State Georgia Crop Weather Week Ending Date March 7, 2004 Issue GA-CW1004 Agricultural Summary WARMER TEMPERATURES Unseasonably warm temperatures were felt around the State, according to the Georgia Agricultural Statistics Service. Warmer, dry weather allowed producers to top-dress small grains and winter grazing. Fescue pastures began to grow, reducing supplemental feeding on livestock operations. Warm temperatures helped small grains and rye grass. County Extension Agents reported an average of 4.9 days suitable for fieldwork. Apple producers set out insect traps. Producers applied pesticides and fertilizer to pastures and fields and finished up pruning orchards. Sweet corn and tobacco looked good. Operators continued to prepare soil and equipment for spring planting. Routine care of livestock and poultry continued. Crop Progress Table March 7, 2004 Data for this table will resume in April 2004. Crop Condition Table March 7, 2004 Crop Very Poor Vegetables 1 Wheat 0 Pasture 3 Poor Fair Good --Percentage-- 5 37 50 5 39 50 13 42 39 Excellent 7 6 3 Pasture Condition Table - District* Level March 7, 2004 Very Poor Poor Fair Good Excellent --Percentage-- Dist 1(NW) 11 19 42 28 0 Dist 2(NC) 0 5 32 62 1 Dist 3(NE) 0 18 45 28 9 Dist 4(WC) 1 11 59 29 0 Dist 5(C) 8 18 34 39 1 Dist 6(EC) 5 8 43 41 3 Dist 7(SW) 1 15 35 45 4 Dist 8(SC) 3 12 45 37 3 Dist 9(SE) 8 1 56 35 0 *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 Mar 7, 2004 Prev Year 5 Year Avg Very Short Short Adequate Surplus --Percentages-- 0 NA NA 3 NA NA 71 NA NA 26 NA NA Soil Moisture Table - District Level March 7, 2004 Very Short Short Adequate --Percentages-- Dist 1(NW) 0 5 55 Dist 2(NC) 0 0 75 Dist 3(NE) 0 1 73 Dist 4(WC) 0 0 83 Dist 5(C) 0 1 80 Dist 6(EC) 0 5 66 Dist 7(SW) 0 8 64 Dist 8(SC) 0 0 62 Dist 9(SE) 0 7 80 Surplus 40 25 26 17 19 29 28 38 13 Weather Information Table GEORGIA WEATHER SUMMARY FOR THE WEEK ENDING MIDNIGHT, SUNDAY MARCH 7, 2004 1/ 2004 Air Temperature Precipitation Totals Extreme Weekly Rain 30 60 Soil Location Max Min AvG Weekly Day Day Day Season Temp ALMA 82 47 66 0.01 1 3.57 7.46 7.51 60 ALPHARETTA 77 43 62 0.56 2 3.15 8.02 8.47 55 ARLINGTON 80 47 65 0.08 1 4.02 7.22 7.59 61 ATTAPULGUS 79 50 65 0.04 1 3.94 8.38 8.50 62 BLAIRSVILLE 71 36 58 1.05 5 2.19 6.43 7.06 51 BRUNSWICK 83 51 66 0.00 0 4.20 7.01 7.01 61 BYRON 79 49 65 0.01 1 3.41 8.30 8.49 59 CAIRO 79 49 65 0.16 1 4.49 8.53 8.76 59 CALHOUN 76 39 62 1.20 3 3.29 7.69 8.35 56 CORDELE 80 48 66 0.06 1 2.53 4.76 4.79 59 COVINGTON 79 45 64 0.17 1 3.23 8.49 8.69 57 DAHLONEGA 71 45 59 1.76 3 3.79 9.02 9.52 52 DALLAS 76 46 63 0.70 2 3.68 9.16 9.60 55 DAWSON 80 48 65 0.07 1 3.62 7.31 7.34 62 DEARING 82 51 66 0.03 1 4.73 7.23 7.33 53 DEMPSEY 77 46 64 0.21 1 3.30 7.63 8.02 58 DIXIE 81 50 66 0.04 2 4.54 8.53 8.66 63 DUBLIN 81 47 65 0.00 0 3.59 7.10 7.25 60 DULUTH 78 42 62 0.52 2 3.24 7.99 8.46 55 DUNWOODY 76 45 63 0.58 2 3.16 8.40 8.84 55 EATONTON 79 42 63 0.09 1 3.40 7.53 7.73 56 ELLIJAY 73 38 59 1.20 2 2.90 7.97 8.75 53 FORT VALLEY 79 46 65 0.02 1 2.72 6.40 6.50 59 GAINESVILLE 74 41 60 0.62 3 2.31 7.28 7.77 56 GEORGETOWN 79 48 65 0.03 1 3.89 7.43 7.49 60 GRIFFIN 77 46 64 0.22 1 3.25 7.41 7.72 56 HOMERVILLE 82 47 65 0.01 1 4.08 7.95 8.00 61 JACKSONVILLE 80 47 65 0.11 1 4.20 9.24 9.37 56 JONESBORO 79 43 64 0.25 