LA-WEATHER

United States Department of Agriculture
National Agricultural Statistics Service, Louisiana Field Office
Crop Weather
Cooperating with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry 
and the Louisiana State University Ag Center
Louisiana Field Office  5825 Florida Blvd  Baton Rouge, LA 70806
(225) 922-1362  (225) 922-0744 FAX   www.nass.usda.gov/la

Released: May 19, 2008				     Volume 08 No. 11

Days suitable for fieldwork: 3.6
Soil moisture supplies: 1% very short, 3% short, 45% adequate and 51% surplus.

Field Crops Report
Heavy rains in the latter  part of the week caused flooding of many fields. 
Farmers were evaluating their ability to replant many fields, including 
cotton, soybeans, and sorghum.  There were some reports that heavy rains washed
away rice levees.  Where conditions permitted rice producers drained ponds, 
fertilized, continued weed control and sprayed for water weevils.  Wheat  
producers delayed harvest  in some areas due to rainfall which blew down wheat
and flooded fields.  Sugarcane producers fertilized and sprayed fields.  There
were a few reports of brown rust in sugarcane fields.    
   

Fruits, Vegetables, and Specialty Crops Report
Vegetable producers harvested squash, beans, and greenhouse tomatoes.  Some 
producers sprayed bell pepper fields to control insects.  Crawfish farmers 
drained ponds.
 

Livestock, Pasture, and Range Report
Livestock producers applied limited amounts of fertilizers and herbicides to
pastures, with the high cost of inputs and 2,4-D restrictions considered.  
Cattle producers worked calves, put bulls out with the herds and weaned fall 
calves.

Crop Progress Table
                                         PERCENT OF PROGRESS
                                     Current   Last            5 YR
CROP               STAGE              Week     Week    2007     AVG

Corn		  Silked		 1	 0	14	 3

Cotton		  Planted		89	78	85	86
		  Emerged		80	67	64	71	
		  
Hay		  First Cutting		36	33	37	36
	 
Rice		  Planted               98      96      96      96
		  Emerged		94	90	89	92

Sorghum		  Planted		94	91	96	87
                  Emerged		91	75      91 	77

Soybeans	  Planted		71	64	77	63
		  Emerged		62	52	64	52

Sweet Potatoes	  Planted	         8       0       9      10

Winter Wheat	  Turning Color		99      93      95      91
		  Harvested             14 	 5      11      13
 
Land Preparation  Spring plowing        99      97      98      98

          

Crop Condition Table
                            CONDITIONS IN PERCENTAGES
CROP               VERY POOR   POOR    FAIR    GOOD  EXCELLENT

Corn			0	 2	18      58      22
Cotton			0	 3	34	59	 4
Rice			0	 4      18      72       6
Sorghum			0        1      28      63       8
Soybeans		3	 8	36      49       4
Sugarcane		1	 7	24	45	23
Wheat			0	 8	20	54	18
Livestock		1	 3	30	59	 7
Vegetables	        1	 7	36	50	 6
Pasture			1	 5      34      55       5

LOUISIANA OFFICE OF STATE CLIMATOLOGY, LSU, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
LOUISIANA WEATHER SUMMARY FROM 05/12/08 TO 05/18/08

                          
   			AIR               PRECIPITATION      
                     TEMPERATURE    WEEKLY  FOUR  YR.TO         
                   MAX MIN AVE NRM  TOTAL  WEEKS   DATE   NORM          

1. Northwest
   LSU-Bossier City 80  46  67  72  10.31  11.41  25.28  21.20             
   Minden           81  44  65  71   3.80   4.29  19.76  23.41             
   Mooringsport     80  46  67  MM   4.77   7.17  21.83  18.65             
   Extreme/Average  81  44  66  72   6.29   7.62  22.29  21.65             

2. North-Central
   LSU-Calhoun      83  44  66  72   2.80   5.76  17.27  24.38             
   Homer/Hill Farm  81  47  66  70   3.05   3.76  17.13  23.44             
   ULM-Monroe       82  45  66  72   2.76   4.46  16.18  25.98             
   Colmubia Lock    82  48  65  MM   3.88   5.67  19.00  26.67             
   Extreme/Average  83  44  66  72   3.12   4.91  16.86  24.61             

3. Northeast
   Lake Providence  80  50  66  72   7.11   8.73  25.13  27.19             
   LSU-St Joseph    83  48  68  73   1.92   3.45  20.39  26.45             
   LSU-Winnsboro    83  45  69  72   4.10   5.01  21.59  25.66             
   Tallulah         80  51  66  72   3.69   6.03  24.31  26.57             
   Extreme/Average  83  45  67  73   4.24   6.07  23.28  26.37             

4. West-Central
   Leesville        83 (43) 68  73   2.76   4.23  19.03  23.44             
   LSU-Rosepine     84  48  68  73   2.15   3.82  19.23  23.17             
   Natchitoches     MM  MM  MM  73   M.MM   M.MM  MM.MM  MM.MM                      
   Extreme/Average  84  43  68  73   2.46   4.03  19.13  23.32             

5. Central
   Alexandria       84  51  68  74   2.66   3.89  22.77  24.90             
   Brusly           86  51  70  74   5.19   7.00  24.92  25.42             
   Bunkie           87  51  71  74   4.27   6.35  23.30  26.48             
   LSU-Alexandria   84  50  72  73   2.07   4.45  22.06  23.95             
   Extreme/Average  87  50  70  74   4.04   5.12  23.04  25.14             

6. East-Central
   Franklinton 5SW                                             
   LSU-Baton Rouge  85  54  71  74   5.42   7.69  24.27  24.32             
   LSU-Clinton      84  50  69  73   3.11   5.62  24.13  26.76             
   LSU-Hammond      83  47  70  74   8.28  11.07  29.30  26.24             
   Slidell          85  50  70  74   4.64   7.15  28.39  25.77             
   Extreme/Average  85  47  70  74   5.36   8.13  25.90  26.72             

7. Southwest
   De Ridder        84  51  69  74   2.05   4.37  24.15  23.51             
   Jennings         85  54  71  74   4.00   7.19  25.17  21.73             
   LSU-Crowley      85  54  73  75   4.27   6.67  23.27  22.64             
   Extreme/Average  85  51  69  75   2.05   M.MM  MM.MM  21.99             

8. South-Central
   Donaldsonville   83  56  71  75   2.40   4.52  17.15  23.52             
   LSU-Jeanerette   86  56  72  74   4.32   5.42  18.26  21.56             
   Morgan City      86  56  72  74   0.99   4.80  15.15  22.34             
   Extreme/Average  86  56  72  75   2.57   4.97  17.71  22.52             

9. Southeast
   Galliano        (89) 60  74  75   3.15   7.42  25.06  23.87             
   Houma            87  55  73  76   1.17   3.20  13.79  22.63             
   Terrytown 3S     88  60  74  MM   2.83   8.46  29.02  MM.MM                  
   Reserve          87  53  71  74   1.75   4.95  20.56  25.64             
   Extreme/Average  89  53  73  76   2.23   6.01  22.11  24.01 

State 
   State Averages   89  43  69  74   3.49   5.83  21.47  24.49       

M = Missing	( ) = Extremes	   Yr. To Date = Through May 18, 2008