ms-crop-weather

Mississippi Weekly Crop Weather

Released: Monday, 3PM September 20, 2004
Week Ending September 19, 2004                 
 
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Issue                                       
MS-CW3804

Agricultural Summary 
                                         
According to the Mississippi Agricultural Statistics Service, there were
4.7 days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending September 19, 2004.
Hurricane Ivan brought heavy rains into parts of Mississippi, resulting
in isolated crop and structural damage. Eastern Mississippi experienced
the worst part of the storm with extensive timber damage reported.
Damage to row crops appears to be minimal throughout the state as
harvesting continues. Cotton continues to be defoliated and harvested
with producers reporting good results from the late blooming crop. Soil
moisture was rated 1 percent very short, 29 percent short, 49 percent
adequate and 21 percent surplus.

Item   Event      This  Last  2003   5-Yr   Very
                  Week  Week         Avg    Poor   Poor  Fair  Good  Excellent

Corn 
     Harvested      93   87    90     89     --     --     --     --      --
                      
Cotton
     Open Bolls     84   78    80     92      2      6     23     51      18
     Harvested       7    2    15     18
                         
Rice
     Mature         95   91    92     92      0      1     11     59      29
     Harvested      73   57    61     55
                 
Sorghum 
     Mature        100   99   100    100     --     --     --     --      --
     Harvested      94   85    90     89
               
Soybeans
     Turning Color  98   96    91     90      0      5     15     45      35
   Shedding Leaves  91   85    76     76
     Harvested      73   65    56     44
          
Hay Harvested
    (Warm Season)   86   85    94     92     --     --     --     --      --

Sweetpotatoes                                
    Harvested       17   12    39     36      2      9     40     39      10


Cattle                                        3      5     20     56      16
Pasture                                       5      9     29     52       5



         Other Agricultural Comments and News
 
                         County Agent Comments
                  
"We were very fortunate to miss the rain associated with Ivan. Corn
harvest is complete, soybean harvest is nearing completion with some late
MG V to be harvested, and cotton harvest is just beginning."

                                         -- Robert Martin, Issaquena

"Rain is needed all over the county. The soil is very dry."

                       -- Thomas E. Brewer, Jefferson Davis

"Marion County was spared from the destruction of Hurricane Ivan. We have
received very little rain. We were hoping for some rain following the
storm."

                                    -- Amanda Woods, Marion

"This past week was complicated by Hurricane Ivan. With varying degrees
of damage across the county, one good thing that did come from the storm
is the amount of rainfall. We  definitely needed some moisture on
forages, and the rainfall received was an adequate amount."

                                      -- Lance Bruce, Lauderdale

"Remnants of Hurricane Ivan brought rain and wind to much of the county.
The eastern side of the county (east of Hwy 15) suffered more wind damage
with many trees either uprooted or blown down. Some structural damage was
noted, but for the most part residents were very lucky. Loss of power
east of Hwy 15 was minimal. Damage was more severe near the Lauderdale
County line and into Meridian. Most of the county received some rain, but
no flooding was reported."

                                           -- Victor Lee, Newton

"All but about 10% of warm season hay has been harvested. There is still
corn to be harvested. Seed bed preparation for cool- season forages
continue with about 40% already completed. Cattle continue to be in great
shape. Hurricane Ivan caused some timber damage. The worst damage
occurred in the eastern side of the county next to the state line of
Alabama. I will be working with USDA Agencies to assist with damage
assessment reports in the next couple of days."

                                         -- Allen McReynolds, Wayne

"Good harvest conditions have allowed growers to continue harvesting rice.
Cotton harvest is in full swing and yields are variable."

	                               -- Don Respess, Bolivar

"Late soybeans are in need of  rain, which isn't likely to happen. Cotton
and rice farmers are at full throttle and do not want it to rain."

	                                -- Mark Young, Quitman

"Producers are harvesting corn and soybeans. Yields vary in range, but 
overall we should have a good harvest season. Cotton is opening and maturing
later than normal."

	                               -- Melvin Oatis, Benton

"We missed Ivan! We had less than a quarter of an inch of rain and the winds
peaked at around 30-35 mph. Cotton defoliation is going full swing now. 
Spittle bugs have killed a couple of hay fields."

	                             -- Stephen R. Winters, Grenada

"Hurricane Ivan brought wind and rain to the area but had little effect on
the  crops. Corn and soybean harvests are progressing and cotton defoliation 
has been initiated."

