Georgia weather and crops, 2004 April 4

State Georgia Crop Weather

Week Ending Date April 4, 2004

Issue GA-CW1404

Agricultural Summary April 4, 2004
RAIN, PLEASE! Dry conditions continued throughout the State last week, according the Georgia Agricultural Statistics Service. Little rain fell mid-week in some areas. More rain was needed for pasture, winter grazing, and hayfield conditions to improve. Dry, cool weather slowed soil preparation and planting. County Extension Agents reported an average of 6.2 days suitable for fieldwork.

Cattleman continued to feed hay. Producers continued to irrigate corn to insure adequate moisture for germination. Tobacco transplanting is underway in fields in south Georgia. Sweet corn and snapbean planting continued. Farmers applied poultry litter on pastures. Other activities included the routine care of livestock and poultry, harrowing land, and applying fungicides.

Crop Progress Table
Corn, Planted Corn, Emerged Cotton, Planted Sorghum, Planted Tobacco, Transplanted Wheat, Jointing Wheat, Boot Wheat, Heading Onions, Harvested Watermelons, Planted Apples, Blooming Peaches, Blooming

Apr 4, 2003 67 47 0 1 15 91 55 22 2 37 15 68

Prev Week
NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

Prev Year
35 14
1 1 7 87 53 12 1 29 7 83

5 Year Avg 59 42 1 2 28 85 56 20 0 42 11 87

Crop Condition Table

April 4, 2004

Crop

Very Poor

Corn

0

Hay

5

Tobacco

0

Tobacco Beds 0

Wheat

1

Onions

6

Watermelons

0

Apples

0

Peaches

0

Pasture

6

Poor Fair Good

--Percentage--

6

50

40

14

56

22

1

53

45

0

28

59

11

41

43

15

45

26

4

59

34

0

1

99

17

17

66

17

52

24

Excellent
4 3 1 13 4 8 3 0 0 1

Pasture Condition Table - District* Level

April 4, 2004

Very Poor Poor Fair Good

--Percentage--

Dist 1(NW)

1

12

42

44

Dist 2(NC)

0

0

60

39

Dist 3(NE)

0

7

58

34

Dist 4(WC)

14

20

40

26

Dist 5(C)

16

7

53

23

Excellent
1 1 1 0 1

Dist 6(EC)

8

12

61

19

0

Dist 7(SW)

6

30

47

15

2

Dist 8(SC)

3

33

47

16

1

Dist 9(SE)

0

14

65

21

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

Apr 4, 2004

Prev Year

--Percentages--

Very Short

25

1

Short

45

5

Adequate

29

73

Surplus

1

21

5 Year Avg
2 10 73 15

Soil Moisture Table - District Level

April 4, 2004

Very Short Short Adequate

--Percentages--

Dist 1(NW)

3

24

62

Dist 2(NC)

3

37

60

Dist 3(NE)

12

33

55

Dist 4(WC)

26

34

37

Dist 5(C)

38

40

22

Dist 6(EC)

8

71

21

Dist 7(SW)

40

46

14

Dist 8(SC)

46

41

13

Dist 9(SE)

