ga-crop-weather

State
Georgia Crop Weather

Week Ending Date
September 17, 2006

Issue
GA-CW3706
Agricultural Summary
September 17, 2006
                MORE RAIN AND COOLER TEMPERATURES
A mid-week cold front brought more rain and cooler temperatures to Georgia 
this week, according to the USDA, NASS, Georgia field office.  Rainfall 
remained varied, but totals were slightly less than they have been over 
the past several weeks.  Most areas received about one inch of rain this 
week.  Daytime temperatures peaked in the low to mid 80's.  Lows remained 
in the mid 60's all week.  Soil moisture conditions were rated at 7% very 
short, 25% short, 64% adequate, and 4% surplus.

Cotton defoliation was underway and some producers began to harvest cotton.  
Late planted and irrigated fields were reported in the best condition.  Some 
producers fear yield will only be fair to poor.  Producers also reported plans 
to begin digging peanuts soon.  Irrigated fields were reported in good 
condition.  Dryland fields were reported in fair to poor condition.  

Pastures and hayfields have experienced severe armyworm infestations over the 
past several weeks.  Producers continued to spray for the worms across the 
State.  White mold was reported in peanuts.  Hay supplies remain short.  Other 
activities included harvesting corn, peanut maturity checks, and planting 
Vidalia onions. County Extension Agents reported an average of 5.4 days 
suitable for fieldwork.

  
                   
CROP PROGRESS
                            Sep 17,     Prev       Prev     5 Year
                             2006       Week       Year      Avg
Corn, Harvested               89         77         73        79
Soybeans, Setting Pods        99         95         99        99
Soybeans, Dropping Leaves     29         18         22        27
Sorghum, Harvested            45         44         30        32
Cotton, Bolls Open            82         66         51        66
Cotton, Harvested              6          2          1         5
Apples, Harvested             31         24         21        35
Peanuts, Dug                   6          2         11        15
Peanuts, Combined              2          0          4         8
Rye, Planted                   7          0          2         5
Other Small Grains, Planted    4          0          1         3
Tobacco, Harvested            98         94        100        99
						

CROP CONDITION
September 17, 2006
Crop        Very Poor   Poor   Fair   Good    Excellent
                        --Percentages--
Soybeans       11        31     33     24         1
Sorghum         7        17     37     35         4
Cotton         15        24     35     23         3
Pasture         8        29     37     25         1
Apples          4         4     18     62        12
Hay            10        28     37     24         1
Peanuts         7        23     37     30         3
Pecans         15        36     33     16         0
						
						
						
PASTURE CONDITION - DISTRICT* LEVEL
September 17, 2006
            Very Poor   Poor   Fair   Good    Excellent
                        --Percentages--
Dist 1(NW)     31        48    18       3         0
Dist 2(NC)      0        20    40      38         2
Dist 3(NE)      4        23    65       8         0
Dist 4(WC)      6        43    33      18         0
Dist 5(C)      14        24    37      25         0
Dist 6(EC)      5        42    29      24         0
Dist 7(SW)      3        25    28      39         5
Dist 8(SC)      5        26    44      24         1
Dist 9(SE)      1        11    47      38         3
*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
                Sep 17, 2006   Prev Year      5 Year Avg
                       --Percentages--
Very Short           7           28              12
Short               25           48              29
Adequate            64           23              42
Surplus              4            1              17

