Mississippi Weekly Crop Weather

Released: Monday, 3PM June 6, 2005
Week Ending June 5, 2005                 
 
This report is best viewed with a monospace font.  
                        
Issue                                       
MS-CW2205
 
Agricultural Summary 

According to the Mississippi Agricultural Statistics Service, there were
3.1 days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending June 5, 2005. Wheat
harvesting is in the early stages while cool-season hay harvesting is in
the latter stages of completion. Although the rains received late in the
week hampered time in the fields, it was welcomed by farmers who were
experiencing dry soil conditions. The passing showers aided pasture
growth and allowed forage growth to resume without much damage resulting
from the dry conditions. Farmers in the Delta region are beginning to
flood rice fields.  Soil moisture was rated 2 percent very short, 4
percent short, 70 percent adequate, and 24 percent surplus.

Item   Event      This  Last  2004   5-Yr   Very
                  Week  Week         Avg    Poor   Poor  Fair  Good  Excellent

Corn  
    Silked          13     4    17     20     0      5    18    64      13
    
Cotton
    Planted         99    98    99     98     2      7    20    64       7
    Emerged         96    92    97     95
    Squaring         4    --     7     11

Rice
    Planted        100    99   100     99     0      1    10    79      10
    Emerged        100    98    99     96
 
Soybeans                               
    Planted         98    97    98     94     1      5    19    69       6
    Emerged         95    93    97     90
    Blooming        20    10    19     14

Wheat
    Mature          90    60    87     85     2      5    31    62       0
    Harvested        9    --    39     34
   
Hay Harvested
    (Cool Season)   91    84    88     92     2      7    22    53      16
    (Warm Season)   20    15    17     21

Sweetpotatoes
    Planted         28     8    33     35    --     --    --    --      --

Bluberries                                    0      3    24    59      14
Sorghum                                       0      1    10    89       0
Watermelon                                    0     26    39    34       1

Cattle                                        1      4    27    54      14
Pasture                                       1      5    25    51      18

                                   

         Other Agricultural Comments and News
 
                         County Agent Comments
                  
"We have changed from being very dry to very wet."

                                  -- Kay Emmons, Montgomery

"It is getting dry! The rains were welcomed, even though they did halt
some field activities. The cotton crop looks good as does corn and
soybeans. We should see some growth after last week's rains. Corn is
beginning to tassel and some of the soybeans are blooming."

                                          -- Bill Maily, Hinds

"We need more rain to improve summer pastures! Some spotted wilt is
showing up in commercial tomato fields, but is low for this time in the
growing season."

                                        -- Tommy Bishop, Jasper

"Cattle are looking good. Most pastures have been fertilized, and are
beginning to green and grow. Until last week's rain,  producers in this
area were reporting dry conditions. With the amount of rain received,
producers will be good for a while."

                                      -- Lance Bruce, Lauderdale

"Rain early in the week was welcomed by row crop farmers. Crops,
particularly corn, really responded to the rainfall. As sunny skies
returned, producers began cutting hay again. The last of the winter
forages have been cut and producers are now concentrating on summer hay
fields."

                                          -- Victor Lee, Newton

"Growers should begin to harvest wheat this week. They are cleaning up 
cotton and soybean fields and getting water on rice fields. It has been 
a tough start to our growing season."

            	                        -- Don Respess, Bolivar

"There is still no significant rainfall in the Coahoma County area. Several
rice fields have been destroyed by chinch bugs before the fields could be 
flooded. Some cotton has yet to be planted due to the lack of moisture. 
Some soybean seeds have been in the ground nearly 4 weeks waiting for 
enough moisture to emerge."

	                                     -- Ann Ruscoe, Coahoma

"Producers in Tunica county are in desperate need of rain. Our cumulative 
rainfall for the past 5 weeks is 1 inch."

	                                  -- Anthony Bland, Tunica

"We received enough rain to help all crops. Producers are trying to 
complete soybean planting."

