rot....L0 G-A p A4oo, C7 PI GEORGIA WEATHER &CROPS W4 19~~(16-1 J USDA-National Agricultural Statistics Service Cooperative Extension Service Georgia Department of Agriculture GEORGI~ AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS SERVICE Stephens Federal Building Suite 320 Athens, Georgia 30601 Phone: (706)546-2236 135-98-31 Publication No. USPS 383-970 Week Ending October 11, 1998 Released 4 P.M. Tuesday, October 13, 1998 FIELD WORK DELAYS CONTINUE We want to get our releases to you more quickly! To do this, we will begin E-mail or Fax delivery to as many subscribers as possible. Please let us know your E-mail or Fax number and we will begin faster delivery of the releases you have requested. CROP HIGHLIGHTS Showers brought rain to most areas of the State limiting harvest of row crops and planting of small grains during the week, according to the Georgia Agricultural Statistics Service. Soil moisture levels across the State were mostly adequate, with isolated areas in the northern part of the State still short. Despite the rain delay, most row crop condition ratings improved from the previous week. Corn harvest is nearing completion and is now equal to last year. Condition ratings for cotton improved slightly from last week. Cotton harvest made some progress during the week, but is a few days behind the five year average. Harvest was delayed by rains and wet soils, however farmers returned to the fields as conditions allowed. Defoliating cotton fields remains active where possible. Peanut harvest fell further behind normal last week. Condition ratings on fields yet to be harvested,is mostly fair or better, little changed from last week. Many producers continue digging peanuts despite wet conditions. Soybean harvest is underway, with progress slightly ahead of the five year average. Slightly over 80 % of the acreage remaining for harvest is in the fair to very poor range, slightly less than last week. Sorghum harvest made very little progress, but remains a couple of days ahead of the five year average. The crop condition rating remained steady. CROP CONDITION--OCTOBER 9, 1998 Very Excel- Crop Poor Poor Fair Good lent --Percentage-- Cotton 10 24 40 23 3 Hay 9 20 42 27 2 Peanuts 6 13 36 36 9 Soybeans 18 28 37 16 1 Pecans 14 26 35 23 2 Pasture 7 16 40 33 4 CROP PROGRESS Oct. 11, Oct. 11, 5 Year 1998 1997 Avg. --Percentage-- Corn, Harvested for Grain 97 Cotton, Bolls Open 85 Cotton, Harvested 23 Peanuts, Dug 62 Peanuts, Threshed 43 Rye, Planted 32 Sorghum, Harvested for Grain 67 Soybeans, Dropping Leaves 71 Soybeans, Harvested 7 Wheat, Planted 4 Wheat, Emerged 1 Olh~r,Small Grains, Plar)~,d 16 Appl~'; Harvested 73 Pecans, Harvested 5 97 95 82 87 19 27 89 84 77 71 28 29 53 63 83 74 11 6 3 4 1 2 16 18 81 84 5 4 Small grain seeding made good progress, but is slightly trailing the five year average. Wheat planting is underway. Apple harvest continues to lag nearly a week behind last year and average. Pecan conditions improved for the week with harvest slightly ahead of the five year average. Rains from the past week proved beneficial to pasture and hay fields, as condition ratings are mostly fair or better. Armyworms are still causing damage to fields in the central part of the State. County Extension Officials reported 4.4 days suitable for field work. Other activities included over seeding pastures, spraying fall vegetables, planting rye and soil sampling.. Very Short Short Adequate Surplus SOIL MOISTURE Oct. 9, Oct. 9, 1998 1997 5 Year Ayg. 2 12 14 13 44 17 64 43 45 21 1 24 Georgia Weather and Crops (ISSN 383-970) is published weekly, mid-March through mid-December, by the Georgia Agricultural Statistics Service. Athens. Georgia. 30601-5099. Periodicals postage paid at Athens. GA and additional mailing offices. Subscription fee $12 per year except free to data contributors. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Georgia Agricultural Statistics Service, Stephens Federal Building. Suite 320, Athens, GA 30601-5099. LOCATION GEORGIA WEATHER SUMMARY FOR THE WEEK ENDING MIDNIGHT, SUNDAY OCTOBER 11, 19981/ AIR TEMPERATURE EXTREME WEEKLY WEEKLY RAIN 30 DAY 60 DAY SEASON AVG. 4 INCH SOIL ALMA 89 54 73 0.41 2 4.24 7.05 45.16 77 ARLINGTON 87 50 69 0.68 1 3.04 11.40 46.48 76 ATTAPULGUS 87 49 71 0.00 0 9.23 14.99 47.45 80 BLAIRSVILLE 77 39 60 2.03 4 4.76 7.33 46.06 71 CALHOUN 86 38 65 0.74 1 1.01 2.15 37.08 72 CAMILLA 87 51 71 0.07 1 9.23 16.34 42.51 77 CORDELE 89 54 71 1.56 2 3.78 9.11 43.81 78 DAWSON 86 52 69 0.22 2 5.76 15.93 54.93 77 DUBLIN 87 53 70 0.53 2 3.74 11.60 43.60 76 DULUTH 85 44 65 0.15 3 1.12 4.08 41.95 73 EATONTON 84 45 66 1.77 3 4.00 8.51 39.10 73 ELLIJAY 78 40 62 1.18 3 2.49 5.05 43.16 69 FORT VALLEY 87 49 69 0.02 1 1.87 4.25 26.25 75 GAINESVILLE 81 47 66 0.85 3 1.28 5.74 32.01 72 GRIFFIN 84 44 66 0.45 2 2.05 7.72 43.08 74 JONESBORO 85 44 66 0.67 3 3.42 5.07 40.87 73 LAFAYETTE 84 41 64 0.00 0 0.85 3.19 30.95 70 MIDVILLE 84 56 71 1.14 4 3.18 9.75 43.13 81 PLAINS 85 48 68 0.22 2 4.90 12.64 51.53 76 ROME 84 45 66 0.86 1 2.93 4.94 39.17 72 ROOPVILLE 84 44 65 2.32 1 4.36 9.08 47.91 72 SAVANNAH 87 52 71 0.24 3 7.57 12.54 49.03 80 STATESBORO 84 51 69 0.76 2 4.73 10.62 50.33 77 TIFTON 87 52 72 0.02 2 4.32 10.15 41.16 76 VALDOSTA 89 54 74 0.36 2 6.16 10.40 37.16 79 WATKINSVILLE 84 49 67 2.39 3 3.27 7.14 47.41 73 WILLIAMSON 84 44 65 0.57 2 2.07 4.37 33.25 73 1/ Weather data supplied by Georgia Automated Environmental Monitoring Network and the office of the State Climatologist. University of Georgia. NA - Not Available. SOIL MOISTURE DELINEATION FOR FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1998 BLAIRSVILLE 2.03 LAFAYETTE 0,00 CALHOUN 0,74 ROME 0.86 DULUTH 0.15 DUNWOODY JONESBORO 0.67 ROOPVILLE 2.32 GRIFFIN 0,45 SHORT TO MOSTLY ADEQUATE DUBLIN 0.53 FORT VALLEY 0.02 CORDELE 1.56 PLAINS 0.22 DAWSON 0.22 TIFTON 0.02 ALMA 0.41 BLUFFTON ARLINGTON 0.68 ATTAPULGUS 0,00 CAMILLA 0.07 VALDOSTA 0.36 MOSTLY ADEQUATE TO SURPLUS GEORGIA: AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS SERVICE STEPHENS FEDERAL BLDG. SUITE 320 ATHENS, GEORGIA 30601 PHONE: (706) 546-2236 PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT ATHENS, GA 30601