						
SOIL MOISTURE - DISTRICT* LEVEL						
September 17, 2006				
	     Very Short	   Short    Adequate  Surplus	
		--Percentages--				
Dist 1(NW)      30          42          28        0
Dist 2(NC)       0          21          76        3
Dist 3(NE)       2          20          78        0
Dist 4(WC)       9          29          59        3
Dist 5(C)        4          21          73        2
Dist 6(EC)      10          36          50        4
Dist 7(SW)       4           9          74       13
Dist 8(SC)      13          30          54        3
Dist 9(SE)       1          20          73        6
*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     
                               SEPTEMBER 17, 2006 1/
                                                   2006
                Air Temperature             Precipitation Totals
                Extreme Weekly    Rain      30      60            Soil
Location        Max Min  AvG   Weekly Day   Day     Day    Season Temp
ALBANY          92  65   77    1.93    1    4.97    10.86  35.57   82
ALMA            90  63   76    0.00    0    7.22     8.56  33.72   79
ALPHARETTA      86  54   68    1.47    2    4.49     7.68  30.72   74
ARLINGTON       92  63   75    0.70    3    7.30    12.84  35.04   80
ATTAPULGUS      91  68   76    3.21    3    5.65    12.24  32.69   81
BLAIRSVILLE     81  50   64    0.77    3    2.73     7.64  34.44   73
BOWEN           90  64   75    0.20    3    3.29     7.71  28.00   82
BRUNSWICK       89  66   77    1.09    2    8.28    10.25  28.31   81
BYROMVILLE      88  62   74    0.70    3    9.72    14.38  33.75   80
BYRON           88  59   73    0.82    2    3.24     9.83  24.82   78
CAIRO           90  69   77    1.47    2    4.54     8.24  25.73   81
CALHOUN         89  51   70    0.59    2    2.46     4.03  26.13   77
CAMILLA         91  63   76    2.62    3    3.30    12.55  35.82   81
CLARKS HILL     87  58   71    1.40    2    4.35    10.60  34.42   77
CORDELE         88  61   75    0.26    2    5.04     9.05  26.91   79
COVINGTON       85  56   70    1.45    3    4.03     8.58  21.63   76
DAHLONEGA       82  53   66    2.32    3    6.52     8.98  28.69   71
DALLAS          86  54   69    2.12    2    3.38     6.91  29.61   75
DAWSON          89  63   75    1.20    2    6.08    10.31  22.83   79
DEARING         88  59   72    1.85    2    3.86    10.66  29.59   78
DEMPSEY         86  54   71    1.36    2    2.74     6.51  22.15   75
DIXIE           91  67   76    0.99    4    4.32    10.45  29.90   82
DUBLIN          88  60   73    1.08    2    4.28     7.43  25.70   79
DULUTH          86  54   69    1.55    2    3.36     7.67  30.39   74
DUNWOODY        86  54   69    1.67    2    4.58     7.78  31.13   75
EATONTON        88  56   70    0.86    2    2.04     6.78  23.72   78
ELLIJAY         83  50   66    1.43    2    4.37     5.98  32.44   73
FORT VALLEY     88  61   74    0.09    2    3.16     6.24  20.06   78
GAINESVILLE     83  59   69    1.33    2    4.82     7.08  25.55   76
GEORGETOWN      91  60   75    0.21    1    1.66     4.98  22.95   82
GRIFFIN         85  55   71    1.37    2    2.83     7.14  23.68   76
HOMERVILLE      91  61   76    0.57    2    2.81     5.95  23.67   80
JACKSONVILLE    87  60   73    1.14    1    3.86     9.85  24.43   79
JONESBORO       87  56   70    1.39    2    6.14    10.72  32.38   76
LAFAYETTE       87  51   68    0.45    2    2.41     4.41  26.91   75
MCRAE           88  58   74    0.00    0    3.60     6.55  26.69   81
MIDVILLE        87  61   73    0.95    2    2.58     4.38  21.64   80
NAHUNTA         89  60   75    0.17    2    3.19     5.65  23.81   81
NEWTON          90  66   76    1.86    4    5.49    10.42  36.56   81
PINE MOUNTAIN   89  58   72    1.00    3    2.95     7.65  26.38   76
PLAINS          90  62   74    0.72    3    5.19    16.15  36.03   78
ROME            88  53   70    0.82    2    2.99     5.21  27.00   76
ROOPVILLE       89  56   70    2.66    2    9.38    13.07  38.00   76
SASSER          89  63   75    0.84    2    4.63    11.39  26.77   79
SAVANNAH        89  62   76    0.16    1    3.71     7.93  28.93   81
SKIDAWAY        85  64   75    0.59    2    7.72     9.91  30.97   77
SNEADS          95  69   78    0.67    2    3.12     8.59  33.51   82
STATESBORO      88  60   73    0.11    1    3.84     9.25  25.40   82
TIFTON          92  66   76    0.22    1    2.74     4.81  27.19   78
TIGER           82  52   65    2.34    4    6.90     9.43  39.02   72
VALDOSTA        92  70   78    0.55    3    1.65     6.43  29.91   80
VIDALIA         88  61   75    0.00    0    2.82     6.89  21.22   80
WATKINSVILLE    84  58   69    1.17    2    4.33     8.94  30.50   75
WILLIAMSON      87  53   71    2.15    4    3.78     7.54  22.24   76
WOODBINE        92  66   76    0.54    1    5.85     9.08  25.67   82
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 National Agricultural Statistics Service.

