Georgia Crop Weather Week Ending Date January 16, 2005 WARM WEATHER ENDS There was unseasonably warm weather for most of the week according to the Georgia Agricultural Statistics Service. It became colder at the end of the week. Most areas had temperatures in the upper 70's in the beginning of the week. These temperatures dropped to the chilling 40's by the end of the week. Soil moisture levels were rated 12 percent short, 74 percent adequate, and 14 percent surplus. The unseasonably warm weather promoted winter grazing and was favorable for small grains. The warm weather also caused the blueberries, peaches, forsythia, and cherries to start blooming in the southern part of the state. There are concerns about the returning cold hurting these early season crops. Pasture, vegetable, and wheat conditions were all rated in mostly good or fair condition. Disease starting to be seen in small grains along with insect activity. County Extension Agents reported an average of 5.3 days suitable for fieldwork. Other activities included maintenance on chicken houses and equipment, preparing greenhouses for sowing tobacco seed in the next few weeks, preparing for spring planting, and routine care of livestock and poultry. Livestock producers began hay feeding due to bad pasture conditions in central Georgia. Crop Progress Table January 16, 2005 Data for the table will resume in April 2005. Crop Condition Table January 16, 2005 Crop Very Poor Vegetables 0 Wheat 0 Pasture 3 Poor Fair Good --Percentage-- 2 33 59 0 28 67 9 42 44 Excellent 6 5 2 Pasture Condition Table - District* Level January 16, 2005 Very Poor Poor Fair Good Excellent --Percentage-- Dist 1(NW) 3 10 57 30 0 Dist 2(NC) 0 2 46 50 2 Dist 3(NE) 0 13 31 49 7 Dist 4(WC) 1 7 48 38 6 Dist 5(C) 9 9 28 54 0 Dist 6(EC) 0 16 35 49 0 Dist 7(SW) 3 12 36 48 1 Dist 8(SC) 6 7 48 35 4 Dist 9(SE) 0 1 64 34 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 Jan 16, 2005 Prev Year --Percentages-- Very Short 0 NA Short 12 NA Adequate 74 NA 5 Year Avg NA NA NA Surplus 14 NA NA Soil Moisture Table - District Level January 16, 2005 Very Short Short Adequate --Percentages-- Dist 1(NW) 0 0 85 Dist 2(NC) 0 0 76 Dist 3(NE) 0 1 93 Dist 4(WC) 1 17 66 Dist 5(C) 0 3 70 Dist 6(EC) 0 25 75 Dist 7(SW) 1 11 72 Dist 8(SC) 1 14 78 Dist 9(SE) 0 37 62 Surplus 15 24 6 16 27 0 16 7 1 Weather Information Table GEORGIA WEATHER SUMMARY FOR THE WEEK ENDING MIDNIGHT, SUNDAY JANUARY 16, 2005 1/ 2005 Air Temperature Precipitation Totals Extreme Weekly Rain 30 60 Soil Location Max Min AvG Weekly Day Day Day Season Temp ALMA 78 38 57 0.78 2 0.78 0.78 0.78 59 ALPHARETTA 70 26 49 1.22 2 1.59 1.59 1.59 49 ARLINGTON 76 37 56 1.85 2 1.92 1.92 1.92 58 ATTAPULGUS 77 41 57 1.17 2 1.19 1.19 1.19 60 BLAIRSVILLE 65 22 46 1.79 2 2.27 2.27 2.27 50 BOWEN 77 38 56 0.65 2 0.65 0.65 0.65 60 BRUNSWICK 74 39 58 0.86 3 0.86 0.86 0.86 62 BYRON 74 31 53 0.96 3 1.01 1.01 1.01 56 CAIRO 77 40 57 0.84 2 0.84 0.84 0.84 63 CALHOUN 71 25 49 0.86 1 1.22 1.22 1.22 51 CAMILLA 77 39 57 0.91 2 0.91 0.91 0.91 60 CLARKS HILL 80 32 51 1.24 2 1.31 1.31 1.31 53 CORDELE 75 36 55 1.59 3 1.60 1.60 1.60 58 COVINGTON 70 28 51 1.11 3 1.24 1.24 1.24 55 DAHLONEGA 67 25 48 0.85 2 1.50 1.50 1.50 49 DALLAS 69 26 50 1.22 2 1.59 1.59 1.59 52 DAWSON 75 35 55 1.39 2 1.40 1.40 1.40 59 DEARING 76 34 53 1.20 3 1.33 1.33 1.33 57 DEMPSEY 70 26 52 1.31 2 1.52 1.52 1.52 53 DIXIE 79 39 58 1.15 2 1.15 1.15 1.15 61 DUBLIN 78 36 55 0.98 2 0.98 0.98 0.98 57 DULUTH 