Mississippi Crop Weather
                                                                                
Released October 1, 2007
Week Ending Date September 30, 2007
                                                                                
Issue
MS-CW3907
                                                                                
Agricultural Summary
                                                                                
According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service in Mississippi, 
there were 5.5 days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending Sunday, 
September 30, 2007. Overall, harvesting of cotton progressed well, although 
there were scattered showers in the lower Delta. In parts of the State where 
dry conditions persist, producers have delayed planting cool-season forage 
crops until there is an adequate amount of precipitation. Soil moisture was 
rated 27 percent very short, 32 percent short, 32 percent adequate and 9 
percent surplus.

                                                                                
                Crop progress for week ending 09/30/07               
---------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   : This  : Last  : Last  : 5-year  
                Crop               : week  : week  : year  : average 
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                                   :             Percent             
                                   :                                 
Corn, harvested                    :   98      96     100       97 
Cotton, open bolls                 :   98      95      99       95   
Cotton, harvested                  :   46      35      56       35   
Hay-Warm Season, harvested         :   96      95      95       96   
Peanuts, harvested                 :   32      24      27       --   
Rice, mature                       :  100     100     100       99   
Rice, harvested                    :   95      88      90       81   
Sorghum, mature                    :  100     100     100      100   
Sorghum, harvested                 :   97      96     100       99   
Soybeans, turning color            :  100      98     100       98   
Soybeans, dropping leaves          :   93      91      98       93   
Soybeans, harvested                :   65      59      90       76   
Sweet Potatoes, harvested          :   53      45      57       49   
Winter Wheat, planted              :    1      --      17       11   
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              Crop condition for week ending 09/30/07              
-------------------------------------------------------------------
                    :  Very  :        :        :        :          
        Item        :  poor  :  Poor  :  Fair  :  Good  :Excellent 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
                    :                   Percent                    
                    :                                              
Cotton              :   2         5       25       51        17    
Livestock           :   3        11       31       46         9    
Pasture             :   9        20       32       31         8    
Peanuts             :   0         0       36       55         9    
Soybeans            :   2         6       15       43        34    
Sweet Potatoes      :   0         0       23       67        10    
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                                    Comments                                    
                                                                                
"Good weather this week should allow growers to harvest cotton and soybeans. 
Yields on all crops continue to be good."
                                                                                
                                                  -- Don Respess, Coahoma

"Yields on are good corn this year and there is very little left in the 
field. Soybeans are mixed. Some are looking very good but the soybeans that 
are planted behind wheat are suffering. Cotton is being defoliated and 
several producers started picking this week."
                                                                                
                                     -- Jimbo Burkhalter, Tallahatchie

"There still has been no rain for North Mississippi. Producers are in a 
holding pattern waiting for enough moisture to plant fall cool season 
grasses. Most of the fescue pastures are still in dormancy; some stand losses 
have been observed. Time is running out to have any cool-season grasses to 
graze this fall and early winter. Supplemental feed prices continue to soar."
                                                                                
                                                  -- Mike Howell, Lee

"Rains slowed harvest and field activities this past week. The quality of 
soybeans is deteriorating each week that they stay in the field."
                                                                                
                                           -- Jerry Singleton, Leflore

"Scattered thundershowers and drizzles stopped harvest early in the week. 
Fieldwork such as bedding and subsoiling are the only field activities 
happening where only a slight amount of rainfall fell. Some areas reported 
as much as 5 inches of rain."
                                                                                
                                              -- Tommy Baird, Sunflower

"Cotton harvest started in earnest. Showers have slowed the picking but it 
is starting out with good yields. We will wait and see."

                                         -- Stephen R. Winters, Grenada

"Corn harvest has been slowed due to storage and transportation shortages. 
Most Group IV soybeans have been harvested and Group V's are near maturity. 
Cotton harvest aid applications are nearly complete."

                                               -- Jay Phelps, Pontotoc

"Although the dry weather is good for harvesting, it has become a big 
problem for forage production and for planting cool season forage crops."

                                                -- Ernest Flint, Attala
 
"Cooler nights, shorter days and no rainfall are not a good combination for 
growing hay. Most producers are hoping to get a good last cutting. A little 
rain would help."

                                                -- Ruby D. Rankin, Kemper

"Scattered showers gave some benefit to area pastures. Final hay cuts 
proceeded during the week with little impediment by rain. Soybean harvest 
is underway with fields in various stages from just dropping leaves to 
ready to harvest. Cotton defoliation has been effective and harvest is 
beginning."

                                          -- Ed Williams, Oktibbeha

"Dry weather has allowed for late summer hay harvest and the planting of 
cool season forages. Hay should be plentiful this winter but some moisture 
is needed to get cool season forages off to a good start."

