I-OLI. Q G1A A400,C1 PI W4 l~~'g/ll-I GEORGIA WEATHER &CROPS USDA-National Agricultural Statistics Service Cooperative Extension Service Georsia Department of Asriculture GEORGIA: AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS SERVICE Stephens Federal Building, Suite 320 Athens, Georgia 30601 Phone: (706)546-2236 E-mail: nass-ga@nass.usda.gov Website: www.nass.usda.gov/ga 135-98-34 Week Ending November 1, 1998 Publication No. USPS 383-970 Released 4 P.M. Monday, November 2, 1998 ANOTHER GOOD WEEK FOR HARVEST 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 deliverv of the releases you have reQuested. CROP HIGHLIGHTS Dry weather conditions continued to allow Georgia farmers to make excellent progress in harvesting field crops, according to the Georgia Agricultural Statistics Service. Soil moisture levels across the State were short, with no station reporting rain for the week ending November 1. The dry weather pattern has caused delays in some fall planting and land preparations. Harvest progress was faster than normal, while seeding of small grains was near an average pace. Cotton harvest by the end of the week was equal to the five year average and nearly a week ahead of last year. Condition of cotton remaining for harvest was down slightly from last week. Peanut harvest continues at a good pace, but is still close to a week behind last year and the five year average. Soybean harvest made rapid progress during the week and is nearly a week ahead of last year and the five year average. Soybean producers in the northwestern part of the State have reported above average yields. Condition of the acreage remaining for harvest slipped a little from last week. Grain sorghum harvest continued to outpace the five year average. Rye and other small grain planting made good progress during the week, despite the extremely dry soils. Pecan harvest progressed at a fast pace finishing the period well ahead of the five year average. Condition ratings for pecans dropped compared with the previous week, with over 50 percent of the crop remaining for harvest rated poor to very poor. Pasture conditions declined from last week. Several reports indicated that extremely short soil moisture levels were limiting pasture forage supplies across the State. Many farmers have been forced to feed hay to cattle much earlier than planned. Apple harvesting made good progress and is now slightly ahead of last year and the five year average. County Extension Officials reported 6.7 days suitable for field work. Other activities included over ~eeding pastures and hay fields, preparing land for small grain planting, irrigating vegetables and routine care of livestock. CROP CONDITION-OCTOBER 30, -1998 Crop Very Poor Poor Fair --Percentage-- ExcelGood lent Cotton 13 23 45 16 3 Soybeans 21 26 36 16 1 Wheat o 7 53 37 3 Pecans 16 35 34 15 o Pasture 15 24 44 16 1 CROP PROGRESS Nov. 1, 1998 Nov. 1, 1997 --Percentage-- Cotton, Bolls Open 93 95 Cotton, Harvested 58 46 Peanuts, Dug 96 100 Peanuts, Threshed 90 97 Rye, Planted 69 67 Sorghum, Harvested for Grain 90 74 Soybeans, Dropping Leaves 97 96 Soybeans, Harvested 34 24 Wheat, Planted 10 9 Wheat, Emerged 6 5 Other Small Grains, Planted 52 49 Onions, Transplanted 0 2 Apples, Harvested 96 95 Pecans, Harvested 31 23 5 Year Avg. 96 58 99 95 70 80 97 24 12 7 51 3 95 21 Very Short Short Adequate Surplus SOIL MOISTURE Oct. 30, Oct. 30, 1998 1997 29 0 52 3 19 54 o 43 5 Year Avg. 10 27 50 13 Georgia Weather and Crops lISSN 383-970) is published weekly, mid-March through mid-December, by the Georgia Agricultural Statistics Service, Athens, Georgia, 30601-5099. 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LOCATION GEORGIA WEATHER SUMMARY FOR THE WEEK ENDING MIDNIGHT, SUNDAY NOVEMBER 1, 19981/ AIR TEMPERATURE EXTREME WEEKLY WEEKLY RAIN 30 DAY 60 DAY SEASON AVG. 41NCH SOIL ALMA 85 44 65 0.00 0 0.41 5.91 45.16 67 ARLINGTON 87 41 63 0.00 0 0.68 6.53 46.48 68 ATTAPULGUS 87 42 65 0.00 0 0.01 10.49 47.45 74 BLAIRSVILLE 79 29 54 0.00 0 2.06 4.79 46.09 61 CALHOUN 84 26 58 0.00 0 0.84 1.05 37.12 65 CAMILLA 86 44 64 0.00 0 0.07 12.18 42.51 69 CORDELE 86 42 64 0.00 0 1.59 8.47 43.84 70 DAWSON 85 40 63 0.00 0 0.22 11.25 54.93 73 DUBLIN 85 41 62 0.00 0 0.53 10.16 43.60 67 DULUTH 85 34 60 0.00 0 0.20 1.16 41.99 66 EATONTON ELLIJAY 85 36 79 31 60 0.00 0 56 b.oO 0 1.77 6.52 39.10 62 1.34 2.59 43.25 64 FORT VALLEY 84 43 65 0.00 0 0.04 4.12 26.27 68 GAINESVILLE 86 40 62 0.00 0 0.94 1.30 32.03 67 GRIFFIN 85 41 63 0.00 0 0.45 3.37 43.08 66 JONESBORO 84 37 60 0.00 0 0.77 4.05 40.97 64 LAFAYETTE 84 33 60 0.00 0 0.00 1.02 30.95 65 MIDVILLE 85 42 64 0.00 0 1.14 6.79 43.13 72 PLAINS 85 41 64 0.00 0 0.22 10.44 51.53 69 ROME 84 34 59 0.00 0 2.47 3.44 39.34 63 ROOPVILLE 85 38 62 0.00 0 3.07 5.11 48.66 64 SAVANNAH STATESBORO 85 41 84 40 62 0.00 0 64 0.00 0 0.54 10.66 49.03 71 1.46 9.00 50.33 71 TIFTON VALDOSTA WATKINSVILLE WILLIAMSON 84 46 85 46 86 44 83 36 67 0.00 0 0.02 8.69 41.16 68 66 0.00 0 0.36 7.89 37.16 70 65 0.00 0 2.39 4.87 47.41 66 60 0.00 0 0.57 3.14 33.25 64 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 30, 1998 MOSTLY SHORT DAWSON 0.00 TIFTON 0.00 ALMA 0.00 ARLINGTON 0.00 ATTAPULGUS 0.00 CAMILLA 0.00 VALDOSTA 0.00 GEORGIA: AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS SERVICE STEPHENS FEDERAL BLDG. SUITE 320 ATHENS, GEORGIA 30601 PHONE: (706) 546-2236 PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT ATHENS, GA 30601