HDR101200019001 FL WEEKLY WEATHER-CROP NEWS WEATHER & CROP NEWS Week ending August 25, 1996 Released 4:00 P.M. August 26, 1996 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- WEATHER SUMMARY: Most southern vegetable regions experienced severe thunderstorms and high temperatures during the week of August 18 through 24, with funnel clouds spotted in both the west and east central coastal areas. Northern regions were mostly dry with many stations showing no rain for the week. Precipitation totaled from a tenth inch to over five inches for localities receiving rain. Low temperatures ranged from the 60s to mid 70s while highs were in the upper 80s to low 90s. For the week, temperatures averaged from normal to within two degrees of normal. FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture is mostly short to adequate throughout the Panhandle and northern Peninsula. Central and southern topsoil moisture is adequate with scattered areas of short moisture. Topsoil moisture condition as reported from very short to surplus (previous week's rating in parentheses): very short 2% (0%), short 15% (14%), adequate 83% (79%), and surplus 0% (7%). Subsoil moisture condition: very short 0% (0%), short 11% (14%), adequate 86% (80%), and surplus 3% (6%). Peanut condition is reported: 1% (0%) very poor, 2% (0%) poor, 23% (37%) fair, 52% (34%) good, and 22% (29%) excellent. Tobacco harvest is virtually complete. Tobacco marketing is active. Hay cutting is active. Corn for grain harvest activity is increasing. Cotton and peanut growers are making preparations to start harvest. Soybeans and sugarcane are in good condition. LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: The condition of the State's ranges and pastures was rated from very poor to excellent (previous week's rating in parentheses): poor 5% (0%), fair 10% (15%), good 70% (65%), and excellent 15% (20%). Some armyworms are in hay fields in the Panhandle. Some pastures on the East Coast have surplus water, while the other side of the Peninsula and counties in the Panhandle could use some rain. The State's cattle herds were rated at fair 10% (15%), good 80% (70%), and excellent 10% (15%). CITRUS: This State's citrus continues in very good to excellent condition in spite of the fact that this week was generally drier than normal for this time of year. There were some rains and an isolated thunderstorm or two but very few hard, pounding afternoon storms. Soil moisture is generally adequate with only a few growers running their low volume irrigation equipment. On many trees, most of the summer flush of new foliage has hardened up. A lot of the resets and young trees have a continuing coverage of new growth still showing. New crop fruit is in very good condition. Maturity testing of new crop early bloom grapefruit on younger trees is active in the southern and East Coast producing areas of the State. Caretakers are cutting cover crops that have grown out of control and are harboring sucking and chewing insects. Some fall herbicides are being applied. Fertilizing, liming and spraying are being done on a limited basis. Pushing and burning of dead trees continues in all areas. VEGETABLES: Ground preparations for fall and winter crop planting is rapidly gaining momentum over the southern Peninsula. West Central growers are continuing to plant tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, watermelons, cherry tomatoes, plum tomatoes and cantaloupes. These young plantings plus previous pumpkin plantings are in fair to good condition. Pepper planting is gaining momentum in both the Palmetto-Ruskin and Southwest regions. Tomato planting is continuing at a slow pace in the Southwest but is expected to increase over the next few weeks. East Coast growers are continuing eggplant and pepper planting with growth rated good and mostly good, respectively. Dade County growers are continuing weekly okra planting. Most Dade County producers will begin planting other crops about mid-September to early October. The dry, warm weather around Quincy boosted growth of tomatoes. Squash plantings are active in north central localities with producers preparing fields for snap bean planting. Growers in Polk and Hillsborough counties are preparing land for strawberry plantings.