Georgia weather and crops, 2004 August 15

Georgia Crop Weather
Week Ending Date August 15, 2004
STORM BRINGS BENEFICIAL RAINFALL Wide spread rains fell across the State last week, according to the Georgia Agricultural Statistics Service. Some areas received as much as 4 inches or more of rain from Tropical Storm Bonnie. A cold front moved through the State on Wednesday and Thursday bringing beneficial rains to most of the State. The timely rains gave a boost to the State's crops and pastures. Crop conditions were rated in mostly good to fair.
Growers were cutting and baling hay, weather permitting. Farmers were spraying peanuts and pecans for disease prevention.
County Extension Agents reported an average of 4.6 days suitable for fieldwork. Other activities included applying fertilizer to hayfields and pastures, harvesting tobacco, and the routine care of livestock and poultry.

Crop Progress Table

Aug 15,

2004

Corn, Dent

97

Corn, Mature

84

Corn, Harvested for Grain

21

Cotton, Bolls Open

7

Sorghum, Harvested for Grain 9

Soybeans, Blooming

95

Soybeans, Setting Pods

79

Soybeans, Dropping Leaves

2

Tobacco, Harvested

76

Apples, Harvested

11

Peaches, Harvested

99

Prev Week
94 69 10
1 5 89 70 0 67 9 97

Prev Year
92 75 16
4 7 87 63 1 71 15 100

5 Year Avg 95 82 29 12 4 85 63 1 71 12 100

Crop Condition Table

August 15, 2004

Crop

Very Poor

Corn

2

Cotton

2

Hay

2

Peanuts

1

Sorghum

0

Soybeans

3

Apples

0

Pecans

8

Pasture

1

Poor Fair Good

--Percentage--

9

31

45

11

33

42

10

37

46

6

35

45

8

42

46

10

41

42

6

15

73

19

39

32

9

39

46

Excellent
13 12
5 13
4 4 6 2 5

Pasture Condition Table - District* Level

August 15, 2004

Very Poor Poor Fair Good Excellent

--Percentage--

Dist 1(NW)

2

8

35

48

7

Dist 2(NC)

0

4

39

55

2

Dist 3(NE)

1

13

25

53

8

Dist 4(WC)

0

3

44

44

9

Dist 5(C)

5

12

45

36

2

Dist 6(EC)

0

20

44

33

3

Dist 7(SW)

2

8

36

51

3

Dist 8(SC)

1

8

38

45

8

Dist 9(SE)

0

2

36

62

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

Aug 15, 2004 Prev Year

--Percentages--

Very Short

1

0

Short

18

2

Adequate

65

60

Surplus

16

38

5 Year Avg
20 31 40
9

Soil Moisture Table - District Level

August 15, 2004

Very Short Short Adequate

--Percentages--

Dist 1(NW)

0

10

82

Dist 2(NC)

0

30

68

Dist 3(NE)

1

6

73

Dist 4(WC)

0

16

81

Dist 5(C)

3

28

60

Dist 6(EC)

4

33

59

Dist 7(SW)

0

11

47

Dist 8(SC)

0

9

74

Dist 9(SE)