	                                  -- Melvin Oatis, Benton

"The rains kept us out of the cotton fields a little longer than we wanted. 
Some got to the sixth leaf stage before we could get back in the field or 
use an airplane without the risk of wash off."

	                                 -- Stephen R. Winters, Grenada

"Light, slow rainfall throughout the week replenished soil moisture but has 
delayed post emergence herbicide applications. Seedling diseases have 
reduced soybean plant populations to the point of replanting in some fields."

	                                      -- Jay Phelps, Pontotoc

"Some weed control work occurred in fields with light texture soils. Other 
fields were too wet for any ground activities."

	                                   -- Jerry Singleton, Leflore

"Warmer weather and showers created a very good environment for crop growth.
Hopefully, we will continue this trend."

	                                       -- Tommy Baird, Sunflower

"We have changed from too dry in some localities to too wet to work since 
last week. Almost daily rains and overcast conditions have stopped fieldwork 
and slowed crop development, especially for cotton and soybeans. Corn has 
fared better, although poorly drained areas are not growing and some nitrogen 
loss to denitrification has taken place."

	                                       -- Ernest Flint, Attala

"Pastures continue to become more productive with the summer showers that we 
have experienced lately. Hay harvest was getting in full swing before this 
last period of rain set in."

	                               -- Houston Therrell, Rankin

"Last week's soaking rains saved many acres of sweetpotatoes and soybeans 
from certain replanting. Many fields will still have spotty stands. Field 
operations began again near week's end."

	                               -- Dr. Bill Burdine, Chickasaw

"Weather was conducive to fieldwork all week. Row crop planting is 
complete, cool-season hay harvest is rapidly coming to an end, and pasture 
weed controls are being applied. Warmer temperatures at the end of the week 
greatly helped growing conditions for all crops. Moisture is adequate in 
all areas of the county after receiving about 4 inches of rain the first of 
the week."

 	                               -- Ed Williams, Oktibbeha

"Recent showers have perked up corn and summer pastures, but it has slowed 
wheat harvest. Cattle are looking good and the rains gave them a break from 
the extremely hot temperatures this past week."

	                                     -- Richard Hay, Amite

"Between two and four inches of rain fell across the county Sunday, May 29th 
through Wednesday, June 1st. These showers were just in time to save forage 
and field crops from severe losses due to extremely dry soil conditions. 
Hopefully, the early hot and dry conditions we experienced in May will not 
stand throughout the summer and fall."

	                                      -- Lamar Adams, Walthall

"The rain last week ended a very dry period. Pastures, gardens and other 
crops are looking better. It looks like we will be getting some more rain this 
week, which will help even more. Poultry producers are sweating the heat 
trying to keep their birds cool."

	                                       -- Chuck Grantham, Jones

 "It was hot and humid as the week progressed; summer is here. Heavy 
rains over the last week in May helped everything in the Ag industry. Folks 
should be back in the planting business. Summer hay crops should do very 
well."

	                                         -- Stan Pace, Stone

"All crops seem to be doing well! We received 3 to 5 inches of rain in parts 
of the county. Little to no field activity occurred this week. The little 
fieldwork that took place was in blueberry fields. Fields are saturated with 
water. It will take 7 days from today (6/3/05) to return to the fields, that 
is, if it doesn't rain again. We received the first of what I expect to be 
many reports of disease problems in home gardens and home lawns. This 
cloudy weather has blueberry growers nervous."

