State NEW ENGLAND WEEKLY CROP WEATHER Week ending date 08/05/01 Issue NH-CW3101 Volume 21, Number 14 (issued weekly on the Internet, May - October) August 6, 2001 - 4 pm Agricultural Summary DRY CONDITIONS CONTINUE For the week ending August 5, 2001, there were 6.8 days available for fieldwork across New England. Pasture condition was rated as 2% very poor, 24% poor, 52% fair, 21% good, 1% excellent. Major farm activities included: topdressing fields with fertilizer; cultivating; irrigating; hoeing; cutting hay and chopping haylage; harvesting shade and broadleaf tobacco, peaches, raspberries, highbush and lowbush blueberries, sweet corn, cole crops, tomatoes and other vegetables; and spraying for weeds, insects, and fungus. SOIL MOISTURE ACROSS NEW ENGLAND --------------------------------------------- -- Percent -- Soil Rating This Week Last Week Last Year --------------------------------------------- Topsoil Moisture Very Short 19 1 1 Short 47 33 5 Adequate 34 65 80 Surplus 0 1 14 Subsoil Moisture Very Short 15 0 0 Short 42 32 7 Adequate 43 67 83 Surplus 0 1 10 --------------------------------------------- Field Crops Report Dry conditions continued throughout the region last week, with most areas reporting some degree of crop stress due to the lack of moisture. Growth of hay and corn crops slowed a bit and the parched leaves began to curl. Reports of armyworms have dwindled and worries are now centered around the low moisture levels. Potato fields showed some insect activity, but growers have not yet reported any late blight. Both shade and broadleaf tobacco harvest are well underway and ahead of last year's harvest. Fruit, Vegetable, and Specialty Crops Report FRUIT: Apple harvest began in New England last week and orchards were actively mowed and monitored. Highbush blueberries, peaches and raspberries continued to be picked. Wild blueberry picking proceeded last week in Maine. It was reported that berry crops across the six- state region are appearing slightly shriveled due to the lack of rain. Massachusetts was the only New England state to receive significant rainfall last week, and the state's cranberry crop welcomed the much needed moisture. VEGETABLES: Farmers harvested peas, broccoli, zucchini, cucumbers, sweet corn, beets, tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, radishes, summer squash, beans, and other vegetables last week. Growers scouted their fields for weeds and insects and applications were made where necessary. Sweet corn ears showed signs of stunted growth due to inadequate moisture levels; however, most vegetable crops seemed to be weathering the dry conditions well so far. Significant rainfall will be needed soon to help crops grow. One bonus to the continued hot and humid weather is business has remained steady at roadside stands and farmers' markets. Crop Progress Tables FIELD CROP PROGRESS ACROSS NEW ENGLAND ---------------------------------------------------- -- Percent Harvested -- Crop 2001 2000 5-yr Avg Condition ---------------------------------------------------- Potatoes Maine <5 -- -- Excel/Good Mass 5 5 10 Good Rhode Isl 10 10 10 Good Oats, ME -- <5 <5 Excel/Good Barley, ME -- <5 5 Excel/Good Silage Corn -- -- -- Good Sweet Corn 25 20 25 Good Tobacco Shade 40 10 45 Good Broadleaf 35 <5 25 Good/Fair Dry Hay First Cut 99 95 95 Fair/Good Second Cut 80 45 50 Good/Fair Third Cut 10 5 5 Fair ----------------------------------------------------- FRUIT CROP DEVELOPMENT ACROSS NEW ENGLAND -------------------------------------------------------- -- Percent Harvested -- Crop 2001 2000 5-yr Avg Condition -------------------------------------------------------- Apples <5 <5 <5 Good Peaches 10 10 20 Good/Fair Pears -- -- <5 Fair Cranberries,MA -- -- -- Good Blueberries Highbush 30 30 45 Fair Wild,ME 10 <5 10 Fair/Good -------------------------------------------------------- Weather Summary For the Week ending Sunday, August 5, 2001 --------------------------------------- AIR TEMPERATURES PRECIPITATION STATE LO HI AVG DFN LO HI -- --- --- --- --- ---- ---- ME 43 94 70 +3 0.00 0.64 NH 38 94 68 +2 0.00 1.49 VT 45 97 70 +3 0.00 1.35 MA 43 95 71 +0 0.09 3.31 RI 49 96 72 +1 0.25 0.55 CT 47 94 72 +0 0.00 2.37 -------------------------------------- Weather Information Table AIR CUM SINCE MAR 1 TEMPERATURE GROWING DEGREE DAY ----------- BASE-50F BASE-60 STATION LO HI AVG DFN TOT DFN TOT DF ------- -- -- -- -- --- ---- --- --- MAINE Albion 47 94 71 +1 1292 -60 491 -2 Allagash 44 89 66 +3 975 +71 294 +6 Augusta_ME 53 91 73 +4 1476 +173 629 +13 Bangor 52 93 73 +5 1424 +244 580 +17 Barnard 51 91 70 +4 1235 +206 436 +12 Bath 48 91 70 +2 1234 +44 466 +4 Bethel 47 93 71 +3 1249 +63 444 +4 Brassua_Dam 49 87 68 +4 1018 +166 295 +8 Brunswick_ME 51 90 71 +2 1317 +127 518 +9 Caribou 50 88 69 +4 1190 +214 399 +12 Corinna 52 89 71 +4 1364 +216 524 +14 Danforth 46 89 68 +1 1130 +20 372 + Dover-Foxcroft 51 88 68 +2 1180 +151 399 +9 Durham 47 90 70 -1 1255 -126 489 -6 East_Hiram 43 90 69 +2 1219 +35 447 +4 Eustis 46 87 66 +2 922 +86 253 +5 Frenchville 51 89 68 +4 1060 +156 320 +8 Gray 52 91 73 +5 1476 +305 644 +23 Greenville_ME 52 90 71 +4 1168 +128 406 +8 Guilford 54 90 71 +5 1244 +215 485 +17 Hollis 46 91 70 +3 1318 +194 527 +16 Houlton 44 90 68 +3 1157 +144 397 +9 Kennebunkport 48 89 67 -6 1208 -248 455 -14 Livermore_Falls 46 92 71 +6 1344 +324 544 +24 Moosehead 48 92 68 +4 994 +142 287 +7 New_Sharon 51 91 72 +7 1471 +451 624 +32 Patten 50 89 68 +3 1016 +3 299 - Portage 55 89 71 +6 1226 +250 441 +16 Portland_ME 50 87 70 +1 1375 +204 569 +16 Rangeley 46 85 66 +3 947 +146 259 +8 Sebec_Lake 51 93 70 +4 1212 +172 430 +11 Vanceboro 50 89 69 +3 1166 +133 391 +7 Waterville 52 93 73 +3 1407 +55 575 +5 NEW HAMPSHIRE Barnstead 50 94 72 +3 1466 +137 630 +12 Benton 52 89 69 +3 1184 +74 393 +6 Berlin_AG 50 90 69 +4 1236 +120 430 +7 Bethlehem 47 91 68 +3 1139 +29 367 +3 Concord 46 92 71 +2 1470 +141 618 +11 Diamond_Pond 48 83 66 +4 857 +113 225 +8 First_Conn_Lake 43 85 64 +2 784 +40 191 +5 Greenville 48 94 70 +3 1239 +37 462 +6 Keene_AP 46 90 71 +0 1473 -18 602 -1 Lakeport 54 93 73 +6 1546 +297 678 +22 Marlow 41 89 67 -3 1136 -214 382 -12 Mt_Washington 44 66 53 +6 136 +99 8 + North_Conway 52 90 71 +4 1497 +254 639 +19 Otter_Brook_Lk 47 89 69 -3 1337 -154 491 -12 Plymouth 38 91 68 +2 1187 +94 407 +7 Rochester 50 90 71 +2 1495 +83 655 +9 Weare 48 86 69 -2 1277 -73 470 -3 VERMONT Ball_Mt_Lake 45 88 67 -2 984 -171 289 -8 Bethel 51 93 71 +5 1321 +226 501 +16 Burlington_VT 57 93 75 +5 1625 +189 711 +12 East_Haven 47 91 67 +3 1064 +140 329 +8 Island_Pond 50 88 69 +5 1084 +176 339 +11 Montpelier 52 89 70 +4 1212 +85 426 +6 Morrisville_AG 49 91 68 +2 1059 -58 333 -2 Mount_Mansfield 54 84 65 +8 617 +137 133 +8 Northfield 52 91 70 +5 1211 +191 413 +11 Pownal 49 86 68 +0 1263 +102 427 +5 Rochester 47 88 69 +3 1185 +90 395 +5 Rutland_AG 54 87 70 -1 1295 -187 452 -15 Sunderland 51 87 68 -2 1126 -300 356 -20 Sutton 50 89 69 +5 1129 +205 370 +13 Townshend_Lake 51 97 71 +2 1328 -66 508 -4 Union_Vill_Dam 48 94 70 +0 1287 -120 465 -9 MASSACHUSETTS Ashburnham 52 91 71 +4 1445 +241 581 +16 Boston 59 92 73 -1 1806 +133 874 +11 Greenfield 46 95 73 +1 1531 -62 657 -3 New_Bedford 49 87 70 -5 1611 -51 697 -4 Otis_AFB 54 82 71 +0 1576 +244 700 +17 Plymouth 51 89 71 -1 1533 +139 648 +7 Walpole 50 92 