1

10

58

Surplus
8 2 20 3 9 4 42 17 31

Weather Information Table

GEORGIA WEATHER SUMMARY FOR THE WEEK ENDING MIDNIGHT, SUNDAY

AUGUST 15, 2004 1/

2004

Air Temperature

Precipitation Totals

Extreme Weekly Rain

30

60

Soil

Location

Max Min AvG Weekly Day Day

Day Season Temp

ALMA

89 66 76 2.45 5 4.01 10.93 25.20 80

ALPHARETTA

87 53 70 2.96 5 7.19 14.48 31.93 77

ARLINGTON

88 64 75 1.04 3 2.57 10.38 29.08 82

ATTAPULGUS

89 65 76 4.11 5 5.31 10.01 28.98 82

BLAIRSVILLE

82 50 65 0.94 3 3.55

8.51 29.60 75

BRUNSWICK

85 68 76 2.06 5 4.93 14.68 30.17 80

BYRON

91 63 74 2.23 3 3.29

6.65 22.37 79

CAIRO

89 65 76 3.13 6 3.60

8.57 26.06 80

CALHOUN

88 51 69 0.59 1 4.73 11.54 31.50 74

CAMILLA

89 65 76 2.65 4 3.90

7.44 24.74 83

CORDELE

93 64 75 3.90 5 6.96 14.05 27.37 80

COVINGTON

86 59 71 2.39 2 5.56

9.52 26.50 79

DAHLONEGA

84 52 69 0.77 1 2.89 10.23 28.31 75

DALLAS

84 52 69 1.73 2 4.65

9.43 31.28 76

DAWSON

90 66 75 2.12 3 2.56

8.50 24.99 81

DEARING

89 61 74 1.48 5 1.76

9.29 28.29 79

DEMPSEY

87 57 71 2.52 4 5.24 13.78 30.66 76

DIXIE

89 69 76 4.29 5 6.68 16.61 34.82 83

DUBLIN

92 63 75 3.65 6 4.22

8.31 25.28 82

DULUTH

86 53 70 1.75 1 2.75

7.09 24.59 78

DUNWOODY

84 53 70 1.33 1 7.78 13.44 31.95 77

EATONTON

89 56 71 1.23 2 1.38

7.01 22.89 81

ELLIJAY

86 50 67 0.47 1 2.03

9.94 29.52 74

FORT VALLEY

92 64 74 1.71 4 1.78

5.42 17.60 80

GAINESVILLE

83 59 71 1.17 1 3.49

7.65 23.72 78

GEORGETOWN

87 60 74 0.18 1 1.09

4.99 22.96 80

GRIFFIN

86 58 71 2.45 2 5.54 12.89 29.47 76

HOMERVILLE

88 65 75 2.64 4 3.47

8.57 27.70 79

JACKSONVILLE 91 62 74 1.80 4 2.33

6.32 24.61 81

JONESBORO

87 58 71 2.18 3 3.56

6.41 21.95 78

LAFAYETTE

86 48 67 0.54 3 3.18 10.08 27.28 73

MIDVILLE

89 60 75 3.27 4 5.61

9.37 29.47 83

NAHUNTA

90 65 75 3.68 6 7.30 15.53 38.13 81

NEWTON

89 64 75 2.09 3 2.73

8.67 27.35 82

PINE MOUNTAIN 88 56 72 1.69 2 5.18 13.29 33.57 77

PLAINS

91 59 74 4.38 3 5.90 13.06 29.66 81

ROME

88 51 69 1.36 2 3.36

9.73 33.42 74

ROOPVILLE

91 51 69 3.05 3 5.56

9.72 27.05 78

SAVANNAH

89 63 74 2.61 4 5.51 12.42 33.30 80

SNEADS

89 69 77 2.22 7 3.10

9.90 28.73 82

STATESBORO

89 62 75 3.00 5 4.04

7.50 20.80 83

TIFTON

91 67 76 1.01 5 1.12

9.12 32.55 79

VALDOSTA

89 69 77 4.75 6 6.23 10.77 26.65 79

VIDALIA

89 64 75 3.14 6 4.55 10.71 27.53 81

WATKINSVILLE 86 59 71 2.86 1 4.86

9.67 26.44 77

WILLIAMSON

87 56 71 2.18 2 4.70 12.25 27.95 77

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 August 15, 2004
DISTRICT 1 - NORTHWEST Started harvesting watermelons this past week - yields look good. Pumpkin crop looks great, should start harvest in about one month.
DISTRICT 2 - NORTH CENTRAL Mowing pastures, routine care of livestock - heavy rain fell in areas of the county this week.
DISTRICT 3 - NORTHEAST We received 3 to 3.5 inches of rain in some parts of county this week.
DISTRICT 4 - WEST CENTRAL Receiving rainfall after 30 days of drought.
Rainfall amounts varying from 2.5 - 5 inches fell in the county this week, alleviating severe drought conditions. Pastures and hayfields look much better.
DISTRICT 5 - CENTRAL Welcome rain! Around 2 inches total for the week in most parts of the county. Hope we get more!
We are expecting rainfall from the hurricanes coming up the coast. Hopefully, this will address our rainfall deficit.
Received some much needed rain this week - conditions improved - hopefully will allow us to get at least one more decent cutting of hay - farmers fertilizing hay fields.
Welcome rain around the county!

Time will tell how much the dry weather affected crops.
Thanks for the rain.
DISTRICT 6 - EAST CENTRAL Crop categories hard to assess due to dryland continuing to go backward while irrigated crops are progressing nicely. Also, in the case of corn, yields are subjective; many fields falling short of expectations. Only two hay cuttings so far.
Recent rains have improved growing conditions.
Some scattered showers. Soil moisture finally coming back. Cooler temperatures will help. Need to continue to get showers.
DISTRICT 7 - SOUTHWEST Some parts of the county have received five inches of rain. Corn harvest has been halted by the rains.
We received 5.92" of rainfall. Crops are in overall good condition. Some dryland cotton fields are cutting out. Upper ninety temperatures have affected cotton growth.
Rainfall amounts varying from 3-5 inches. Much needed!
DISTRICT 8 - SOUTH CENTRAL Excess rain has delayed tobacco harvest and normal fungicide and insect sprays and has delayed corn harvest. Rain was much needed for crops in critical water use stage such as peanuts, soybeans, cotton, and pastures, etc. Two week drought had taken its toll on the crop and stressed plants. Excess rains have caused problems with hay cut earlier in week and may not get baled.
Averaged 1 inch of rain across the county. Earlier dry weather has taken its toll on many crops. Since we plant later than in past years the rain this week should help considerably.
The county has received from 2 to 5 inches of rain. Peanuts were wilting in the field prior to these rains. Cotton was also wilting. Growers will need to scout for and treat leaf and soil-borne diseases in peanuts. Pecans need to be sprayed for scab after these rainy days. Pastures and hayfields received much needed moisture.
Rain showers during the week couldn't have come a minute too soon. It was a multi-million dollar rain event for the state.
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