fl-crop-weather

Week ending June 28, 1998
                             Released 4:00 P.M.
                                                              June 29, 1998

WEATHER SUMMARY: Significant rains helped ease dry conditions across some
southern parts of the Peninsula during the week of June 21 through 27.
However, most northern and central localities remain extremely dry despite
receiving scattered showers during the week. Official totals show no
measurable rain recorded at West Palm Beach and Valparaiso, about two
thirds inch falling at Daytona Beach and Jacksonville, about an inch at
Orlando, and almost two and a half inches at Tampa. Temperatures averaged
two to four degrees above normal with record highs either met or exceeded
at several locations. Most daily highs were in the 90s whiles most lows
were in the 70s. Cloudy skies helped to keep some temperatures below record
levels near the end of the week. Haze caused by smoke from wildfires
continued over some east central areas of the Peninsula.

FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture in the State is mostly very short to short
with a few scattered areas of adequate moisture. The State is in need of
rain. Spotty showers have been little help. Brush fires are a problem in
all areas. All the dryland crops are moisture stressed and burning up. Corn
for grain is a loss in most areas and is being chopped for livestock feed.
Even irrigated field crops are stressed because of the high temperatures.
Haying has stopped in most areas. The dry weather has stopped dryland
forage development in most areas. Pecan trees are starting to abort their
nuts. Forty-three percent of the peanuts are pegging, the same as last
week. Peanut condition: very poor 0%, poor 37%, fair 60%, and good 3%.
Sugarcane growing on sandy land is showing stress.

    Moisture               Topsoil                      Subsoil
     Rating       Last week      This week     Last week      This week

                                         Percent
 Very short                69            50             31             23
 Short                     20            31             58             57
 Adequate                  11            19             11             20
 Surplus                    0             0              0              0

LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: Panhandle cattlemen were feeding hay and cattle in
some cases were showing signs of heat stress. In the northern counties,
grass was short and the cattle were in serious condition. Some locations
got rain, but the overall pasture situation is critical. Several thousand
acres burned. Hay feeding was active. Pastures were being irrigated where
possible. Central area pastures were in critically poor condition in
several locations. Cattle supplemental feeding was active. In the west
central areas, the cattle condition improved. The pasture condition
improved a little after some rain. In the southwest, it was very dry and
there were lots of brush fires.

                           Range                        Cattle
   Condition
                 Last week      This week     Last week       This week
                                         Percent
 Very poor                30             20             5               0
 Poor                     50             50            10              25
 Fair                     20             25            75              55
 Good                      0              5            10              20
 Excellent                 0              0             0               0

CITRUS: The first part of this week was again very hot and dry with
temperatures in the upper 90s to above 100 degrees. There were several
scattered showers and thunderstorms the last few days of the week. A lot
more rain is needed before the current drought can be broken or relieved.
Growers and caretakers are still irrigating around the clock to help
maintain good to adequate tree condition. The current dry spell has lasted
for two and a half months. Those groves without irrigation are generally in
various stages of wilt. There have been some leaf and new crop fruit
droppage in the driest areas. Some reset trees in non-irrigated groves are
in very bad shape. Those Valencia oranges remaining for harvest are showing
various stages of softening depending on irrigations. Virtually all of
these late type oranges currently being picked are going to the processors.
Very few grapefruit are being picked at this time as most of the packing
houses and grapefruit processors are closed for the season.

    Caretakers are cutting cover crops and herbiciding to help reduce
moisture loss. Summer fertilizing and spraying are now being done. Hedging
and topping are being reported in all areas.

VEGETABLES: Producers are picking sweet corn, eggplant, peppers, tomatoes,
and watermelons. Growers are abandoning some watermelon acreage due to the
drought with some fruit scalded by the sun. Harvesting of other vegetables
for mainly local sales continues.