14

65

21

Surplus
11 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0

Weather Information Table

GEORGIA WEATHER SUMMARY FOR THE WEEK ENDING MIDNIGHT, SUNDAY

APRIL 4, 2004 1/

2004

Air Temperature

Precipitation Totals

Extreme Weekly Rain

30

60

Soil

Location

Max Min AvG Weekly Day Day

Day Season Temp

ALMA

76 40 58 0.07 1 0.08 5.16 7.58 62

ALPHARETTA

74 35 53 0.65 4 1.27 5.69 9.35 57

ARLINGTON

79 36 58 0.11 2 0.25 5.80 7.76 66

BLAIRSVILLE

70 35 49 0.72 3 2.43 5.89 8.86 53

BRUNSWICK

77 43 60 0.00 0 1.57 7.00 8.58 66

BYRON

76 36 57 0.12 2 0.20 4.23 8.68 61

CAIRO

78 37 59 0.30 2 0.57 6.13 9.17 63

CALHOUN

74 32 53 1.12 3 2.43 6.64 9.95 56

CAMILLA

79 37 59 0.36 2 0.63 5.49 8.86 66

CORDELE

78 41 59 0.22 2 0.35 3.55 5.08 64

COVINGTON

74 35 54 0.48 2 0.87 5.84 9.39 60

DAHLONEGA

69 38 51 0.58 1 1.56 6.60 10.61 54

DALLAS

70 35 52 0.80 2 1.62 6.60 10.76 57

DAWSON

78 36 58 0.18 2 0.31 5.70 7.58 67

DEARING

75 37 55 0.55 3 1.07 6.26 8.37 58

DEMPSEY

73 33 53 0.55 2 0.85 5.24 8.66 60

DIXIE

80 36 59 0.04 1 0.15 5.80 8.77 70

DUBLIN

76 37 57 0.16 2 0.25 5.03 7.50 62

DULUTH

74 35 53 0.82 2 1.42 5.35 9.48 57

DUNWOODY

71 36 53 0.83 2 1.48 5.79 9.83 57

EATONTON

75 36 55 0.40 2 0.67 4.96 8.31 60

ELLIJAY

71 32 50 0.72 2 1.88 6.39 9.93 54

FORT VALLEY

76 35 56 0.10 2 0.16 3.60 6.64 62

GAINESVILLE

71 39 54 0.69 1 1.28 4.90 8.71 60

GEORGETOWN

77 35 58 0.03 2 0.15 4.88 7.61 66

GRIFFIN

73 34 54 0.53 2 0.83 5.14 8.33 59

HOMERVILLE

78 36 58 0.00 0 0.12 5.20 8.11 64

JACKSONVILLE 77 35 56 0.52 2 0.70 5.76 9.96 61

JONESBORO

75 35 54 0.39 3 0.77 4.95 8.82 58

LAFAYETTE

72 38 53 0.95 3 3.09 7.68 11.65 55

MIDVILLE

75 37 56 0.19 2 0.37 7.71 11.53 64

NAHUNTA

77 36 58 0.04 1 0.76 6.26 8.46 66

NEWTON

79 36 58 0.54 1 0.93 6.91 10.91 65

PINE MOUNTAIN 74 31 53 0.55 2 1.09 5.51 9.02 59

PLAINS

75 36 56 0.04 2 0.21 5.80 8.86 64

ROME

71 34 53 1.55 3 3.04 8.47 13.09 56

ROOPVILLE

74 31 51 1.05 2 1.66 6.88 10.60 60

SAVANNAH

78 40 58 0.01 1 0.10 4.66 6.52 63

SNEADS

76 43 62 0.38 2 0.58 5.90 10.09 67

STATESBORO

75 39 57 0.04 2 0.25 4.90 7.69 65

TIFTON

75 39 58 0.24 1 0.42 7.50 11.70 62

VALDOSTA

80 41 61 0.04 1 0.16 4.70 7.44 70

VIDALIA

75 38 57 0.07 1 0.18 5.20 8.19 63

WATKINSVILLE 73 37 54 0.65 3 0.99 5.55 9.15 59

WILLIAMSON

74 34 53 0.33 2 0.61 3.99 6.96 60

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 April 4, 2004
DISTRICT 1 - NORTHWEST Good rains helped soil moisture.
DISTRICT 2 - NORTH CENTRAL With no appreciable rain and strong wind several days this week, soils are extremely dry. Cold weather has also slowed things down quite a bit.
Routine care of livestock and poultry. Spreading poultry litter on pastures.
DISTRICT 3 - NORTHEAST Still in need of rainfall in our area.
DISTRICT 4 - WEST CENTRAL Dry weather has halted almost all planting. Corn and watermelons failing to emerge because of a lack of moisture. Supplemental feeding of cattle continues.
Dry conditions continue to delay planting.
Need rain.
All of our peach acres are already past bloom.
DISTRICT 5 - CENTRAL Some very light showers in the middle of the week. Around 1/4 inch in most locations of county. Still need lot's more rain. Corn planting underway. Cattlemen still having to feed hay. Need more rain for pasture, winter grazing and hayfield conditions to improve.
Peaches are past the bloom stage.

Mother nature has really thrown us for a small loop. The rainfall was welcomed, but the cooler temperatures were not. March was the driest month that we have had to date.
Dry! Producers are having to use irrigation on corn to improve germination.
Dry soils and dry weather have farmers scrambling to irrigate where they can. Several fields have not been planted due to dry weather. Some have been irrigated just so they can be planted on time. Cattle farmers are feeding more hay than normal due to the dry weather.
DISTRICT 6 - EAST CENTRAL Lack of rain, hard ground making for tough field conditions when preparing land for planting. Preventative fungicide sprays being put on wheat.
Still extremely dry. Wind blowing. Cool temperatures.
DISTRICT 7 - SOUTHWEST Sweet corn and snapbean fast past planting. We have received 0.07" of rainfall.
Dry!
Dry!
DISTRICT 8 - SOUTH CENTRAL Preparing land for tobacco. Harrowing land. Irrigating corn. Putting out herbicides. Got 1-2 tenths of rain . We need rain badly.
Fields are being irrigated to continue planting and transplanting.
Please send rain.
Days suitable for field work is reduced from 7 last week. This is due to hard-packed soil.
Dry, dry, dry. Received a slight rain on March 30. Seeing some problems on young corn which emerged but is now mostly in dry soil - plants and limited root system is subject to soil insects. Tobacco transplanting is underway in many fields although farmers are encouraged to wait. Windy and dry feels like our typical dry May conditions. Windy conditions are blasting some young seedlings and transplants.
Dry, cool weather is hampering planting and soil preparation. Frost last week and cool temperatures have halted hay and pasture growth. Dry weather is slowing soil preparation and bedding land for row crops.
Dry weather has most watermelon growers irrigating already. Few serious disease problems in the melons so far. Corn is being irrigated to insure adequate moisture for germination. Wheat is being watered.
Rain needed very quickly.
DISTRICT 9 - SOUTHEAST Dry conditions continue. Some rain on Tuesday, 0.2 inches.

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