ga-crop-weather

State
Georgia Crop Weather

Week Ending Date
April 16, 2006

Issue
GA-CW1506
Agricultural Summary
April 16, 2006
                        WARM TEMPERATURES
Dry conditions prevailed over the State during the past week, according to the 
USDA, NASS, Georgia Field Office.  Temperatures during the first part of the 
week were near normal, while temperatures toward the end of the week and 
weekend were well above normal.  Soil moisture conditions were rated 
12 percent very short, 42 percent short, 45 percent adequate, and 
1 percent surplus.

Lack of rain continued to be a concern for growers.  Growers were very active 
in setting out tobacco and treating tobacco transplants in the greenhouse.  
Small grains were in good condition, while some growers were spraying wheat 
with fungicides.  Corn planting was active.  Onion harvesting was in full 
swing.  Corn that has come up was reported in good condition.  Feeding of hay 
was active.  Some early soybeans were being planted.  The vegetable crop was 
in good condition.

Other activities included preparing land for planting peanuts, cotton and 
soybeans.  Pasture weed control, and routine care of poultry and livestock.  
County Extension Agents reported an average of 6.5 days suitable for fieldwork.

CROP PROGRESS
                            Apr 16,     Prev       Prev     5 Year
                             2006       Week       Year      Avg
Corn, Planted                 82         65         60        75
Corn, Emerged                 65         45         46        61
Sorghum, Planted               3          0         10         6			
Cotton, Planted                3          1          2         3
Wheat, Jointing               93         85         92        95
Wheat, Boot                   77         53         71        80
Wheat, Headed                 50         21         48        55		
Apples, Blooming              47         18         48        59
Onions, Harvested             10          2          0         4
Peaches, Blooming             98         88         90        97
Tobacco, Transplanted         53         30         23        55
Watermelons, Planted          67         34         55        68

CROP CONDITION
April 16, 2006
Crop        Very Poor   Poor   Fair   Good    Excellent
                        --Percentages--
Corn            0         3     46     48         3
Sorghum         0         0     75     23         2
Wheat           0         7     35     53         5
Pasture         6        17     41     34         2
Apples          0         8     24     48        20
Hay             4        19     43     32         2
Onions          0         3     10     45        42
Peaches         0         1     48     51         0
Tobacco         0         2     39     59         0
Watermelons     1         4     36     55         4

PASTURE CONDITION - DISTRICT* LEVEL
April 16, 2006
            Very Poor   Poor   Fair   Good    Excellent
                        --Percentages--
Dist 1(NW)      6        10    52      32         0
Dist 2(NC)      0         2    21      63        14
Dist 3(NE)      0         5    68      27         0
Dist 4(WC)     12        13    32      41         2
Dist 5(C)       4         8    37      51         1
Dist 6(EC)      4        18    54      17         7
Dist 7(SW)     16        42    33       8         1
Dist 8(SC)      6        18    34      42         0
Dist 9(SE)      1        19    34      44         2
*A list of the counties in each of the nine Georgia 
Agricultural Statistics Districts is available at
http://www.nass.usda.gov/ga/ctyests/districts.pdf.

Soil Moisture Table
                Apr 16, 2006   Prev Year      5 Year Avg
                       --Percentages--
Very Short          12            0               4
Short               42            2              17
Adequate            45           60              58
Surplus              1           38              21

SOIL MOISTURE - DISTRICT* LEVEL
April 16, 2006
              Very Short    Short    Adequate    Surplus
                        --Percentages--
Dist 1(NW)        0          53         47          0
Dist 2(NC)        0          23         70          7
Dist 3(NE)        1          57         42          0
Dist 4(WC)        7          55         38          0
Dist 5(C)         8          46         46          0
Dist 6(EC)        5          46         49          0
Dist 7(SW)       40          35         24          1
Dist 8(SC)        9          44         48          0
Dist 9(SE)       26          35         39          0
*A list of the counties in each of the nine Georgia 
Agricultural Statistics Districts is available at
http://www.nass.usda.gov/ga/ctyests/districts.pdf.