                         VEGETABLES--1997-98 SEASON

    Most producers delayed planting due to the threat of stormy weather
during July 1997. Daily showers continued over inland areas of the
Peninsula during mid to late July. Feeder bands from Hurricane Danny
brought thunderstorms to most localities July 18 through 20. Rainfall from
Danny ranged from two to eight inches with Santa Rosa County and
northeastern localities of Escambia County affected. Official rain amounts
for July totaled from six to about ten and a half inches. July temperatures
averaged near normal. Daily afternoon showers during August delayed some
land preparations for the laying of plastic and the planting of fall crops
over the southern Peninsula. Planting started in early August along the
southeastern coast and in the Palmetto-Ruskin region. Showers arriving in
the late afternoon during mid-August around Immokalee allowed growers to
begin planting. For the month of August, rainfall totaled from almost four
to almost ten and a half inches and temperatures averaged within a degree
or two of normal. Temperatures during the first three weeks of September
averaged mostly one to five degrees below normal as scattered showers
brought from a trace to three to five inches of rain each week. During late
September heavy rains fell over the West Central region, some parts of the
Southwest and East Coast areas, and over Dade County. Unofficial reports
showed about nine to sixteen inches of rain fell in the Palmetto-Ruskin
area. Rivers and creeks flooded some adjoining agricultural land as they
crested during the days following the rain. Drier weather over most of the
Peninsula during the last days of September and in early October helped
fields dry out from previous heavy rains. However, Dade County received
about two and a half inches of rain south of Homestead and about three and
a half inches in northern parts during the period. Temperatures averaged
near normal to above from late September into early October. No tropical
storms or hurricanes threatened the State during August and September. Dry,
warm conditions in most areas during October helped the growth and
development of crops. Temperatures during October were mostly within a
degree of normal until the end of the month when a cold front started
crossing the State. October rain totaled from about three-fourths of an
inch at West Palm Beach to about five and a half inches at Daytona Beach.
The October rain totals were over three inches below usual at Miami and
about five and a half below at West Palm Beach. Cold fronts continued to
cross the State about every two weeks during November and December bringing
abundant rain to many localities with some fields flooded. Strong winds
accompanying some of these storms tossed plants with wind- borne sand
scarring some fruit. Frost brought harvesting to an end in most northern
localities after mid-November. Rainfall during November totaled from about
two and a half inches at Jacksonville to over six inches at Valparaiso.
November temperatures averaged normal to two degrees below. December
temperatures were normal during the first two weeks but plunged three to
six degrees below normal after mid-month. Heavy rains, ranging from five to
twelve inches, fell around Palmetto-Ruskin during the second week of
December. Late December temperatures fell to freezing levels in many
western Panhandle, northern Peninsula, and some central Peninsula
localities. During the last full week of December rain interrupted
harvesting in most central and some southern areas as temperatures climbed
six to nine degrees above normal. Central parts experienced from two to
over six inches from these storms. Temperatures averaged normal to one
degree below for December. Rain for December totaled four to almost sixteen
inches at the major stations, and ranged from near normal at Valparaiso to
about thirteen and a half inches above normal at Tampa. Warmer, clearer
weather arrived by early January boosting plant growth and development of
central and southern Peninsula crops and accelerating harvesting over the
region. Rainy weather persisted for the rest of January, February, and
March. Strong winds that accompanied storms tossed crops and blew off
blooms with wind- borne sand scarring fruit. This wind damage lowered some
winter and most spring yields. However, virtually all crops escaped
significant damage from the sometimes deadly tornadoes spawned by these
storms. Muddy soils delayed some planting in most areas and severely
damaged some root crops around Zellwood. However, the fields in the Lake
Okeechobee region escaped most of these heavy rains. January precipitation
ranged from an inch at Miami to over eleven inches at West Palm Beach.
February totals ranged from about four and a half inches at Key West to
over ten inches at Tampa. March rain totaled from about two and three
fourths inches at Jacksonville to six and a half inches at Valparaiso. Most
January temperatures averaged three to four degrees above normal. February
temperatures were within a degree or two of normal. March temperatures
plunged to freezing levels over many western Panhandle and northern and
central Peninsula localities during March 11 through 13 with temperatures
for the month averaging mostly two to three degrees below normal. Drier,
warmer weather arrived during early April with temperatures during the
first week averaging five to nine degrees above normal. These warmer
temperatures boosted plant growth and fruit development. Strong winds near
mid-month affected plant growth in some southeastern and southern Peninsula
localities and caused an increase in the need for irrigation. Drier weather
during April allowed fieldwork to progress normally with most of the major
stations recording two thirds inches of rain or less during April. During
the last two weeks of April, Palmetto-Ruskin growers started picking
squash, cherry tomatoes, and plum tomatoes. Producers in the Southwest also
began cutting watermelons after mid-April as the Dade County tomato harvest
neared the end. Storms near the end of the month brought the monthly rain
total for Jacksonville to almost five inches with one to two inches falling
in some East Coast localities. These late April storms also brought hail
and wind damage to some northeastern sites. Monthly temperatures averaged
within one degree of normal for April. Harvesting of northern vegetable
acreage gained momentum during early May as Palmetto-Ruskin producers
started picking round varieties of tomatoes. May weather consisted of warm
temperatures averaging one to four degrees above normal, and scattered
showers dropping traces of rain around Daytona Beach and over four inches
in the Orlando area. In mid-to-late May, Manatee County producers took
special measures for the harvesting and packing of tomatoes due to a Medfly
quarantine with only green tomatoes allowed to be marketed from quarantined
fields. All southern tomato growers took a harvesting holiday on May 23 and
24 due to low market prices. Producers around Quincy started picking
tomatoes in late May with shipping gaining momentum during early June.
Temperatures soared to record highs during June with Jacksonville recording
a weekly average high of 100 degrees; and Orlando, an average high of 99
for June 14 through 20. Most weekly average temperatures for the month of
June averaged two to eight degrees above normal. Scattered showers during
June dropped only light amounts of rain in most localities with mainly
extreme southern Peninsula areas receiving about three inches. This lack of
rain withered dryland crops, especially watermelons, in several localities.
Lightning from storms ignited the very dry brush in some northern, central,
and southern Peninsula localities. However, flames and smoke from these
fires caused no significant damage to vegetables. Central and southern
Peninsula growers wrapped up most harvesting during late June with
Zellwood, Quincy, and Dade County producers expected to market sweet corn,
tomatoes, and okra, respectively, through early July. Northern Peninsula
and Panhandle producers will cut watermelons through July, also.

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