                                                   -- Richard Hay, Amite

"The cotton crop is looking good. Peanuts have been harvested and irrigation 
improved the yields. Pastures are beginning to show signs of very dry 
conditions and producers are selling cattle to keep from over wintering."

                                           -- Florieda K. Mason, Perry

    

             Mississippi Weather Summary for Week Ending 09/30/07             
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  :                    :                     :4 Inch Soil:    
                  :  Air Temperature   :    Precipitation    :Temperature:Avg 
                  :------------------------------------------------------:Plan
 Division/Station :Max:Min:Avg:Norm:DFN:One : DFN :Rain:Four :Max:Min:Avg:Evap
                  :   :   :   :    :   :Week:     :Days:Weeks:   :   :   :    
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Upper Delta       :                                                           
  Cleveland       :89  57  75   71   4  0.39 -0.20  3   1.61                  
  Lambert         :94  58  78           0.33 -0.37  3   1.72                  
  Tunica          :91  58  77   70   7  0.52 -0.11  2   1.95                  
  Extreme/Average :94  57  77   71   6  0.41 -0.23  3   1.76                  
North-Central     :                                                           
  Calhoun City    :91  52  76   70   6  0.00 -0.75  0   3.13                  
  Hickory Flat    :91  52  75   68   7  0.54 -0.30  2   2.29                  
  Independence    :91  51  75   69   6  0.32 -0.43  1   1.18                  
  Oxford          :92  56  77   69   8  0.11 -0.73  2   1.09                  
  Extreme/Average :92  51  76   69   7  0.24 -0.55  1   1.92                  
Northeast         :                                                           
  Iuka            :90  65  78   66  12  0.00 -0.90  0   3.36                  
  Ripley          :92  50  75   67   8  0.19 -0.65  2   1.72                  
  Tupelo          :91  65  79           0.11        1   4.03                  
  Verona          :91  52  76   70   6  0.03 -0.84  1   4.16                  
  Extreme/Average :92  50  77   68   9  0.08 -0.80  1   3.32                  
Lower Delta       :                                                           
  Moorhead        :88  59  76   72   4  2.31  1.51  4   6.25                  
  Rolling Fork    :90  60  77   72   5  0.66 -0.11  3   3.37                  
  Stoneville      :91  64  78   71   7  1.27  0.50  4   4.35                  
  Yazoo City      :89  62  77   73   4  0.72 -0.01  2   6.37                  
  Extreme/Average :91  59  77   72   5  1.24 -0.47  3   5.09                  
Central           :                                                           
  Canton          :90  55  78   72   6  0.30 -0.40  3   3.18                  
  Carthage        :89  55  75   71   4  0.00 -0.76  0   1.71                  
  Eupora          :89  53  74   69   5  0.08 -0.81  1   6.52                  
  Lexington       :89  56  75   70   5  0.38 -0.32  1   6.00                  
  Extreme/Average :90  53  76   71   5  0.19 -0.57  1   4.35                  
East-Central      :                                                           
  Aberdeen        :89  57  76   70   6  0.55 -0.33  4   4.93                  
  Philadelphia    :90  64  78   71   7  0.65 -0.06  1   0.75                  
  State University:91  53  76   70   6  1.20  0.43  2   4.55                  
  Extreme/Average :91  53  77   70   7  0.80  0.01  2   3.41                  
Southwest         :                                                           
  Crystal Springs :91  63  78   73   5  1.06  0.10  2   3.41                  
  Natchez         :89  64  77   73   4  1.33  0.49  3   4.58                  
  Oakley          :90  58  77   72   5  0.87  0.22  3   4.32                  
  Vicksburg       :89  65  78           0.65        3   5.37                  
  Extreme/Average :91  58  78   73   5  0.98  0.27  1   4.42                  
South-Central     :                                                           
  Collins         :89  64  77   72   5  2.00  1.08  2   2.70                  
  Columbia        :91  63  79   73   6  1.13  0.25  2   2.99                  
  Tylertown       :89  66  79   74   5  0.83 -0.07  2   2.42                  
  Extreme/Average :91  63  78   73   5  1.32  0.42  2   2.70                  
Southeast         :                                                           
  Beaumont        :93  66  80           
  Hattiesburg     :90  68  79   73   6  1.00  0.12  2   4.47                  
  Laurel          :95  60  79   72   7  0.00 -0.91  0   3.27                  
  Newton          :91  54  75   71   4  0.72 -0.07  2   2.76                  
  Extreme/Average :95  54  78   72   6  0.43 -0.29  1   2.63                  
Coastal           :                                                           
  Gulfport        :90  70  79   76   3  0.22 -0.97  1   3.17                  
  Extreme/Average :                                       
State             :95  50  77   71   6  0.63 -0.14  2   3.29                  
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DFN = Departure from Normal.