nj-crop-weather

State
New Jersey Crop Weather

Released
May 17, 2004

Week Ending
May 17, 2004

Issue
NJ-CW2004

In Cooperation With: 
   U.S. Department of Agriculture
   National Agricultural Statistics Service
   Agricultural Marketing Service
   U.S. Department of Commerce/N.O.A.A.
   Rutgers University
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Warm Weather Speeds Plant Growth

Days suitable for field work were 5.7.  There were measurable amounts of rainfall 
during the week across most of the state.  Temperatures were above normal across 
the state for the week.  Soil moisture was rated 6% short, 87% adequate, and 7% 
surplus.  Irrigation water supplies were rated 95% adequate and 5% surplus.  
Farmers were busy fertilizing, cultivating, plowing, and planting where field 
conditions allowed.  Barley fields were mostly headed out in the southern and 
central counties.  Wheat fields were over seventy percent headed out in the 
central and southern counties with a report of some powdery mildew in some 
central district fields.  Soybean planting accelerated in central and northern 
districts.  Field corn began to emerge in the central district.  Some hay fields 
were sprayed for cereal rust mite in the portions of the state.  Vegetables were 
reported as being in mostly good condition, with some irrigation of vegetables in 
the south.  Sweet corn planting continued in the south where conditions allowed.   
Pea planting activities continued in the northern counties.  Transplanting of 
cucumbers, eggplant and, peppers continued across the state.  Cucumbers, directly 
seeded into fields, emerged in some southern fields.  Early transplanted tomato 
plants began to flower, while early planted snap beans began to emerge in southern 
localities.  Cantaloupe transplanting continued in southern areas; while in most 
central localities cantaloupe plants were still in greenhouses.  Cabbage 
transplanting finished in central and southern areas.  Harvest of green and red 
lettuces, cilantro, leeks, and endive continued in the south.  Escarole harvest 
began in some southern fields.  Asparagus and spinach harvest was active across 
the state.  Basil and arugula planting continued in southern areas of the state.  
Irish potato vines were reported in good condition.  Apple and peach bloom set 
was good in the central district.  In the southern district, peaches are sizing 
well and the crop is heavy.  Strawberries were rated as being in fair to excellent 
condition across the state.  Harvest of strawberries, planted under plastic, began 
in some fields in the south; while picking of Chandler strawberries began in the 
central district.  Blueberries continued to bloom in southern localities with crop 
condition ratings of mostly good.  There was a report of spraying for fire blight 
due to hot weather during the past week.  Livestock producers were aggressively 
rotating pastures to maximize growth of grasses this season.
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	8 AM EDT MON MAY 17 2004

RAINFALL AMOUNTS, NONE TODAY, TENTH OF AN INCH POSSIBLE TONIGHT, NONE TUESDAY.

WINDS FOR SPRAYING, BECOMING SOUTHEAST AROUND 10 MPH TODAY, SOUHTEAST AROUND 10MPH 
EARLY TONIGHT, THEN LIGHT AND VARIABLE, SOUTHWEST AROUND 10 MPH TUESDAY.

RELATIVE HUMIDITY IN PERCENT, 45 TO 55 TODAY, 90 TO 100 TONIGHT, 45 TO 55 TUESDAY.

DEW POINTS, 60 TO 65 THROUGH TUESDAY.

DRYING CONDITIONS FAIR TO GOOD  TODAY AND AGAIN TUESDAY.

FROST, FREEZE, OR DEW, AS WELL AS POSSIBLE WETTING FROM DEW PLUS IN A SHOWER TONIGHT 
AND AGAIN TUESDAY NIGHT.

PERCENT OF POSSIBLE SUNSHINE, 60 TODAY, 60 TUESDAY.

THERE IS A 20 PERCENT PROBABILITY OF PRECIPITATION DURING THE 12 HOUR PERIOD 
BEGINNING AT 8 AM AND ENDING AT 8 PM THAT COULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE PERFORMANCE 
OF PESTICIDES THAT REQUIRE A RAIN FREE PERIOD AFTER APPLICATION.

ESTIMATED SOIL MOISTURE IN PERCENT OF FIELD CAPACITY HAS BECOME FAVORABLE IN MOST 
LOCATIONS.

FOUR INCH SOIL TEMPERATURES ARE GENERALLY IN THE MID TO UPPER 60S.  SOIL 
TEMPERATURES WILL HOLD STEADY OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS.

TEMPERATURES IN THE RESPRESENTATIVE CRANBERRY BOGS WILL REMAIN ABOVE FREEZING 
FOR THE NEXT FEW NIGHTS.

HAY CUTTING WILL SEE FAIR DRYING CONDITIONS FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS WITH FAIRLY 
GOOD DRYING FOR MUCH OF THE DAY, BUT WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS  POSSIBLE TONIGHT 
AND AGAIN TUESDAY AFTERNOON.

