sc-crop-weather State South Carolina Crop Weather Release Date, Week Ending Date Week Ending August 21, 2005 Issue SC-CW1426 Agricultural Summary Hot temperatures last week drew a lot of moisture from the soil. With humidity levels high enough to cause the heat indices to exceed 110 degrees, livestock and some crops were beginning to feel stressed. Only a few pop-up showers brought relief for some parts of the State. The heat loving cotton crop was setting bolls and blooming out quickly, and soybeans were loading up with pods. With the exception of one Asian Soybean Rust infestation, little disease or insect damage was reported. Soil moisture was 11% short, 84% adequate and 5% surplus. There were 6.0 days suitable for fieldwork. Field Crops Report CORN remained in good condition with all of the crop doughed, and with about 20 percent harvested, yields were looking excellent. Most SOYBEANS had bloomed and leaves were rapidly turning color while the crop itself remained in good condition. COTTON also remained in good shape with 10 percent of bolls opened. SORGHUM had almost finished heading by week's end with 9 percent of the crop harvested and in good condition. Most of the PEANUT crop had pegged by week's end and that crop also continued in good condition. Over three-fourth of the TOBACCO crop had been harvested and 17 percent of the stalks destroyed while the crop remained in fair to mostly good shape. Fruits, Vegetables and Specialty Report CANTALOUPE harvesting was mostly completed by week's end, and WATERMELON harvesting was catching up to normal levels. PEACHES were 84 percent harvested by week's end and the crop continued in good shape. APPLE condition remained fair to mostly good with 7 percent of the crop harvested. Livestock, Pastures and Small Grains Report LIVESTOCK remained in good shape last week despite the hot, humid conditions that plagued the State. PASTURE condition declined slightly but remained mostly good overall. Summer HAY harvesting was progressing at a normal pace. Crop Progress Table ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5 Yr : 5 Yr Crop Phase 2005 2004 Avg :Crop Phase 2005 2004 Avg ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ --Percent-- --Percent-- Apples Harvested 7 9 11 :Sorghum Headed 99 100 93 Cantaloups Harvested 99 100 100 :Sorghum Turned Color 73 78 74 Corn Dough Stage 100 99 99 :Sorghum Matured 41 45 37 Corn Matured 86 87 89 :Sorghum Harvested 9 11 11 Corn Harvested 20 23 29 :Soybeans Bloomed 92 94 83 Cotton Squared 99 100 99 :Soybeans Pods Set 57 62 52 Cotton Bolls Set 86 96 89 :Soybeans Turning Color 5 7 7 Cotton Open Bolls 10 14 11 :Tobacco Harvested 78 81 74 Other Hay Harvested 94 95 91 :Tobacco Stalks Dest. 17 29 23 Peaches Harvested 84 84 87 :Watermelons Harvested 97 99 99 Peanuts Pegged 98 97 98 : ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Crop Condition Table ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Very Excel- Very Excel- Crop Poor Poor Fair Good lent :Crop Poor Poor Fair Good lent ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- Percent -- -- Percent-- Apples 0 0 25 75 0 :Peanuts 0 1 11 77 11 Corn 0 1 10 74 15 :Sorghum 0 0 7 90 3 Cotton 0 2 15 76 7 :Soybeans 0 2 18 70 10 Livestock 0 0 18 76 6 :Sweetpotato 0 0 70 30 0 Pastures 0 2 29 61 8 :Tobacco 0 7 32 55 6 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Carolina Weekly Weather Summary for the Week Ending August 21, 2005 Warm mornings and hot days were observed Monday through Sunday. Strong thunderstorms were fueled by daily high temperatures of between 95 and 100 degrees. Lightning detection noted 200 ground strikes in just twenty minutes during a thunderstorm Wednesday in Horry County. Anderson County was pelted with 1.75 inch hail. Over the weekend Johnston recorded a 4-inch depth soil temperature of 90 degrees. The sweltering conditions peaked Sunday as temperatures in the shade exceeded the century mark. For the period, the state average temperature was six degrees above normal. The highest official temperature reported was 103 degrees at Cades and Orangeburg on August 21. The lowest official temperature reported was 60 degrees at Caesars Head on the morning of August 18. The heaviest 24-hour rainfall reported was 3.21 inches at Florence AP on August 18. The average statewide rainfall for the period was 0.8 inches. SOIL: 4 inch depth average soil temperature: Columbia 85 degrees. RIVERS AND SURF: South Carolina river stages were near to below normal. Surf temperatures at Myrtle Beach and Savannah will average around 84 degrees. Precipitation Weekly Jan 1 Deviation Total Total From Avg Greer 1.43 39.9 6.4 Columbia 0.17 35.4 1.9 Orangeburg 0.13 28.3 -4.6 Charlotte, NC 0.13 28.0 -0.3 Augusta, GA 2.81 37.2 6.6 Florence 3.46 32.4 1.9 Myrtle Beach 0.44 18.0 -10.7 Charleston 1.36 27.5 -6.7 Savannah, GA 0.05 30.3 -3.6 Weekly rainfall totals this period ending midnight Sunday. Contact Information Robert A. Graham, Director Jean Besco, IT Specialist Phone: 803-765-5333 E-mail: nass-sc@nass.usda.gov Website: http://www.nass.usda.gov/sc