	                                      -- Allen McReynolds, Wayne

                                
Weather Information Table
          
    Weather Summary from May 30, 2005 to June 5, 2005 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      2.49 +1.25  4  3.84                   
Cleveland        92  63  74  76  -2  0.61 -0.58  2  2.96                   
Tunica           95  62  75  75   0  0.18 -1.13  3  0.99                   
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Extreme/Average  95  62  75  76  -1  1.09 -0.10  3  2.60                   

2. North-Central
Hickory Flat     84  58  67  72  -5  1.20 +0.03  4  2.02                   
Calhoun City     89  58  69  74  -5  1.31 +0.19  5  3.04                   
Independence     91  58  70  73  -3  0.37 -0.82  3  1.08                   
Oxford           92  60  71  73  -2  0.52 -0.67  4  0.99                   
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Extreme/Average  92  58  69  74  -5  0.85 -0.34  4  1.78                   

3. Northeast
Booneville       90  61  69  73  -4  1.40 +0.18  4  2.13                   
Iuka             90  56  67  70  -3  1.97 +0.85  4  3.09                   
Ripley           92  59  69  72  -3  0.92 -0.20  3  1.43                   
Tupelo           90  61  71          1.63        5  1.90                   
Verona           92  63  72  74  -2  1.42 +0.30  5  2.70                   
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Extreme/Average  92  56  69  74  -5  1.47 +0.28  4  2.25                   

4. Lower Delta
Moorhead         91  65  75  77  -2  0.43 -0.62  4  2.24                   
Rolling Fork     93  61  75  76  -1  1.61 +0.55  3  5.87                   
Stoneville       92  62  76  77  -1  0.50 -0.52  1  1.79                   
Yazoo City       92  58  73  77  -4  1.90 +0.84  3  5.00                   
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Extreme/Average  93  58  75  77  -2  1.11 +0.01  3  3.73                   

5. Central
Canton           91  62  74  76  -2  0.99 +0.02  3  6.72                   
Carthage                     75      2.13 +1.22  3  4.88                   
Lexington        90  61  72  74  -2  1.30 +0.22  3  4.69                   
Eupora           90  59  70  74  -4  1.51 +0.47  3  4.86                   
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Extreme/Average  91  59  72  75  -3  1.48 +0.49  3  5.29                   

6. East-Central
Aberdeen         90  61  71  74  -3  2.69 +1.59  5  3.77                   
Houston          90  57  69  73  -4  1.11 -0.15  4  3.35                   
Louisville                   74      2.40 +1.46  3  5.46                   
State University             75      2.08 +1.10  4  4.10                   
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Extreme/Average  90  57  70  75  -5  2.07 +1.02  4  4.17                   

7. Southwest
Crystal Springs  91  64  75  77  -2  1.90 +0.69  3  5.08                   
Natchez          90  64  75  77  -2  1.74 +0.56  3  5.57                   
Oakley                       76      1.40 +0.30  2  5.28                   
Vicksburg        91  65  76          3.81        4  5.06                   
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Extreme/Average  91  64  75  76  -1  2.21 +1.09  3  5.25                   

8. South-Central
Collins          89  65  74  75  -1  2.13 +1.07  3  3.43                   
Columbia         91  66  77  77   0  0.77 -0.41  3  1.28                   
Tylertown        92  66  76  77  -1  2.19 +1.00  3  2.45                   
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Extreme/Average  92  65  76  76   0  1.70 +0.57  3  2.39                   

9. Southeast
Beaumont         92  65  77          4.53        3  4.86                   
Hattiesburg      89  65  74  77  -3  3.45 +2.42  4  3.70                   
Laurel           92  67  76  76   0  2.18 +1.21  4  2.50                   
Newton           91  59  74  75  -1  2.83 +1.99  3  3.28                   
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Extreme/Average  92  59  76  76   0  3.39 +2.45  4  3.69                   

10. Coastal
Gulfport         86  67  78  79  -1  7.05 +5.89  3  7.10                   
Poplarville                  78      2.59 +1.51  3  2.81                   
Waveland         87  68  76  77  -1  8.06 +6.90  3  8.14                   
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Extreme/Average  87  67  77  78  -1  5.90 +4.74  3  6.02                   

State Averages   95  56  73  76  -3  2.12 +1.03  3  3.84                   

DFN = Departure from Normal.