THE LATEST 8 TO 14 DAY OUTLOOK FOR THE PERIOD MAY 24, 2004 THROUGH MAY 30, 2004, 
IS CALLING FOR TEMPERATURES TO AVERAGE NEAR NORMAL AND PRECIPITATION TO TOTAL 
NEAR NORMAL.


	Climate summary for the week ending 8 am  May 17, 2004

Temperatures averaged much, much above normal, averaging 70 degrees north, 70 
degrees central, and 74 degrees south.  Extremes were 91 degrees at several 
locations on May 13, 2004, and 50 degrees at Belvidere on May 17, 2004.

Weekly rainfall averaged 1.63 inches north, 0.56 inches central, and 0.33 inches 
south.  The heaviest 24 hour total reported was 1.63 inches at Charlotteburg on 
May 10, 2004 through May 11, 2004.  

Estimated soil moisture, in percent of field capacity, this past week averaged 
92 percent north, 77 percent central, and 58 percent south.  

Four inch soil temperatures averaged 67 degrees north, 66 degrees central, and 
69 degrees south.

  	WEATHER SUMMARY FOR THE WEEK ENDING 8 AM MONDAY      May 17, 2004

                         R A I N F A L L        TEMPERATURE     GDD BASE50  MON
  WEATHER STATIONS      WEEK  TOTAL    DEP   MX  MN  AVG  DEP  TOT   DEP   %FC
  BELVIDERE BRIDGE       .91   9.51    -.25  87  50  71.   11   369   204   89
  CANOE BROOK           2.23  12.33    1.56  91  55  72.   13   388   245   97
  CHARLOTTEBURG         2.24  11.54     .93  86  51  69.   12   341   258   92
  FLEMINGTON            1.33  12.05    1.81  89  54  71.   11   371   216   92
  LONG VALLEY           1.01   9.78   -1.21  86  54  69.   11   311   204   93
  NEWTON                2.06  10.31     .87  87  52  70.   12   319   210   97

  FREEHOLD               .77  11.84    1.65  91  53  71.   10   429   230   85
  LONG BRANCH            .12  11.15     .63  89  54  67.    7   299   132   56
  NEW BRUNSWICK         1.17  10.74     .79  89  54  70.    8   381   156   98
  TOMS RIVER             .51  11.80    1.59  91  57  72.   11   440   256   63
  TRENTON                .22  10.61    1.39  88  55  72.    9   413   159   61

  CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE   .30   9.27     .33  86  55  71.   10   386   163   33
  DOWNSTOWN              .41   9.64     .45  88  59  75.   12   487   222   52
  GLASSBORO              .62  13.06    3.31  88  59  74.   12   497   244   65
  HAMMONTON              .34  10.14     .66  90  57  75.   13   503   258   41
  POMONA                 .10   8.10    -.82  88  56  73.   12   442   240   36
  SEABROOK               .22  10.43    2.08  89  65  76.   13   546   276   55
  SOUTH HARRISON         .62  12.47    3.00  88  60  75    NA   520    NA   NA
 
JERSEY FRESH AVAILABILITY FOR MAY 17, 2004

Arugula & Baby Arugula - Being harvested in good quality and volume.  

Asparagus - Good quality is being harvested in good volume. The season should 
run until mid-June.  We're just past the peak of the season.

Beets - Harvesting good quality and light volume.

Cilantro - Good quality spring planted is available in good volume.

Collards - Should be harvested in minimal volume later this week.

Dandelions - Spring planted available in good volume.

Dill - Harvesting good quality and volume.

Escarole/Endive - Harvesting good quality Endive in fair volume.  Escarole 
is just starting to be harvested in good quality though minimal volume.

Green Onions & Leeks - A small volume of over-wintered product is still available.  
Transplanted leeks should be available by mid-June.  Spring planted varieties due 
in July.

Lettuces - Harvesting good quality lettuces in heavy volume. 

Parsley - Good quality spring planted available in light quantity.

Radishes - Good quality and volume being harvested. 

Spinach & Baby Spinach - Good quality and volume of spring planted available. 

JERSEY FRESH FORECAST

Basil - Should be available by the end of the month or 1st week of June.

Blueberries - Early varieties like Weymouth beginning in mid June.  Volume 
available 7-10 days later.  Duke variety starting around June 21 with volume 
a week later.  Bluecrop variety after that.

Cabbage - Should be available by the end of the month or first week of June.

Iceberg Lettuce - Should be available by the end of the month.

Strawberries - Good quality Sweet Charlie and Chandler berries are available 
in good quantity.  Our berries are picked ripe, have more red interior color, 
and a larger berry size since they're physically more mature. They're a better 
quality and better tasting berry. 

The bulk of our berries will be harvested towards the end of May, with lower 
volumes to continue through the first week of June.  Unfortunately, winter was 
very hard on the plugs that were planted last summer.  It seems that we have 
lost a significant amount of our expected '04 production.  

Turnips - Should begin harvesting some time next week.