HDR101200019001 FL WEEKLY WEATHER-CROP NEWS WEATHER & CROP NEWS Week ending September 8, 1996 Released 4:00 P.M. September 9, 1996 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- WEATHER SUMMARY: Warm and mostly dry weather allowed field work to progress normally. Most southern Peninsula crop areas received from none to less than an inch of rain for the week through Saturday, September 7. Temperatures for the week averaged from one degree below normal to three degrees above. Daytime high temperatures were in the 80s and 90s while nighttime lows were in the 60s and 70s. FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture is mostly short to adequate throughout the State. Topsoil moisture condition as reported from very short to surplus (previous week's rating in parentheses): very short 3% (7%), short 34% (21%), adequate 60% (71%), and surplus 3% (1%). Subsoil moisture condition: very short 0% (1%), short 34% (12%), adequate 63% (74%), and surplus 3% (13%). Peanut condition is reported: 0% (0%) very poor, 0% (18%) poor, 4% (12%) fair, 85% (64%) good, and 11% (6%) excellent. Peanut harvest is reported at 6%. Tobacco marketing is active. Cotton harvest starting. Hay cutting active. Corn for grain harvest active. Soybeans and sugarcane are in good condition. LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: The condition of the State's ranges and pastures, rated from very poor to excellent, (previous week's rating in parentheses) was: poor 5% (0%), fair 45% (25%), and good 50% (75%). The State's pasture condition is fair to good in most of the State. However, in much of the west central and southwestern areas grass growth has fallen off from lack of rain. The State's cattle herds were rated at fair 30% (15%), good 65% (70%), and excellent 5% (15%). CITRUS: This State's citrus groves are in very good condition. Rainfall this week was spotty with some areas reporting locally heavy thunderstorms while some growers in the interior of the citrus belt were running their irrigation equipment. New growth is generally starting to harden up with only a few of the young trees showing feathery new foliage. New crop fruit continues to make good progress. There is a little splitting of the early type oranges and some of the specialty fruit but this is not a big problem at this time. The first crops have been picked for the start of the 1996-97 season and the fruit is in 2 packing houses in Polk County. The Ambersweet oranges are to be packed and shipped September 9-10. Caretakers are cutting cover crops and applying fall herbicides to those weeds that have made aggressive growth the past several weeks. Fall sprays, fertilizations, and lime are being applied in all areas. Pushing dead trees and resetting continues. FLORIDA VEGETABLES Page 2 September 9, 1996 VEGETABLES: Most growers delayed planting due to the threat of Hurricane Fran. Growers are putting off some planting for the coming week until the threat of adverse weather from Hurricane Hortense passes. Most southern Peninsula fields are in need of rain. SNAP BEANS: East Coast--Planting slow with activity slowed by threat of hurricanes. Ground preparation active. Dade--Earlier plantings up to good stand, in fair condition, need irrigation. Most new plantings delayed due to threat from hurricanes. West Central--Recent plantings in fair to good condition. Plant growth, bean development slow but proceeding normally. CABBAGE: Hastings--Ground preparations active. SWEET CORN: Zellwood--Picking of small acreage for local sale active. Fall crop planting continuing with some delay due to threat of bad weather. East Coast--Workers cutting up cover crops, cleaning ditches in preparation of planting. Dade--Planting to start over next 7 to 10 days. CUCUMBERS: West Central--Crop in fair to good condition. Planting mostly steady with some producers not yet started. East Coast--Planting began. Some producers planting on plastic used for last spring's crops. Other producers laying new plastic. Dade-- Pickle planting to begin over next 7 to 10 days. EGGPLANT: East Coast--Crop in good condition. Planting continuing at steady pace. Workers laying plastic, staking, tying. Dade--Planting to start about mid-October. OKRA: Dade--Young fields up to good stands. Very small volume being harvested from summer acreage. PEPPERS: Southwest--Crop in good condition. Planting gaining momentum. Plant growth, fruit development normal. East Coast-- Crop in mostly good condition. Plant growth, development slow. Oldest plants blooming. Workers laying plastic, tying, staking. West Central--Crop condition fair to good. Planting mostly steady. SQUASH: Southwest--Crop condition rated good. Planting increasing. Plant growth normal. East Coast--Planting of zucchini, yellow varieties limited. Workers preparing land for open ground planting, laying plastic. West Central--Crop in fair to good condition. Planting increasing slowly. Harvest of small acreage yielding fair to good quality fruit of good size, color. Dade-- Producers planted a very limited acreage. Most growers to begin planting during last week of September. STRAWBERRIES: Plant City, Palmetto-Ruskin, Lithia, Floral City--Land preparation active. A few growers beginning to lay plastic. Transplanting to begin in late September. TOMATOES: Quincy--Crop condition good to excellent. Picking to start in October. Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop in fair to good condition. Most fields need irrigation. Transplanting slowing, to continue over next 2 weeks. Staking nearly finished. Tying active but slow. Southwest--Crop in good condition. Planting gaining momentum. Plant growth good. Workers spraying for insect, disease control, laying plastic, building drip irrigation systems. East Coast--Crop in fair to mostly good condition. Land leveling, laying of plastic, transplanting continuing at steady pace. Staking, tying increasing. Workers spraying for control of insects, disease. Dade--Producers continuing to prepare fields. Laying of plastic to begin over next 7 to 10 days. Transplanting to start around October 1. CHERRY TOMATOES: Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop in fair to good condition. Planting winding down with some growers finished. Plant growth normal but slow. Southwest--Crop in good condition. Most growers just beginning to plant. PLUM TOMATOES: Southwest--Crop in good condition. Most producers just starting to transplant. Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition rated fair to good. Planting winding down with most acreage in the ground. WATERMELONS: Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop in fair to good condition. Planting steady with some producers finished. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------