1 3.26 7.72 8.38 56 LAFAYETTE 77 39 61 2.29 4 3.73 9.27 10.19 54 MIDVILLE 80 50 66 0.04 1 5.92 11.02 11.20 62 NAHUNTA 83 46 66 0.00 0 4.34 7.70 7.70 62 NEWTON 80 49 66 0.05 1 3.99 9.81 10.03 62 PINE MOUNTAIN 79 44 64 0.18 1 3.68 7.63 8.11 57 PLAINS 79 49 65 0.05 1 4.79 8.63 8.70 60 ROME 76 42 62 2.03 2 4.49 10.52 11.08 55 ROOPVILLE 78 42 62 0.49 1 4.00 8.77 9.43 57 SAVANNAH 82 44 65 0.00 0 3.58 6.42 6.42 59 SNEADS 76 53 66 0.06 1 4.36 9.49 9.57 59 STATESBORO 82 48 66 0.02 1 3.99 7.39 7.46 61 TIFTON 78 55 67 0.03 1 4.50 11.08 11.31 59 VALDOSTA 82 54 68 0.02 1 3.72 7.28 7.30 65 VIDALIA 81 50 66 0.00 0 3.85 7.84 8.01 59 WATKINSVILLE 78 46 63 0.13 1 3.53 7.91 8.29 57 WILLIAMSON 77 45 64 0.15 1 2.38 6.18 6.50 58 1/ Weather data supplied by Georgia Automated Environmential 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 March 7, 2004 DISTRICT 1 - NORTHWEST No comments available. DISTRICT 2 - NORTH CENTRAL Apple producers are setting out pheromone insect traps this week. Many are using a scout to monitor and maintain the traps. The scout is working closely with the county and the Extension office. Unseasonably warm weather allowed for many farmers and producers to begin spraying pastures for weed control, fertilizing fescue pastures and hayfields, and finishing up peach and apple pruning. Rain again this week. Fields and pastures are very wet. Routine care of livestock and poultry are major activities. DISTRICT 3 - NORTHEAST No change in conditions observed. DISTRICT 4 - WEST CENTRAL Fescue pastures beginning to come on relieving cattleman of some hay feeding; liming, fertilizing & routine care of livestock & poultry. DISTRICT 5 - CENTRAL Warm spring-like, well above average, temperatures all week. Many farmers and cattlemen top-dressing small grains and winter grazing. Some farmers are beginning to prepare land for spring planting where soil conditions are dry enough. We've had excellent weather over the past week. The temperatures have warmed up significantly. Warm weather this week has resulted in good growth of small grains and ryegrass. These crops have greened up and begun to grow out of previous cold weather injury. Some farmers fertilizing small grains and winter grazing fields with nitrogen if they can get across them without bogging down. Some pastures and hay fields are being sprayed for winter weed control. Unseasonable weather helped to get small grains in better condition. Fertilizer application continued throughout the week. Winter forages improved as well. Fields drying out. Winds and no rain helped with this. Warmer weather has brought on a flush of winter grazing. DISTRICT 6 - EAST CENTRAL Soil moisture continues to increase to very high levels. Winter wheat is making excellent progress. Wind's been blowing pretty hard causing some top soil erosion. DISTRICT 7 - SOUTHWEST Most sweet corn growers are planting. Earliest was planted approximately two weeks ago. DISTRICT 8 - SOUTH CENTRAL Rain expected over weekend. Tobacco plants in greenhouses look good. Some field preparation going on. Warm weather has farmers getting excited about planting. DISTRICT 9 - SOUTHEAST No comments available. Contact Information David S. Abbe, State Statistician Phone: 706-546-2236 E-mail: nass-ga@nass.usda.gov Website: http://www.nass.usda.gov/ga