	                                 -- Jay Phelps, Pontotoc

"Harvest continues to move forward. Some producers have completed soybean 
and/or rice harvests with good results. Cotton harvest is now moving at 
"full speed ahead"."

	                               -- Jerry Singleton, Leflore

"Cotton harvest is getting underway in the early-maturing varieties. Reports
of very good yields have come into our office. Soybean and rice harvests are
beginning to get close to completion. Excellent to good yields are reported."

	                                 -- Tommy Baird, Sunflower

"Being missed by Hurricane Ivan was a real break for area farmers; we were 
out of the field for only about 3 days with little to no damage in the area.
Conditions are good for all forms of fieldwork, and cotton producers are 
defoliating and beginning to harvest some of the earliest planted fields."

	                               -- Ernest Flint, Attala

"Hurricane Ivan went the other way. Conditions for all fieldwork look good. 
Defoliating and the beginning of harvest has begun in the early fields."

	                               -- Kay Emmons, Montgomery

"Corn harvest is nearing completion. Cotton and Group V soybean harvests 
began this week. We were fortunate with minimal crop damage reported from 
Hurricane Ivan."

	                             -- Charlie Stokes, Monroe

"Sustained winds of 54 mph with gusts up to 72 mph caused damage to many
buildings and a few grain bins. Rainfall varied from around 3 inches in
Noxubee to 5 in portions of Oktibbeha county. Our cotton crop took most
of the damage because of the maturity stage it was in when this storm hit
east MS. Our pretty, open bolls are either on the ground or stretched out
and ready to fall to the ground. The top crop that was more hard-locked 
and nappy stayed in the boll, but will cause problems when we get back
in the field to harvest. We could see visual differences in cotton 
varieties in their storm tolerance in an on-farm demo."

	                  -- Dr. Dennis B. Reginelli, Noxubee

"Hurricane Ivan came through on Wednesday and Thursday. Winds gusted 
above 50 mph, but for the most part damage was limited. There was 
damage to cotton that was open and some wind throw of timber. At 
this time, we have no account of human injury. We received about 
2-3 inches of rain. Most wind damage occurred in the eastern half of
the county. A full assessment has not been made at this time."

	                          -- Ed Williams, Oktibbeha

"We are still coping with terribly dry soil moisture conditions. 
Hurricane Ivan tracked well to the east of us, and we did not 
receive one drop of rain from the storm. Most farmers continue
to delay planting their ryegrass and small grains for grazing
until we get appreciable levels of rainfall. A small percentage
of our total acreage of cool-season pastures have been planted,
and will have to be replanted if we do not receive rain 
immediately to save fledgling seedlings. Fall armyworm pressure
continues to be a problem."

	                          -- Lamar Adams, Walthall

"Hurricane Ivan spared us as we received a glancing blow-just
a lot of leaves, limbs and twigs. A few occasional diseased trees
cracked over. Some cotton is leaning over due to wind. There was 
not much rain received; maybe a half inch or so of rain reported.
We are very lucky."

	                            -- Lee Taylor, Forrest

"The wrath of Ivan was not as bad as it could have been. Our 
cotton crop is in bad shape, but the peanuts seem to have survived
pretty well. We are very thankful!"

	                          -- Mike Steede George

"Cotton, soybeans and corn will be difficult to harvest after the
high winds from Ivan. Crops such as pumpkins and fall tomatoes were
destroyed. Repair to poultry houses and other farm structures, 
including fences, are well underway. County wide timber loss estimates
are in the 5% to 7% range."

	                             -- Mark Gillie, Greene

"There was damage to crops from Hurricane Ivan, but the rainfall did 
improve soil moisture. Armyworms are a problem in some areas of the 
county at this time. Producers are gearing up to make final preparations
for planting ryegrass in fall and winter pastures."

	                          -- Florieda K. Mason, Perry

"Stone County did not get much rain from Ivan. Ponds are still low with
some drying up. There was mostly limb and tree damage, but no structure
damage, and the cleaning up process has begun. No reported livestock 
losses from the hurricane."