73 +2 1705 +262 780 +19 West_Medway 47 93 71 +0 1690 +247 766 +17 Westover 48 95 72 -4 1755 -69 810 -4 Worcester 52 87 71 +2 1509 +169 626 +11 Worthington 44 88 68 +0 1212 +40 419 +3 RHODE ISLAND Providence 56 92 73 +0 1805 +221 852 +15 Woonsocket 49 96 74 +4 1771 +351 847 +28 CONNECTICUT Bakersville 47 91 70 -5 1441 -326 576 -24 Bridgeport 60 88 74 -2 1866 +170 892 +10 Hartford_AP 51 94 74 +0 1801 +41 845 +2 Norfolk 50 87 70 +3 1411 +233 563 +17 Norwich 52 90 72 -2 1783 +166 820 +11 Thomaston_Dam 48 91 71 +1 1549 +143 647 +10 Willimantic 50 92 73 +3 1778 +347 812 +24 1-WEEK PRECIP 4-WEEK CUM PRECIP ------------- ----------------- TOTAL TOTAL STATION INCHES DFN DAYS INCHES DFN DAYS ------- ----- ---- --- ----- ---- --- MAINE Albion 0.00 -0.84 0 1.13 -2.09 12 Allagash 0.15 -0.76 1 2.41 -1.12 9 Augusta_ME 0.00 -0.74 0 2.68 -0.21 11 Bangor 0.00 -0.70 0 1.78 -1.16 10 Barnard 0.00 -0.77 0 1.36 -1.81 11 Bath 0.05 -0.65 1 2.25 -0.41 14 Bethel 0.30 -0.57 3 2.49 -0.76 11 Brassua_Dam 0.00 -0.88 0 2.12 -1.49 10 Brunswick_ME 0.15 -0.55 1 2.86 +0.20 12 Caribou 0.00 -0.98 0 4.35 +0.58 12 Corinna 0.00 -0.81 0 1.90 -1.22 7 Danforth 0.00 -0.91 0 5.93 +2.31 8 Dover-Foxcroft 0.00 -0.77 0 2.13 -1.04 11 Durham 0.12 -0.63 2 1.80 -1.25 13 East_Hiram 0.00 -0.84 0 2.31 -0.99 11 Eustis 0.06 -0.73 1 3.06 -0.25 10 Frenchville 0.00 -0.91 0 2.54 -0.99 14 Gray 0.01 -0.62 1 1.72 -0.96 13 Greenville_ME 0.37 -0.40 1 3.91 +0.74 12 Guilford 0.00 -0.77 0 2.83 -0.34 11 Hollis 0.00 -0.70 0 2.43 -0.45 10 Houlton 0.00 -0.91 0 2.74 -0.75 11 Kennebunkport 0.15 -0.55 2 3.57 +0.79 14 Livermore_Falls 0.01 -0.84 1 4.00 +0.84 14 Moosehead 0.00 -0.88 0 1.96 -1.65 11 New_Sharon 0.05 -0.80 1 3.50 +0.34 11 Patten 0.01 -0.90 1 2.43 -1.06 12 Portage 0.00 -0.98 0 2.48 -1.29 13 Portland_ME 0.64 +0.01 1 2.21 -0.47 12 Rangeley 0.24 -0.65 2 3.51 +0.23 14 Sebec_Lake 0.00 -0.77 0 1.06 -2.11 11 Vanceboro 0.00 -0.71 0 3.27 +0.26 12 Waterville 0.00 -0.84 0 1.70 -1.52 12 NEW HAMPSHIRE Barnstead 0.46 -0.31 3 3.24 +0.27 12 Benton 0.00 -0.88 0 2.03 -1.20 8 Berlin_AG 0.16 -0.79 1 4.48 +0.99 10 Bethlehem 1.49 +0.50 3 2.33 -1.31 12 Concord 0.15 -0.62 1 2.65 -0.32 11 Diamond_Pond 0.42 -0.70 3 4.41 +0.17 15 First_Conn_Lake 0.19 -0.93 1 4.91 +0.67 9 Greenville 0.65 -0.26 2 1.75 -1.74 7 Keene_AP 1.18 +0.31 3 1.68 -1.66 4 Lakeport 0.05 -0.79 1 1.62 -1.68 7 Marlow 0.31 -0.49 2 2.03 -1.09 9 Mt_Washington 0.37 -1.37 3 5.49 -0.98 12 North_Conway 0.15 -0.76 2 1.20 -2.23 12 Otter_Brook_Lk 0.31 -0.56 3 2.01 -1.33 11 Plymouth 0.11 -0.80 2 1.26 -2.31 10 Rochester 0.72 -0.10 2 4.47 +1.29 12 Weare 0.17 -0.63 2 1.77 -1.35 9 VERMONT Ball_Mt_Lake 0.57 -0.35 2 3.87 +0.22 11 Bethel 0.66 -0.33 2 1.58 -2.03 12 Burlington_VT 0.01 -0.89 1 0.50 -2.88 7 East_Haven 0.10 -0.95 1 2.45 -1.47 11 Island_Pond 0.00 -1.08 0 2.47 -1.50 10 Montpelier 0.02 -0.79 2 0.67 -2.25 11 Morrisville_AG 0.05 -1.00 1 1.34 -2.55 9 Mount_Mansfield 0.32 -1.27 2 5.09 -0.89 12 Northfield 0.16 -0.68 1 1.35 -1.86 7 Pownal 0.96 +0.04 2 3.54 -0.11 12 Rochester 0.62 -0.37 3 2.04 -1.57 12 Rutland_AG 0.44 -0.47 3 2.61 -0.95 13 Sunderland 1.35 +0.56 2 3.36 +0.53 11 Sutton 0.22 -0.83 4 2.50 -1.42 17 Townshend_Lake 0.17 -0.68 3 1.79 -1.39 10 Union_Vill_Dam 0.16 -0.61 2 1.40 -1.63 11 MASSACHUSETTS Ashburnham 0.33 -0.49 2 2.00 -1.32 12 Boston 1.61 +0.91 2 2.38 -0.22 10 Greenfield 0.23 -0.61 3 1.96 -1.40 11 New_Bedford 0.67 -0.18 4 4.77 +1.85 14 Otis_AFB 0.50 -0.21 2 2.62 -0.02 9 Plymouth 1.23 +0.41 2 3.17 +0.04 11 Walpole 0.17 -0.66 2 1.36 -1.78 10 West_Medway 0.32 -0.51 2 2.19 -0.95 8 Westover 3.31 +2.54 2 5.01 +1.83 9 Worcester 1.61 +0.77 2 2.82 -0.59 11 Worthington 0.68 -0.30 3 2.97 -0.95 11 RHODE ISLAND Providence 0.55 -0.22 2 1.88 -1.04 10 Woonsocket 0.25 -0.66 2 1.68 -1.89 10 CONNECTICUT Bakersville 0.44 -0.33 2 1.06 -1.81 6 Bridgeport 0.00 -0.80 0 1.10 -2.28 4 Hartford_AP 0.30 -0.47 2 0.94 -1.93 9 Norfolk 2.37 +1.39 2 3.35 -0.44 10 Norwich 0.15 -0.71 2 2.43 -0.97 8 Thomaston_Dam 0.10 -0.83 2 1.08 -2.69 10 Willimantic 0.40 -0.51 2 1.12 -2.63 11 Summary based on NWS data. DFN = Departure From Normal (Using 1961-90 Normals Period). Precipitation (rain or melted snow/ice) in inches. Precipitation Days = Days with precip of 0.01 inch or more. Air Temperatures in Degrees Fahrenheit. Copyright 2001: AWIS, Inc. All Rights Reserved. For detailed ag weather forecasts and data visit the AWIS home page at www.awis.com or call toll free at 1-888-798-9955. Other Agricultural Comments and News CONNECTICUT - Howard Rood (FSA), Fairfield/Litchfield: It has been very hot and dry. We need rain badly. Dawn Pindell (FSA), Windham: Pitiful curling of parched corn. Hayfields and pastures gasping for water. Vegetables and fruits holding on. Weather hot and sunny - great for the beach, but not for the fields. Richard Meinert (Ext), CT Cooperative: Rain over the weekend was too little too late. Fields are so dry the milkweed is shriveling! Third cutting is slow to regrow due to dry conditions. Humidity is causing fungus according to some pumpkin growers. MAINE - Marvin Hedstrom, Northern Aroostook: Potatoes: Growers applying fungicides, very little pressure from insects. Some early blight detected, but the condition is far from being serious. No late blight has been found anywhere. Where has all the water gone from previous rains? The fields are seriously dry with some crop stress observed. Tubers have good size for this time of the growing season. Dee Potter (Ext), Northern Aroostook: Hot and dry all week. Most of first cut hay is completed. Potatoes looking good. Still some blossoms around. Fungicide applications ongoing. Erin Chadbourne (Ext), Central Aroostook: Broccoli harvest continues. Fungicide applications continue. Growers are scouting fields for any sign of activities. Steve London (Ext), Southern Aroostook: Very short on water in the Houlton area. Starting to see a few potato aphids where imidacleprid was not used. Albert Dow (NRCS), Piscataquis: No rain at all this week. Pastures and hay fields with shallow soils are showing brown. Donna Lamb (Ext), Piscataquis: Very hot, dry weather has caused a lot of stress on crops. Some corn has been penciling in the dry weather. Janet King/Jennifer Zweig (FSA), Somerset: Somerset County needs rain. Sweet corn is being harvested. Rick Kersbergen (Ext), Waldo: Dry, hot weather continues to cause problems. Hay crops have stopped growing and corn is starting to curl in many places. The armyworm damage is magnified by the dry weather. Armyworm moths continue to fly. Pastures are getting very dry. Trudy Soucy (FSA), Knox/Lincoln: Blueberry crop yield could be a little off from earlier reports due to dry weather conditions this past week. Sweet corn is weedy in places due to a lack of rain to activate herbicides. Pasture conditions are poor. David Yarborough (Ext), Washington: Wild Blueberries: Continued dry and hot weather resulting in fruit shriveling from loss of moisture which is reducing the quality. Most areas of the state, except some coastal fields, have begun harvest. Crop is expected to be less than the predicted 108 million pounds. Michael Tardy (FSA), Androscoggin: Where is the rain? We in the Agricultural business are never happy! We have had great haying weather and now we are complaining about the dry, hot weather. We haven't had any reports of crops in trouble, but