Georgia weather and crops, 2004 October 10

Georgia Crop Weather
Week Ending Date October 10, 2004

ROW CROP HARVEST PICKS UP PACE Cool, dry weather during the week dried the soil in many areas of the State, according the Georgia Agricultural Statistics Service. Drier conditions were welcomed by producers that were waiting to resume planting and harvesting. Rainfall was limited to mostly light showers in many reporting locations. Soil moisture levels were rated as mostly adequate to surplus.
Peanut digging and combining gained momentum. However, some equipment was still bogged down in wet fields. Cotton defoliation and harvesting continued. Armyworms in pastures and soybeans declined due to cooler temperatures. Soybean and sorghum harvests were slightly behind the five year average. Apple harvest made good progress.
County Extension Agents reported an average of 5.9 days suitable for fieldwork. Pumpkin harvest was underway. In other activities, farmers mowed pastures and maintained the routine care of livestock and poultry.

Crop Progress Table

Oct 10,

2004

Corn, Harvested for Grain

94

Cotton, Bolls Open

94

Cotton, Harvested

21

Peanuts, Dug

64

Peanuts, Combined

44

Rye, Planted

25

Sorghum, Harvested for Grain 54

Soybeans, Dropping Leaves

66

Soybeans, Harvested

7

Wheat, Planted

6

Wheat, Emerged

1

Other Small Grains, Planted 17

Apples, Harvested

76

Pecans, Harvested

3

Prev Week
92 90 12 43 27 18 47 53
4 3 0 12 63 1

Prev Year
98 89 20 71 56 30 63 59 11
9 1 20 66 4

5 Year Avg 97 90 23 73 56 28 57 61 10 6 1 19 69 3

Crop Condition Table

October 10, 2004

Crop

Very Poor

Cotton

9

Hay

1

Peanuts

3

Sorghum

0

Soybeans

2

Pecans

21

Pasture

0

Poor Fair Good

--Percentage--

20

39

28

7

37

52

12

35

43

9

40

46

8

40

45

35

28

16

5

35

55

Excellent
4 3 7 5 5 0 5

Pasture Condition Table - District* Level

October 10, 2004

Very Poor Poor Fair Good

--Percentage--

Dist 1(NW)

0

9

43

41

Dist 2(NC)

0

2

37

59

Dist 3(NE)

0

7

19

62

Dist 4(WC)

0

6

48

46

Dist 5(C)

0

1

22

68

Dist 6(EC)

0

2

41

57

Excellent
7 2 12 0 9 0

Dist 7(SW)

0

6

28

59

7

Dist 8(SC)

2

10

38

45

5

Dist 9(SE)

0

1

51

47

1

*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

Oct 10, 2004 Prev Year

--Percentages--

Very Short

0

6

Short

9

38

Adequate

72

51

Surplus

19

5

5 Year Avg
7 31 56
6

Soil Moisture Table - District Level

October 10, 2004

Very Short Short Adequate

--Percentages--

Dist 1(NW)

0

23

76

Dist 2(NC)

1

19

77

Dist 3(NE)

0

4

87

Dist 4(WC)

0

11

81

Dist 5(C)

0

0

67

Dist 6(EC)

0

8

80

Dist 7(SW)

1

19

70

Dist 8(SC)

0

1

58

Dist 9(SE)