	                                 -- Judy Breland, Stone
 
                                  
Weather Information Table
          
Weather Summary from September 13, 2004 to September 19, 2004 for Mississippi

                       Air             Precipitation      4 Inch Soil   Avg
                   Temperature      Weekly      Rn  Four  Temperature   Pan
                Max Min Avg Nrm DFN  Total  DFN Ds Weeks  Max Min Avg  Evap
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Upper Delta
Charleston                   74      0.00 -0.77  0  3.10                   
Cleveland        91  57  77  74  +3  0.04 -0.64  1  1.60                   
Tunica                       74      0.52 -0.11  2  1.73               0.19
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Extreme/Average  91  57  77  74  +3  0.19 -0.56  1  2.14               0.19

2. North-Central
Hickory Flat     89  52  73  72  +1  0.56 -0.38  2  1.54                   
Calhoun City     87  53  73  73   0  0.63 -0.21  3  2.44                   
Independence     88  51  73  73   0  0.00 -0.84  0  2.69                   
Oxford           88  54  75  73  +2  0.20 -0.70  1  2.19                   
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Extreme/Average  89  51  74  73  +1  0.35 -0.49  2  2.22                   

3. Northeast
Booneville       86  57  73  72  +1  1.15 +0.26  4  3.29                   
Iuka                         70      4.90 +3.90  4 12.44                   
Ripley           87  53  72  72   0  0.64 -0.27  3  1.54                   
Tupelo           89  58  76          1.80        4  3.82                   
Verona           91  59  76  74  +2  3.14 +2.16  4  5.13               0.27
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Extreme/Average  91  53  74  73  +1  1.68 +0.70  4  3.45               0.27

4. Lower Delta
Moorhead         94  61  79  76  +3  0.00 -0.84  0  1.27                   
Rolling Fork     93  57  79  75  +4  0.00 -0.70  0  1.11   97  78  88      
Stoneville       93  57  79  75  +4  0.00 -0.78  0  1.23   97  76  86  1.85
Yazoo City       92  58  78  76  +2  0.00 -0.64  0  0.79                   
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Extreme/Average  94  57  79  76  +3  0.00 -0.72  0  1.10   97  76  87  1.85

5. Central
Canton           91  55  77  76  +1  0.01 -0.69  1  1.68                   
Carthage         88  56  75  75   0  0.02 -0.82  1  4.49                   
Lexington        89  54  75  74  +1  0.00 -0.70  0  1.62                   
Eupora           90  56  75  73  +2  0.78 -0.13  3  3.31                   
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Extreme/Average  91  54  75  75   0  0.20 -0.64  1  2.78                   

6. East-Central
Aberdeen         88  60  76  74  +2  2.03 +1.12  3  3.88               0.16
Houston          88  52  73  72  +1  1.06 +0.08  3  2.22                   
Louisville                   73      2.15 +1.24  2  4.82                   
State University 90  56  74  74   0  4.79 +3.95  4  8.27   82  75  78  0.17
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Extreme/Average  90  52  74  75  -1  2.51 +1.62  3  4.80   82  75  78  0.17

7. Southwest
Crystal Springs  92  60  78  76  +2  0.00 -1.06  0  1.70   96  78  86      
Natchez          91  57  78  77  +1  0.00 -0.85  0  1.33                   
Oakley           91  59  76  75  +1  0.00 -0.70  0  0.71   91  79  86      
Vicksburg        91  59  77          0.00        0  2.10                   
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Extreme/Average  92  57  77  76  +1  0.00 -0.91  0  1.46   96  78  86      

8. South-Central
Collins          92  56  77  75  +2  0.38 -0.60  3  1.43                   
Columbia         94  57  79  76  +3  0.25 -0.73  1  1.41                   
Tylertown        93  60  78  77  +1  1.29 +0.34  2  4.10                   
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Extreme/Average  94  56  78  76  +2  0.64 -0.34  2  2.31                   

9. Southeast
Beaumont         95  55  78          1.75        2  4.86                   
Hattiesburg      93  64  79  77  +2  1.57 +0.55  2  3.28                   
Laurel           91  58  78  76  +2  0.92 -0.13  2  3.38                   
Newton                       75      1.66 +0.82  2  4.91   84  70  75  0.15
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Extreme/Average  95  55  78  76  +2  1.48 +0.50  2  4.11   84  70  75  0.15

10. Coastal
Bay St Louis     96  63  79  78  +1  0.89 -0.40  2  3.39                   
Gulfport                     79      2.75 +1.23  3  4.67                   
Poplarville      88  68  77  77   0  0.93 -0.07  3  4.15   88  71  79  0.24
Waveland         94  64  79  77  +2  2.52 +0.93  2  4.20                   
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Extreme/Average  96  63  78  78   0  1.45 +0.06  2  3.91   88  71  79  0.24

State Averages   96  51  76  75  +1  0.84 -0.08  2  2.85   97  70  81  0.47

DFN = Departure from Normal.