many have told us that they are concerned. The weatherman isn't predicting any "wet stuff" until Friday. What can we do? Let's hope the plants are strong enough to make it through. Parker Rand (FSA), Cumberland/York: Foggy mornings and hot, humid afternoons make it hard to dry hay. The corn crop is starting to wither; pastures and hay fields are turning brown - we need rain and the forecast is saying more heat and humidity. Gary Raymond (FSA), Franklin: The intense heat and sun are starting to dry things out. May need to irrigate potatoes soon. Laura Rand (FSA), Oxford: Dry, hot conditions persist. This past week's weather has created very dry conditions. Storms have been around but only in spots and have not provided any relief from the dryness. Sweet corn ears are small and other vegetables are suffering from lack of water. Producers are busy cultivating, spraying, and irrigating. MASSACHUSETTS - Kip Graham (FSA), Worcester: Spraying for potato bugs on a regular basis. The humidity gave all plants a jump start this past week. The rain was a welcomed sight also. Some blight observed on foliage - trying to control it by spraying regularly. Armyworms are slowly departing ways, hearing less and less on them. Frank Caruso (Ext), Plymouth: Cranberries: Only the latest varieties and beds held under late water in the spring still have blossoms. Everything else has set up pretty nicely and berries are sizing up well so far. Reasonable dose of rain over the weekend. Many beds are low maintenance and they look it, primarily due to weed pressures. John Devine (FSA), Franklin: Tobacco being harvested, as well as potatoes and sweet corn. Crop conditions are good. Received an inch of much needed rain Friday night. Water supplies are currently adequate. Ted Smiarowski, Jr. (FSA), Hampshire/Hampden: The week was very dry and hot, in the mid 90's. Farmers were irrigating constantly. Then at week's end we had a million dollar rain storm. Insect and disease pressure was low for the week. Growers are harvesting all types of fruits and vegetables. Gary Guida, Worcester: Harvesting all summer crops. Much needed rain came on Friday and Saturday as crops were showing signs of stress. Topdressing corn as heavy downpours continued to leach nitrogen and erode herbicide in fields, some soil erosion noted. New planting of strawberries doing very well. Fall crops doing exceptionally well. Excellent set on pumpkins (many now at 12-15 lbs); good vine vigor and no disease yet. Consumers still want local or native products with very heavy demand for corn and peaches. NEW HAMPSHIRE - Bruce Clement (Ext), Cheshire: Things are starting to get dry. Pastures and hayfields recovering slowly from armyworm damage. Silage corn looks good. Sweet corn harvest has begun. Field tomatoes, peppers and other seasonal vegetables being harvested. Steve Turaj (Ext), Coos: Quite hot and dry this week, interrupted briefly by a short shower. Field corn now beginning to tassel. Corn on lighter, sandy soils showing signs of drought stress, grass regrowth slow, could use a good soaking rain. Highbush blueberries nearing their peak, birds enjoying them, too. Summer vegetables in good quantities available at local markets. Tom Buob (Ext), Grafton: Waiting for next crop of hay to grow. Not much regrowth now. Conditions are very dry. Corn is curly. No regrowth of pastures in some areas. Drought stress not as noticeable in alfalfa. Armyworm is pretty much played out. Weather has been beautiful, but dry conditions are affecting all crops. George Hamilton (Ext), Hillsborough: Field Crops: Hay cutting continued at a rapid pace during the week with both