0

3

73

Surplus
1 3 9 8 33 12 10 41 24

Weather Information Table

GEORGIA WEATHER SUMMARY FOR THE WEEK ENDING MIDNIGHT, SUNDAY

OCTOBER 10, 2004 1/

2004

Air Temperature

Precipitation Totals

Extreme Weekly Rain

30

60

Soil

Location

Max Min AvG Weekly Day Day

Day Season Temp

ALMA

85 59 71 0.17 2 6.47 16.52 40.91 74

ALPHARETTA

82 50 63 0.00 0 8.69 19.30 48.33 68

ARLINGTON

86 55 70 0.11 1 7.55 14.32 43.27 75

ATTAPULGUS

86 59 72 0.06 1 4.44 10.84 38.95 78

BLAIRSVILLE

77 41 60 0.01 1 6.71 15.05 44.04 68

BRUNSWICK

86 62 73 0.08 2 3.08 16.17 44.36 76

BYRON

84 53 68 0.06 1 3.97 10.88 31.86 73

CAIRO

87 60 72 0.37 1 4.12 12.21 37.08 78

CALHOUN

82 45 63 0.02 2 4.27 11.47 42.38 69

CAMILLA

86 56 71 0.17 1 3.30 11.36 35.43 78

CORDELE

86 55 70 0.12 1 5.53 14.65 41.85 75

COVINGTON

83 51 65 0.01 1 6.37 17.50 41.84 73

DAHLONEGA

80 45 62 0.00 0 6.38 15.93 43.47 66

DALLAS

81 51 64 0.00 0 5.24 11.49 41.08 69

DAWSON

86 56 70 0.05 1 3.34

9.27 34.19 75

DEARING

83 52 67 0.07 1 4.83 12.34 39.39 74

DEMPSEY

82 52 65 0.01 1 6.15 14.33 43.12 70

DIXIE

87 58 72 0.01 1 4.05 11.82 44.96 77

DUBLIN

84 54 68 0.01 1 4.34 17.22 39.40 75

DUNWOODY

81 51 64 0.00 0 9.39 17.58 48.20 69

EATONTON

83 49 64 0.03 2 8.10 18.37 40.19 76

ELLIJAY

80 45 61 0.00 0 8.91 14.80 43.85 67

FORT VALLEY

84 53 68 0.03 1 3.57 10.09 27.09 71

GAINESVILLE

82 52 64 0.07 1 6.08 15.08 37.63 71

GEORGETOWN

85 55 69 0.10 1 7.07 11.94 34.96 76

GRIFFIN

82 53 65 0.00 0 7.15 15.24 42.87 70

JACKSONVILLE 83 53 67 0.03 1 6.53 16.20 39.95 73

JONESBORO

83 53 65 0.01 1 6.98 15.67 35.62 70

LAFAYETTE

82 44 62 0.09 1 4.28

8.16 34.95 68

MIDVILLE

82 53 67 0.10 3 3.47 17.06 43.37 74

NAHUNTA

87 58 70 0.01 1 6.23 23.54 58.83 76

NEWTON

85 57 70 0.30 1 4.36 10.21 36.87 76

PINE MOUNTAIN 83 51 67 0.00 0 7.08 15.70 48.49 70

PLAINS

85 55 69 0.06 1 6.51 13.74 42.77 74

ROME

83 48 64 0.04 3 2.48

5.82 38.46 71

ROOPVILLE

85 49 64 0.07 2 4.48 14.48 38.92 71

SAVANNAH

87 56 67 2.26 3 4.77 15.23 45.93 74

SNEADS

90 64 75 0.01 1 4.51

6.93 34.93 78

STATESBORO

82 53 67 0.16 3 4.07 13.93 32.00 75

VALDOSTA

87 61 74 0.66 3 6.77 15.80 40.97 75

VIDALIA

85 56 69 0.03 1 2.99 19.58 44.30 76

WATKINSVILLE 83 49 65 0.02 1 7.80 15.75 39.33 69

WILLIAMSON

82 50 65 0.00 0 6.55 13.48 40.07 71

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 complied and edited by the Georgia Agricultural Statistics Service.
DISTRICT COMMENTS October 10, 2004
DISTRICT 1 - NORTHWEST No comments available.
DISTRICT 2 - NORTH CENTRAL Pasture crops growing well.
Sunny weather this week, pasture mowing and some hay harvest, corn harvest for grain will begin soon, grape harvest completed, pumpkin harvest underway.
DISTRICT 3 - NORTHEAST No comments available.
DISTRICT 4 - WEST CENTRAL Producers are having a tough time digging peanuts. Cotton is really starting to fall out.
DISTRICT 5 - CENTRAL A dry week for a change! Harvest of corn, grain sorghum and hay in full swing. Pasture and hayfield conditions continued to improve due to all the rain recently. Small grain and winter grazing planting continuing.
We have experienced several days of rather cool weather. This has suppressed several potential pest problems that we normally have.
Harvesting continues.
DISTRICT 6 - EAST CENTRAL Cotton yields stronger than estimated, several irrigated fields going just under 3 bales and dryland fields that got timely showers are picking 700-800 lbs/A. Worms in soybeans have done a lot of damage to foliage but fields are drying down now so stinkbug pressure is easing a bit.

Cotton harvest underway. Some cotton on the ground due to hurricane winds, but not serious impact on the overall harvest. Not much consolation to those with losses however.
DISTRICT 7 - SOUTHWEST Peanut harvesting is difficult because of wet areas. Combines and tractors bogging. Hurricane damage estimates: Peanuts - 45%, Cotton - 45%, Pecan - 75%, Green beans - 85%.
DISTRICT 8 - SOUTH CENTRAL About Wednesday farmers were able to get into most fields to resume peanut digging and harvest after the storms. A lot of cotton has been defoliated and should begin picking today and next week. Cutting hay. Preparing soil for small grains for cattle grazing. Some fields still too wet to get into. Still no real harvest data to give us an accurate account of weather toll on peanuts and cotton. Hopefully, next week we can know more on yields and grades.
Were drying out once again. Farmers have been busy in the fields catching up - digging and combining peanuts. Also defoliating and picking cotton. Some field severely impacted by excessive rain. Too much for rain for the mature fields.
Peanuts dug before hurricane Jeanne are having trouble drying out due to amount of rain, muddy fields and dirt washing back onto inverted peanuts. Farmers have just been able to return to fields now they are calling for rain Sunday and Monday. This will be very bad on crops ready to harvest. Hay is being mowed however crop has lost quality due to excess rain and time from last cutting.
Rain, rain go away!
DISTRICT 9 - SOUTHEAST No comments available.
Contact Information David S. Abbe, Director Georgia Agricultural Statistics Phone: 706-546-2236 E-mail: nass-ga@nass.usda.gov Website: http://www.nass.usda.gov/ga