Weather Information Table
        GEORGIA WEATHER SUMMARY FOR THE WEEK ENDING MIDNIGHT, SUNDAY     
                               APRIL 16, 2006 1/
                                                    2006
                Air Temperature             Precipitation Totals
                Extreme Weekly    Rain      30      60            Soil
Location        Max Min  AvG   Weekly Day   Day     Day    Season Temp
ALBANY          89  46   68    0.00    0    0.77    4.22   12.96   75
ALMA            88  46   67    0.00    0    1.53    3.93   14.61   67
ALPHARETTA      88  38   65    0.00    0    3.80    7.45   14.45   62
ARLINGTON       88  43   67    0.00    0    0.47    2.73   10.50   72
ATTAPULGUS      89  46   67    0.00    0    0.61    2.01    7.70   76
JACKSONVILLE    89  41   64    0.00    0    1.15    4.35    7.80   66
JONESBORO       89  39   65    0.00    0    2.11    5.58   11.50   64
LAFAYETTE       85  32   67    0.00    0    3.16    4.91   11.06   63
MCRAE           88  36   65    0.01    1    1.12    5.17   13.12   71
MIDVILLE        88  42   67    0.00    0    1.15    3.74    8.40   70
NAHUNTA         90  39   66    0.00    0    0.95    1.86    7.44   69
NEWTON          88  46   67    0.00    0    1.10    2.80   12.52   71
PLAINS          86  44   67    0.00    0    2.64    7.30   13.51   68
ROOPVILLE       88  36   65    0.00    0    2.51    5.97   13.00   67
SAVANNAH        91  41   66    0.00    0    1.78    4.18   10.94   70
SHELLMAN        89  47   68    0.00    0    0.78    3.77    8.55   75
SKIDAWAY        91  48   67    0.03    3    1.31    3.40    8.77   65
SNEADS          84  56   69    0.00    0    0.38    1.96    9.17   70
STATESBORO      89  41   67    0.00    0    1.25    3.01    7.50   72
TIFTON          85  47   68    0.00    0    0.75    2.85   12.67   67
TIGER           86  31   61    0.00    0    3.01    4.52   13.55   62
VALDOSTA        88  49   69    0.00    0    1.78    2.80   10.39   66
VIDALIA         89  44   67    0.00    0    1.40    4.04    8.62   70
WATKINSVILLE    87  38   63    0.00    0    2.35    7.01   14.20   64
WOODBINE        92  44   67    0.00    0    1.01    2.79    7.62   71
1/ Weather data supplied by Georgia Automated Environmental Monitoring 
Network (AEMN) and the office of the State Climatologist, University of 
Georgia.  For detailed Georgia weather data visit the AEMN homepage, 
www.georgiaweather.net.  NA - not available.

District Highlights
These comments are written by the Georgia County Extension Agents, and have 
been compiled and edited by the Georgia Agricultural Statistics Service.

DISTRICT COMMENTS
April 16, 2006

DISTRICT 1 - NORTHWEST
Very dry for this time of year.

DISTRICT 2 - NORTH CENTRAL
Routine care of livestock and poultry - pasture weed control.

DISTRICT 3 - NORTHEAST
No comments available.

DISTRICT 4 - WEST CENTRAL
Need rain.  Field applications of lime, fertilizer, herbicides being made.

DISTRICT 5 - CENTRAL
Sunny and warm!  Corn planting continues.  Rain last weekend was very welcome.  
Small grains looking good.  Heavy hay feeding continues for livestock, but 
pastures and hayfields are beginning to green up some.

It's been relatively dry.  We need rainfall without the high winds.

Need rain!

We are still dry in north central Georgia.  The rains that came last weekend 
barely wet the dust and only amounted to a 1/2 inch of rain.

We need rain!

DISTRICT 6 - EAST CENTRAL
Will start planting cotton this coming week.  Some early soybeans planted this 
week.

DISTRICT 7 - SOUTHWEST
Moisture shortage getting critical.

We received 2.12 inches of rainfall.  Crops in good condition.

Dry!

DISTRICT 8 - SOUTH CENTRAL
We got about 1.5 inches of rain average in the county.  Setting out tobacco as 
hard as they can go.  Treating tobacco transplants in the greenhouse.  
Spraying some wheat with fungicides.  Burning down weeds or cover crop to 
prepare for cotton planting using conservation tillage.  Need more rainfall 
next week.  Subsoil still dry.

Dry, planting delayed do to drought.  Vegetables look good.  Pastures in poor 
condition, all cattle producers feeding hay.

We need rain!

DISTRICT 9 - SOUTHEAST
Onion harvesting in full swing.  Cotton planting underway.  Cabbage crop 
moving along well.

Find agricultural statistics for your county, State, and the Nation at www.usda.gov/nass/.

Media Contact:
David S. Abbe, Director
USDA-NASS Georgia Field Office
Phone:   706-546-2236
E-mail:  nass-ga@nass.usda.gov
Website: http://www.nass.usda.gov/ga