the first and second cut being made. Fruit: Orchardists harvested peaches, blueberries and raspberries. Early apple harvest began. Apple growers continued to move bins into orchards, getting ready for harvest. Irrigated renovated strawberry beds, raspberries, blueberries and peaches. Vegetables: Irrigating crops is a high priority. Harvesting an array of vegetables: beans, beets, cole crops, cucumbers, greens, peas, potatoes, radishes, summer squash, sweet corn, tomatoes, zucchini, and other vegetables. First regular sweet corn plantings are very spotty in ripening, yields are low. Farmers kept busy cultivating, hoeing weeds, monitoring pest pressures and spraying pesticides for insect and disease control where needed. High demand for produce at most local farmers' markets. David Seavey (Ext), Merrimack: Farmers are fertilizing hayfields to stimulate regrowth after cutting or damage from armyworms. Some sweet corn harvested along with other vegetables. Blueberries are being harvested, but yields are down due to winter injury. Hay harvest continues. Several vine crop diseases appearing during humid weather. Spraying continues for insects and disease organisms. Friday's rain was greatly needed. Pam Marvin (FSA), Sullivan: Another dry week. Sweet corn harvesting in full swing. Blueberry and raspberry picking starting to pick up. Could use some much needed rain. Silage corn looking healthy with the humid weather we've been getting. Alfalfa fields getting their third cutting done. There is lots of hay being baled on the dry days. Lots of fresh vegetables being picked and sold around the county. Crops look good. RHODE ISLAND - Karen Menezes (Ext), Newport: Rain midweek gave a nice soaking. Tomatoes coming along nicely, sweet corn, summer squash, beans, peppers, etc. being harvested. Some haying. Harvesting potatoes (superiors), still spraying for beetles and applying fungicides. Field corn looks great along with all field crops. Marilu Soileau (FSA), All Counties: Farmers markets and farm stands are in full swing. Summer squash, tomatoes, and all sorts of garden produce is available. Haying is going on everywhere. Silage corn seems to be doing ok, though a little rain would help. Irrigation is being used where available on turf and vegetables. VERMONT - John St. Onge (FSA), Lamoille: Moderate drought conditions continued with corn showing signs of heat stress and grass growth at a standstill. The upside has been great haying weather for those putting up dry hay. Heat-loving vegetables look great and sweet corn is looking good. Bill Snow (Ext), Orange: In a moderate drought situation. Some farms did receive some showers on Friday, but most did not get any significant rainfall. Forecast for the next five days says hot and dry. Corn is in tassel and ear formation stage. Height is variable depending on moisture in most cases. Larry Hamel (NRCS), Orleans: Looking very dry right now! Surprisingly, a lot of silage corn crops are looking pretty good despite the lack of moisture. But soils are getting very dry! The corn crops are showing it on sandy soils. Third crop hay looks very poor. Really need some substantial moisture soon! Lynette Hamilton (FSA), Windham: Windham County received about 0.75 inches of rain on August 4th. Some corn on light soil was curling. Some third cut alfalfa is almost ready to cut. Veggie growers are having a good year and apple producers are reporting a good apple crop. Size and color will depend on how much rain and sun we have over the next few weeks. George Cook (Ext), Lamoille: Extremely dry and parched. Keep scattered showers, SEND rain. Jeff Carter (Ext), Addison: Continuing