coloring : 72 57 46 56 Sorghum, mature : 25 10 6 9 Soybeans, blooming : 99 98 98 99 Soybeans, setting pods : 96 93 88 91 Soybeans, turning color : 21 18 9 12 Watermelons, harvested : 99 98 93 97 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop condition for week ending August 5, 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Item : poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent ------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Corn : 1 6 16 44 33 Cotton : 1 6 26 48 19 Hay : 0 6 20 59 15 Livestock : 0 6 34 52 8 Pasture : 0 3 40 45 12 Peanuts : 0 1 14 68 17 Rice : 1 5 16 54 24 Sorghum : 4 9 42 33 12 Soybeans : 3 5 15 50 27 Sweet Potatoes : 0 6 21 48 25 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Comments "A large portion of the county is under a severe drought. Some soybeans in dry-land fields have been harvested. Most late planted soybeans were looking okay until recently, but will need a rain soon in order to survive." --Anthony Bland, Tunica "High moisture corn harvest is well under way. Some dry corn has been harvested. So far, all yields have been above average to well above above average. Very few acres of soybeans have been harvested. By looking at the soybean plants, we are anticipating above average soybean yields. Some insecticides are being applied to soybeans to control stink bugs and loopers." --Jerry Singleton, Leflore "Much of the area is re-entering serious drought conditions, however crops made good progress as the result of rains about 2 weeks ago." --Ernest Flint, Attala "Our pastures and hay fields are still growing, but have slowed down considerably because of the heat and depleting soil moisture. We have had some armyworms appear the past week or so. The infestations have been light with only slight damage to hay fields." --Houston Therrell, Rankin "Harvest has begun on corn in the area. Cotton, soybeans and peanuts look good from the rain we received this past week. Pastures also look good from the recent rains." --Reid Nevins, Lowndes "Few farmers have started to cut rice and a few others have started to drain rice. Corn yields seemed to be good in the irrigated corn. Traces of aflatoxin have been found in dry land corn." --Laura Giaccaglia, Bolivar "We have harvested some corn and will really get into harvesting this week. Still spraying plant bugs and we are finding some worms in soybeans. We havn't had rain so we are still watering." --Don Respess, Quitman "Good corn yields for the most part. Irrigated crops are holding up better than non-irrigated. Mostly corn is being harvested at this time." --Jimbo Burkhalter, Tallahatchie "Dry conditions continue! Some bollworms are being treated in cotton. Otherwise everyone is praying for rain." --Stephen Winters, Grenada "Not much has changed this week. A few scattered showers and cloud cover have kept crops from drying out too much this week." --Tarah Ferguson, Tate "A large area of the county received a much needed rain on Sunday. Amounts ranged from .5 to 2 inches. We had been irrigating hard for the last two and one-half weeks under extremely hot conditions. Corn harvest got kicked off mid-week with exceptional yields being reported. Early planted soybeans are turning and those fortunate to get rain may be through irrigating their early to mid planted acres. The cotton crop is not liking the really warm nights we've been having but continues to look pretty good. As for bug pressure, looper and stink bug numbers in early soybeans are really picking up. Boll worm pressure is mid to heavy in places." --Preston Aust, Humphreys "Corn harvest is moving along and the yields are very good. The other crops are maturing very fast. Crops look very promising." --Lester Stephens, Washington "Most of the county received about 3 inches of rain during Wednesday's storm." --Juli Hughes, Choctaw "Crops are moving quickly in lieu of rain and heat units. Dryland corn harvest is on-going with good yields." --Randy Smith, Covington "Light, scattered showers this weekend will help forage crops and soybeans. We are looking forward to the break in temperatures and chance of rain in the forecast. Most field work being done is cutting, bailing, and