68 26 49 0.96 2 1.20 1.20 1.20 52 DUNWOODY 69 26 50 1.12 2 1.48 1.48 1.48 52 EATONTON 71 29 51 1.51 3 1.67 1.67 1.67 52 GAINESVILLE 66 29 50 0.95 2 1.23 1.23 1.23 53 GEORGETOWN 73 34 54 2.59 3 2.64 2.64 2.64 58 HOMERVILLE 79 36 57 0.95 2 0.95 0.95 0.95 60 JACKSONVILLE 73 32 53 1.53 2 1.55 1.55 1.55 56 JONESBORO 71 28 51 1.59 2 1.84 1.84 1.84 52 MCRAE 78 37 54 0.68 2 0.69 0.69 0.69 58 MIDVILLE 78 37 55 1.26 2 1.26 1.26 1.26 57 NAHUNTA 80 32 55 0.82 3 0.83 0.83 0.83 61 NEWTON 77 39 56 1.74 2 1.75 1.75 1.75 60 PINE MOUNTAIN 72 27 51 1.43 2 1.70 1.70 1.70 53 PLAINS 73 33 54 1.86 2 1.91 1.91 1.91 55 ROME 71 26 50 0.67 1 1.11 1.11 1.11 52 SASSER 75 38 55 1.77 2 1.83 1.83 1.83 57 SAVANNAH 71 32 51 0.91 5 0.91 0.91 0.91 59 SHELLMAN 75 36 55 1.77 3 1.79 1.79 1.79 58 SKIDAWAY 73 36 55 0.62 4 0.62 0.62 0.62 58 STATESBORO 76 38 55 0.87 1 0.87 0.87 0.87 58 TIFTON 76 38 57 1.07 2 1.07 1.07 1.07 59 TIGER 68 25 48 0.77 2 1.39 1.39 1.39 48 VALDOSTA 80 43 59 1.14 2 1.14 1.14 1.14 62 VIDALIA 78 40 56 0.93 3 0.94 0.94 0.94 58 WATKINSVILLE 68 30 51 2.05 3 2.24 2.24 2.24 52 WILLIAMSON 71 27 51 1.70 2 1.95 1.95 1.95 52 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 January 16, 2005 DISTRICT 1 - NORTHWEST No comments available. DISTRICT 2 - NORTH CENTRAL Routine care of livestock and poultry this week - some heavy rain in scattered locations. DISTRICT 3 - NORTHEAST DISTRICT 4 - WEST CENTRAL Unseasonably warm weather has made conditions very favorable for cool season perennial and annual grasses to grow. This made for excellent pasture conditions. Unusually mild weather came to an abrupt end but was good for wheat & winter grazing progress. Routine care of livestock and poultry, feeding lots of hay and breaking ice in troughs as of late. DISTRICT 5 - CENTRAL Rain late in the week! One half to 1 inch in most locations of the county. Still unseasonably warm weather early in the week but turned back to more normal temperatures late in the week. Small grain conditions continued to be good. Hay feeding still increased due to declining pasture conditions. Warm temperatures and rain helped winter grazing conditions improve slightly. Some farmers serviced equipment to get it ready for land preparation for spring planting. Warmer weather has been great for winter annual crops and for fescue pastures. It has been unseasonably warm. Hopefully, we won't see any early disease and pest problems emerging from the warm weather. Received 1+ inches of rainfall on Thursday night - recent warm weather has been beneficial to the growth of ryegrass in pastures and small grains for silage - weather returning to more seasonable cold this weekend. Forsythia and cherry are already blooming. DISTRICT 6 - EAST CENTRAL Finally some cooler weather. Saw disease in small grain due to warm weather. DISTRICT 7 - SOUTHWEST It has been unseasonably warm the past two weeks. There were insect activity and clovers and winter weeds were growing. We received 0.13" of rainfall. Discing cotton stalks. Harrowed fields, applied poultry litter to small grains for grazing. Worked on chicken houses and farm equipment and tractors. Readied greenhouses for sowing tobacco seed in the next few weeks. DISTRICT 8 - SOUTH CENTRAL Above normal temperatures for the past two weeks have speeded green-up in lawns and some early season fruit blooming. Some real cold temperatures could hurt early season blueberries and peaches. 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