Georgia weather and crops, 2005 March 20

Georgia Crop Weather
Week Ending Date March 20, 2005
RAIN DELAYS FIELDWORK ACTIVITIES The State received cold scattered rainfall early in the week, according to the Georgia Agricultural Statistics Service. There were scattered reports of temperatures being lower than normal. However, warmer temperatures and drier fields later in the week allowed planting to begin in some areas. Soil moisture levels were rated 1 percent short, 63 percent adequate, and 36 percent surplus.
Pasture, vegetable, and wheat conditions were all rated fair to mostly good. Lime and fertilizer continued to be applied to fields and pastures. Blueberries are blooming but pollination is reported to be low due to the cool weather. Peaches are starting to bloom in central Georgia. Vidalia onions remained in good condition.
County Extension Agents reported an average of 3.7 days suitable for fieldwork. Other activities included early row stripping for conservation tillage planting, burndown of cover crops and the routine care of livestock and poultry.

Crop Progress Table March 20, 2005 Data for the table will resume in April 2005.

Crop Condition Table

March 20, 2005

Crop

Very Poor

Vegetables

0

Wheat

0

Pasture

4

Poor Fair Good

--Percentage--

4

38

53

1

31

63

9

39

47

Excellent
5 5 1

Pasture Condition Table - District* Level

March 20, 2005

Very Poor Poor Fair Good Excellent

--Percentage--

Dist 1(NW)

14

15

41

30

0

Dist 2(NC)

0

2

31

66

1

Dist 3(NE)

0

1

3

85

11

Dist 4(WC)

10

12

40

38

0

Dist 5(C)

6

5

30

58

1

Dist 6(EC)

0

9

41

50

0

Dist 7(SW)

1

14

47

36

2

Dist 8(SC)

3

9

50

38

0

Dist 9(SE)

0

0

36

61

3

*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 20, 2005 Prev Year

--Percentages--

Very Short

0

NA

Short

1

NA

Adequate

63

NA

Surplus

36

NA

5 Year Avg
NA NA NA NA

Soil Moisture Table - District Level

March 20, 2005

Very Short Short Adequate

--Percentages--

Dist 1(NW)

0

0

71

Dist 2(NC)

0

0

64

Dist 3(NE)

0

0

75

Dist 4(WC)

0

1

87

Dist 5(C)

0

1

48

Dist 6(EC)

0

1

81

Dist 7(SW)

0

3

59

Dist 8(SC)

0

0

56

Dist 9(SE)

2

6

54

Surplus
29 36 25 12 51 18 38 44 38

Weather Information Table

GEORGIA WEATHER SUMMARY FOR THE WEEK ENDING MIDNIGHT, SUNDAY

MARCH 20, 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 36 53 2.02 4 4.55