spraying for weeds and armyworms. No corn has been cut yet, but there are some early fields ready for a combine." --Charlie Bush, Simpson "Some corn being harvested this weekend. Cotton growing well and responding to scattered showers. Some hay being cut in between showers. Some areas of the county are getting dry and could use some rain. Sometimes when rain does occur little beneficial moisture falls." --Lee Taylor, Forrest "Spotty afternoon showers are keeping many hay producers from cutting hay but we have not had enough rainfall in the last week to keep farmers out of the fields." --Ann H. Davis, Wilkinson "Some areas of the county have received good amounts of rain while other very ittle. High humidity and high temperatures have drawn a lot of moisture out of the ground. Grass is back growing where rains have occurred. Some producers are beginning to think about breaking up rye grass fields to start preparing for winter. Some forecasts say we are going to have weather a lot colder than last year." --Lee Taylor, Lamar Mississippi Weather Summary for Week Ending August 5, 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------- : : : Air Temperature : Precipitation :------------------------------------------ Division/Station :Max:Min:Avg:Norm:DFN:One : DFN :Rain:Four : : : : : :Week: :Days:Weeks ------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Upper Delta Clarksdale 101 70 85 82 +3 0.00 -0.67 0 3.43 Cleveland 103 73 88 83 +5 0.01 -0.66 1 4.03 Lambert 5E 102 72 88 0.00 -0.70 0 6.89 -------------------------------------------------------------- Extreme/Average 103 70 87 82 +5 0.00 -0.67 0 4.78 2. North-Central Batesville 2SW 100 67 84 80 +4 0.00 -0.72 0 4.22 Hickory Flat 95 64 82 80 +2 0.25 -0.63 5 7.15 Holly Springs 4 100 65 84 79 +5 0.39 -0.47 3 2.70 Independence 1W 97 66 83 80 +3 0.31 -0.41 3 7.08 University 100 68 84 80 +4 0.20 -0.64 6 4.48 -------------------------------------------------------------- Extreme/Average 100 64 83 80 +3 0.23 -0.57 3 5.13 3. Northeast Booneville 96 68 82 80 +2 0.35 -0.46 4 6.79 Corinth City 98 69 83 82 +1 1.74 +0.96 2 4.39 Fulton 3W 99 70 82 82 0 0.15 -0.72 1 4.36 Pontotoc Exp 96 70 83 81 +2 0.29 -0.49 3 6.72 Tupelo 2 96 73 84 0.24 3 5.68 -------------------------------------------------------------- Extreme/Average 99 68 83 80 +3 0.55 -0.24 3 5.59 4. Lower Delta Belzoni 99 76 85 82 +3 0.00 -0.94 0 9.96 Moorhead 101 76 88 82 +6 0.00 -0.75 0 3.26 Rolling Fork 103 73 88 82 +6 0.00 -0.73 0 5.21 Stoneville Exp 102 70 88 82 +6 0.00 -0.58 0 4.48 Yazoo City 5NNE 103 79 90 82 +8 0.00 -0.87 0 5.28 -------------------------------------------------------------- Extreme/Average 103 70 88 83 +5 0.00 -0.76 0 4.56 5. Central Eupora 2E 99 69 83 80 +3 1.00 +0.26 1 3.52 Forest 3S 96 73 84 80 +4 0.00 -1.12 0 7.39 Kosciusko 99 74 86 81 +5 0.08 -0.95 1 2.18 Winona 5E 99 69 84 78 +6 0.08 -0.74 1 4.37 -------------------------------------------------------------- Extreme/Average 99 69 84 81 +3 0.29 -0.60 1 5.88 6. East-Central Aberdeen 98 71 82 81 +1 1.85 +1.15 3 5.87 Columbus 98 71 82 82 0 0.00 -0.85 0 6.48 Louisville 99 73 85 80 +5 0.00 -0.94 0 7.03 State University100 71 84 81 +3 0.08 -0.77 3 6.41 -------------------------------------------------------------- Extreme/Average 100 71 83 81 +2 0.48 -0.37 2 6.45 7. Southwest Crystal Springs 98 73 85 82 +3 0.04 -0.77 1 7.70 Natchez 96 72 84 82 +2 0.00 -0.84 0 9.14 Vicksburg 98 77 87 0.00 0 4.57 -------------------------------------------------------------- Extreme/Average 98 72 86 81 +5 0.01 -0.92 0 7.14 8. South-Central Collins 98 69 84 81 +3 1.50 +0.50 2 9.00 Columbia 97 73 85 82 +3 0.27 -0.88 3 7.00 Monticello 102 74 88 82 +6 0.10 -0.87 1 3.93 Raleigh 94 69 83 0.13 1 9.75 -------------------------------------------------------------- Extreme/Average 102 69 85 82 +3 0.50 -0.60 2 7.42 9. Southeast Hattiesburg 97 73 84 82 +2 0.05 -1.16 2 7.96 Laurel 81 0.79 -0.28 4 8.32 Newton Exp 97 71 84 81 +3 0.12 -0.86 1 12.20 Waynesboro 2W 100 72 86 81 +5 0.59 -0.32 3 8.43 -------------------------------------------------------------- Extreme/Average 100 71 85 81 +4 0.25 -0.79 2 9.53 State Averages 103 64 85 81 +4 0.26 -0.62 1 6.48 DFN = Departure from Normal.