HDR101200019001 FL WEEKLY WEATHER-CROP NEWS Week ending April 20, 1997 Released 4:00 P.M. April 21, 1997 WEATHER SUMMARY: Cold fronts passing over the Peninsula brought much needed rain and cooler temperatures during the week of April 13 through 19. Rain totals at the major weather stations ranged from a third inch at Miami to two and a third inches at West Palm Beach. Valparaiso reported no measurable rain for the period. Low temperatures in northern areas dipped into the 30s; in central regions, into the 40s; and in southern areas, into the 50s and 60s. High temperatures for the week were in the 70s and 80s. The weekly average temperatures were one to seven degrees below normal. FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture is short to adequate throughout the State with scattered areas of surplus moisture. A slight frost was reported in parts of the Panhandle on April 18. Tobacco transplanting is complete. Three percent of the peanuts have been planted. Growers are making preparations to start cotton planting. Ground preparation for spring planted crops is active. Moisture Topsoil Subsoil Rating Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very short 5 0 5 0 Short 58 39 53 34 Adequate 32 42 42 54 Surplus 5 19 0 12 LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: Pasture conditions improved with the wide spread rains received last week and are in mainly fair to good condition. Some localities are still in need of additional moisture while some southeastern counties reported surplus amounts. Cool temperatures, especially in the northern counties, slowed grass growth. Cattle are in fair to good condition. Range Cattle Condition Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very poor 0 0 0 0 Poor 10 10 1 0 Fair 55 50 43 55 Good 35 40 54 45 Excellent 0 0 2 0 CITRUS: Rain all areas Monday through Wednesday. The east coast received the most moisture. Trees are now in very good condition as a result of all of the recent rain. New crop fruit is making normal progress for mid-April. Some little green fruit are dropping as the trees adjust to the size crop that can be supported for next season. Most Valencias remaining for harvest are in good condition except for the limited amounts that were exposed to freezing temperatures January 19. Picking of Valencias remains very active in all areas. Almost 96 percent of the late oranges utilized this season have gone to processing. Movement of all grapefruit continues active from all areas. Harvest of Temples and Honey tangerines continues to slow as supplies are running out. Caretakers are cutting cover crops that are competing with the trees for nutrients. Hedging, topping, and removing debris are active in all areas. Post bloom nutritional spraying continues. Estimated boxes harvested week ended Crop Apr 6 Apr 13 Apr 20 Valencia oranges 7,088,000 7,015,000 6,251,000 All grapefruit 3,088,000 2,604,000 1,546,000 Tangerines 76,000 68,000 51,000 Temples 27,000 21,000 11,000 VEGETABLES: Showers delayed some harvesting with activity becoming quite busy during clearer weather. Vegetable volume leaders: tomatoes, potatoes, sweet corn, peppers, cabbage, cucumbers. SNAP BEANS: North--Picking is active. Dade--Harvesting remains active. Volume continues to decline as the season nears the end. Quality is good. Yield is average. Everglades--Picking continues. Southwest--Crop condition is good. Harvesting remains steady. Quality is good. Palmetto-Ruskin--Condition remains fair to good. Rain slowed some harvesting as more acreage reaches maturity. Size and quality are fair to good. Color is good. East Coast--The crop is in fair to good condition. Rain interrupted some harvesting with a reduced volume picked by machine and hand. Quality and color remain mostly good. Yields are variable. CABBAGE: Hastings--Harvest steady. Quality good. Crop in good condition. Growth and development normal. Central-- Harvest steady. Quality is variable. West Central--Harvest steady. Quality fair to good. Size medium. Color good. Volume and yield good. Crop in fair to good condition. Dade--Cabbage season slowing. Only small cuttings are being made when an order comes in. CARROTS: Zellwood--Harvesting remains steady. Quality is generally good. SWEET CORN: Everglades--Harvesting is active. Quality is mostly good. Some muddy fields hindered picking. Southwest-- Condition is good. Harvesting is steady. Quality is good. Dade-- Pulling of a low volume continues. Quality is fair. A small supply is available for the next 7 to 14 days. East Coast--Harvest is slowing seasonally. Ear quality is good. Only a minimal acreage remains to be picked. Workers are busy cleaning fields completely picked. CUCUMBERS: East Coast--Young acreage is in good condition. Cooler temperatures slowed plant growth and fruit development with fruit set and sizing slowing. Harvest of a moderate volume continued. Quality and color are good. Southwest--Condition is fair to good. Picking remains steady. Quality is fair. Yield is good. Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is rated fair to good. Harvesting continues to increase seasonally. Quality is fair to good. Some fruit shows scarring due to recent adverse weather. Sizes are fair. Color is fair to good. Dade--Pickle picking continues. Quality and yield are good. Volume will remain steady for at least the next two weeks or more. EGGPLANT: East Coast--Harvest of a moderate volume became active after rain slowed activity during the first part of the week. First cuttings are providing some very good quality and color. Sizes available include fancy and large fancy with some choice available. Workers are pulling stakes and mowing acreage completely harvested. Dade--Harvesting remains active. Volume is low. Quality and yield are fair. Palmetto-Ruskin--The crop is in fair to good condition. Harvesting continues to slowly increase. Quality and color are good. Sizes are fair to good. Southwest-- Condition is fair to good. Harvest is winding down. Quality is fair. ESCAROLE/ENDIVE: Everglades, Zellwood--Harvest is steady. Quality is generally good. LETTUCE: Zellwood, Everglades--Harvesting continues. OKRA: Dade--Harvesting continues to increase seasonally with a good volume available over the next six to eight weeks or more. Quality and yield are improving. PEPPERS: Southwest--Condition is fair to good. Harvesting remains steady. Quality and yield are good. Palmetto-Ruskin-- Crop condition is rated fair to good. Harvesting is slowly increasing. Quality is fair to good. Sizes are variable. East Coast-- The crop condition remains mostly good with condition declining in oldest fields that were harvested several times. Wet conditions slowed picking with a moderate volume of green Bells harvested. Crown picks continue to produce very good quality and good sizes. Picking of a small volume of red and yellow Bells continues. Harvest of specialty varieties is yielding variable but mostly good quality. POTATOES: Southwest--Crop condition good. Growth and development normal. Harvest light. Quality good. Dade--Harvest active with yields lower than expected. The frost, rain, and blight in January hurt the crop more than expected. Volume will be good for about 2 more weeks. Quality good. West Central--Crop condition fair. Growth and development normal. Harvest winding down. Quality fair to good. Size variable. Spraying for disease. Hastings--Harvest active. Yield fairly good. Crop in good condition. Growth and development normal. Spraying to keep blight under control. RADISHES: Everglades, Zellwood--Digging continues at a steady pace. Quality is mostly good. SQUASH: Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition. Harvest remains steady. Quality is good. Palmetto-Ruskin--The crop is in fair to good condition. Harvesting continues to increase seasonally. Quality, sizes, and color are fair to good. East Coast-- Cooler weather slowed some plant growth and development. Cutting of zucchini is providing fancy and medium sizes of mostly good quality. Harvesting of yellow varieties is yielding a smaller volume of mostly good quality. Dade--Young fields are in good condition. Picking is active with a good volume available over the next few weeks. Quality is good. North--Harvesting is increasing seasonally. STRAWBERRIES: Palmetto-Ruskin--Condition is fair as harvesting winds down. Quality, sizes, and color are fair. Dade-- Harvesting of U-Pic acreage virtually over. TOMATOES: Palmetto-Ruskin--The crop remains in fair to good condition. Harvesting is increasing with a fair volume available. Fruit quality is fair to good. Sizes available include large and medium with some jumbo picked. Yield is fair. Southwest-- Overall condition is fair to good. Showers slowed some harvesting with growers speeding activity during clear weather. Good quality is available. Young acreage is producing a good supply of extra large and large sizes. Older fields are yielding mostly large and medium sizes. Yield is good. Packout is about normal. East Coast--Cool weather slowed some plant growth. Wet conditions hindered some field work with picking becoming quite active when the weather cleared with a moderate to heavy volume harvested. First and second picks are yielding mostly extra large and large sizes. Quality is mostly good. Dade--The season is winding down with a reduced volume being picked. Quality is good. Sizes from second and third picks are mostly large to medium. Most harvesting will be completed over the next few weeks. Quincy-- Cooler temperatures slowed some plant growth. CHERRY TOMATOES: Southwest--Condition is good. Harvesting is steady. Quality is good. Palmetto-Ruskin-- Condition is fair to good. Picking continues to increase seasonally. Quality is fair to good. Sizes and color are fair. Workers are spraying to control insects and disease. PLUM TOMATOES: Southwest--Condition is fair to good. Harvesting remains steady. Quality is good. Palmetto-Ruskin-- The crop is in fair to good condition. Harvesting is increasing with progress to become very active over the next few weeks. Quality is fair to good. WATERMELONS: Southwest--Condition remains good. Picking is gaining momentum. Quality is good. Palmetto-Ruskin-- The crop is in fair to good condition. Harvesting is slowly increasing with progress to become very active over the next few weeks. Quality is fair. Sizes are mostly medium with some large sizes available. Citrus County--Some plants have three to four feet runners. Jefferson County--Cooler temperatures and low soil temperatures slowed plant growth.