6.26 7.04 56

ALPHARETTA

66 28 45 0.73 3 7.09 10.41 11.99 49

ARLINGTON

79 34 53 1.20 3 2.89

4.84 6.76 58

ATTAPULGUS

81 33 55 2.42 3 5.42

7.27 8.46 60

BLAIRSVILLE

63 26 42 0.84 4 6.11

7.99 10.26 48

BOWEN

79 34 52 1.60 3 4.26

6.45 7.10 58

BRUNSWICK

81 40 54 1.66 5 7.13

8.80 9.66 58

BYRON

71 33 50 1.42 4 4.37

7.23 8.24 55

CAIRO

80 34 55 2.63 3 5.52

7.12 7.96 60

CALHOUN

66 30 46 0.92 4 5.70

8.12 9.34 50

CAMILLA

80 34 54 1.06 3 3.46

5.15 6.06 59

CLARKS HILL

70 31 48 0.64 3 5.01

8.30 9.61 52

CORDELE

76 34 52 1.39 3 2.73

5.27 6.87 57

COVINGTON

68 31 48 0.56 3 3.07

5.88 7.12 52

DAHLONEGA

65 27 44 0.99 3 6.44

9.44 10.94 47

DALLAS

65 33 46 0.85 4 5.70

8.11 9.70 50

DAWSON

79 32 52 1.35 3 2.29

4.60 6.00 57

DEARING

72 34 49 1.18 2 4.24

7.19 8.52 53

DEMPSEY

68 33 48 0.63 4 3.46

6.59 8.11 52

DIXIE

81 34 55 2.68 3 6.80

8.24 9.39 59

DUBLIN

77 33 51 1.41 3 2.93

5.05 6.03 56

DULUTH

65 29 46 0.71 3 6.11

8.83 10.03 50

DUNWOODY

64 30 46 0.77 4 7.18

9.91 11.39 50

EATONTON

70 28 48 0.90 4 3.59

7.00 8.66 52

ELLIJAY

63 28 44 0.75 5 5.59

7.98 9.51 48

GAINESVILLE

65 30 46 1.06 4 6.24

9.02 10.25 51

GEORGETOWN

74 31 52 1.19 5 2.28

5.62 8.26 58

GRIFFIN

67 33 48 0.80 4 3.68

7.33 8.99 53

HOMERVILLE

81 34 54 1.99 3 5.59

6.72 7.67 59

JACKSONVILLE 73 32 50 1.44 3 3.47

6.43 7.98 55

JONESBORO

67 33 48 0.96 4 5.47

9.36 11.20 52

LAFAYETTE

66 30 44 0.66 4 4.24

6.04 7.42 48

MCRAE

78 30 51 1.19 3 3.09

4.82 5.51 57

MIDVILLE

73 39 51 0.86 3 4.32

7.23 8.49 56

NAHUNTA

82 33 52 1.57 4 6.19

7.93 8.75 59

NEWTON

80 33 54 1.12 3 3.36

5.00 6.75 59

PINE MOUNTAIN 68 30 48 1.29 4 5.38

7.79 9.49 52

PLAINS

74 31 51 0.99 3 2.31

5.37 7.28 54

ROME

69 31 47 0.45 4 3.38

5.26 6.37 51

SASSER

77 34 52 1.44 2 3.01

6.14 7.97 56

SAVANNAH

80 32 49 1.65 2 4.02

5.37 6.28 58

SHELLMAN

76 32 52 1.05 4 2.31

4.70 6.49 58

SKIDAWAY

81 38 52 1.86 2 4.54

5.72 6.34 55

STATESBORO

77 38 51 1.32 2 3.28

5.67 6.54 56

TIFTON

79 34 53 1.06 3 3.10

5.16 6.23 55

TIGER

64 25 42 0.73 4 5.07

7.59 8.98 46

VALDOSTA

81 37 56 3.25 4 7.63

8.83 9.97 58

VIDALIA

79 38 52 0.81 2 1.86

3.25 4.19 57

WATKINSVILLE 67 31 47 0.87 3 4.82

9.05 11.29 50

WILLIAMSON

68 32 48 1.03 4 4.05

7.25 9.20 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 March 20, 2005
DISTRICT 1 - NORTHWEST No comments available.
DISTRICT 2 - NORTH CENTRAL Routine care of livestock and poultry - wet field conditions prevent field work.
DISTRICT 3 - NORTHEAST No comments available.
DISTRICT 4 - WEST CENTRAL Producers are waiting for the ground to dry out in order to finish planting corn.
Corn planting and cropland preparation in full swing.
Cool and wet this week.
DISTRICT 5 - CENTRAL A rainy, windy, and cold week! Much lower than average temperatures. Rain kept farmers from being able to topdress small grains and winter grazing. Neither could they do any land preparation for spring planting. Heavy hay feeding to livestock continues.
Things have remained fairly consistent in terms of weather patterns. There has not been any significant crop changes.
Corn planting has begun. Field preparation continues. Routine tasks continue.
Peaches are doing ok.
Wet soils are delaying corn planting and land preparation for other crops. The cooler weather has been good for the Vidalia onions this week.
DISTRICT 6 - EAST CENTRAL Very near corn planting, wheat growing well after topdress nitrogen went out.
DISTRICT 7 - SOUTHWEST

Sweet corn and field corn plantings.
DISTRICT 8 - SOUTH CENTRAL Beginning to plant corn and preparing land for spring planting. Applying fertilizer and poultry litter. With 2.5" of rainfall the field work is over for the next few days.
Many growers are planting corn.
Field work has been progressing at an exceptional pace, until rains this week. Conservation tillage practices now account for approx. 65 % of county crop acres. Most field work has included early row stripping for CT planting, burndown of cover crops and application of fertilizer.
Rain, Tuesday night and Wednesday, totaled from 2-4 inches across the county. Field work has stopped for a few days due to wet fields. Cloudy, rainy cool days has slowed down bee activity. Blueberries are blooming but pollination is low due to the weather conditions.
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