harvest of alfalfa for third crop. Grasses slow to no growth. Very dry. Second crop finished. Corn tasseled and looks good. Harvesting cereal grains. Very dry in southwest. Richard Noel (FSA), Grand Isle/Franklin: Crops starting to suffer from lack of rain. Corn is rolling and grass is burned. Some third cut alfalfa being mowed. Highgate has had no rain since July 24th and St. Albans since July 17th! Some farmers starting to run out of water for their cattle, ponds are drying up forcing cows to drink in barn, which is putting more strain on the wells and springs. We're hoping things change soon, but weather reports don't look good for this week. Hope the experts are wrong! Dennis Kauppila (Ext), Caledonia: Very dry. Some corn leaves are rolled. Hot. No sign of armyworms. People checking on water supplies, seem OK so far. Reporters are from: Extension Service (Ext), Farm Service Agency(FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS), or other knowledgeable individuals. July 2001 Crop Weather Summary: The month of July started out with hot, humid weather, which accelerated crop growth and allowed farmers to work in the fields. Second crop hay growth was excellent early in the month in response to timely rains, and yields were expected to be better than the short first cut. A severe armyworm infestation occurred mid-month, however, which brought significant damage to the second crop hay. At some locations entire fields were destroyed. Hay condition ranged from good to fair at most locations by the end of the month, as armyworm attacks subsided, first crop hay was winding down and second crop harvest had passed the halfway mark. Moisture levels were variable throughout the region during July, and most crops were in need of rain by the end of the month. Silage corn was rated in good to excellent condition, spared from severe armyworm destruction, but in need of moisture. Potato harvest was just getting underway the last week of July in Maine, ahead of schedule due to early planting and excellent growing conditions. By late July, Maine oat and barley crops were rated in excellent to good condition. The harvest of both shade and broadleaf tobacco was gaining momentum by the end of the month. Lack of significant rainfall was expected to reduce tobacco yields, but helped keep blue mold under control. A severe hail storm hit mid-month in Massachusetts, completely destroying broadleaf acreage at some locations. Throughout July, tree fruit crops in Connecticut and Rhode Island continued to recover from a severe frost which hit at peak bloom in mid-May; yields in most areas were expected to be down. New England's strawberry harvest neared completion by mid-July. Cranberries in Massachusetts were sprayed for pests and disease throughout the month as the berries began to size up; irrigation took place where available, due to low moisture levels. Maine's wild blueberry crop was rated in good condition by the end of July, and growers were gearing up to harvest a high yielding crop. Contact Information To receive this report every Monday evening, send an e-mail message to listserv@newsbox.usda.gov and in the body, type subscribe usda-new-eng-crop-weather Statisticians: Emily McAllister, Robin Helrich Deputy: David Luckenbach New England Agricultural Statistics Service National Agricultural Statistics Service United States Department of Agriculture Aubrey R. Davis, Director 22 Bridge St, 3rd Floor PO Box 1444 Concord, NH 03302-1444 Phone: (603) 224-9639 Fax: (603) 225-1434 Internet: http://www.usda.gov/nass/ E-Mail: nass.nh@nass.usda.gov ****************** end of report ***********************