DISTRICT COMMENTS - Week 36
September 17, 2006

DISTRICT 1 - NORTHWEST
Another busy week with spraying for armyworms.  Rains at the beginning of week 
were a welcome sight.

DISTRICT 2 - NORTH CENTRAL
Armyworms are still moving through hay fields and pastures.

Armyworms still a major problem throughout this area.

Cooler temperatures and much needed rain a welcome sight this week!

DISTRICT 3 - NORTHEAST
No comments available.

DISTRICT 4 - WEST CENTRAL
Pastures and hayfields have had severe fall armyworm infestations for the past 
4 - 6 weeks requiring insecticide sprays.

Several cloudy days but very little rainfall this week.

DISTRICT 5 - CENTRAL
Showers mid-week in most parts of the county.  Still having some army worm 
problems in some pastures and hayfields.  Corn harvest continues.

Army worms have finished off what was left of any hay crops--it's been a 
horrible year for forage growers--the drought plus now the army worms have 
been devastating.

Good rainfall amounts received on Wednesday of this week - still need more 
rainfall to catch up from summer drought - armyworms have been fairly heavy 
across our area - hopefully they will decline some after rainfall received.

Cotton defoliation begins.  Pastures/hayfields recovering from armyworms.  
Soybeans looking good.  Peanuts behind in maturity.

Conditions are terrible for livestock and forage producers.  Drought 
conditions beginning last September have been severe.  Recent rains have 
given them a little hope of a decent fall.  However, fall armyworms threaten 
any fields that dare grow any grass.  Growers have had to spray fields multiple 
times to keep worms from robbing late season forage.  Hay supplies are short 
going into the fall.

DISTRICT 6 - EAST CENTRAL
Cotton harvest starting.  Peanut digging will start first of next week, have a 
chance for decent late planted soybeans and some decent IV's already harvested.

Cooler temperatures but still very little rain.

DISTRICT 7 - SOUTHWEST
Received 1.93" of rainfall.  Cotton defoliation start-up.  Peanut maturity 
checks started.

DISTRICT 8 - SOUTH CENTRAL
Cotton difficult to defoliate.  Peanuts worst than we thought.  Hay short.  
Peanut hay short. Corn yields fair. Cotton yields will be poor to fair.  Need 
rain!

Enjoying cooler weather.  Steadily blasting peanuts - more every day.  
Irrigated peanuts look fair to good.  Some dryland peanut fields have nearly 
no crop.  Recent rain helped but now it is dry again.  Pockets of rain in 
county and in those cases there are fair dryland peanuts -need rain to 
continue.  Whitemold on the increase in peanuts.  Foliage feeders on increase 
too.  Treating armyworms in pastures and some peanut fields.  Plenty of cotton 
being defoliated - crop very short.  Some later and irrigated cotton looks 
better - time and future rainfall events will determine success.

DISTRICT 9 - SOUTHEAST
Peanut digging expected to begin later this week.  Vidalia onion feedbeds 
being planted now.

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

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