Georgia weather and crops, 2005 April 17

Georgia Crop Weather
Week Ending Date April 17, 2005
FIELDWORK RESUMES DESPITE RAIN Producers made good process with most fieldwork activities, despite additional rainfall in most areas, according Georgia Agricultural Statistics Service. Temperatures were cooler than normal during the latter part of the week. Some counties reported saturated soils limited planting of spring crops. Soil moisture levels were rated 2 percent short, 65 percent adequate, and 33 percent surplus.
Field preparations began for cotton and peanuts in south Georgia. Tobacco transplanting gained momentum once the soil dried. Wheat was rated in good to fair condition. Producers sprayed fields to control diseases, insects, and weeds. Onions and peaches appeared in good shape.
County Extension Agents reported an average of 4.3 days suitable for fieldwork. Snapbean planting neared completion. Watermelons planting continued to lag behind normal. Other activities included cutting hay, fertilizing pasture and hay fields, and the routine care of livestock and poultry.

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 17, 2005 62 48 2 11 26 93 75 52 0 58 52 90

Prev Week
45 36
1 3 8 87 47 22 0 37 22 88

Prev Year
88 74
4 6 66 97 83 61 12 75 68 100

5 Year Avg 82 69 4 8 67 96 84 62 6 73 66 99

Crop Condition Table

April 17, 2005

Crop

Very Poor

Corn

5

Hay

0

Sorghum

0

Tobacco

1

Wheat

0

Onions

8

Watermelons

3

Apples

0

Peaches

0

Pasture

0

Poor Fair Good

--Percentage--

11

40

41

4

34

60

14

26

57

4

58

36

4

27

62

8

28

34

16

61

19

0

0

75

15

2

80

5

33

57

Excellent
3 2 3 1 7 22 1 25 3 5

Pasture Condition Table - District* Level

April 17, 2005

Very Poor Poor Fair Good

--Percentage--

Dist 1(NW)

0

0

20

76

Dist 2(NC)

0

5

23

60

Dist 3(NE)

0

1

18

68

Dist 4(WC)

1

2

34

60

Dist 5(C)

1

1

36

58

Excellent
4 12 13
3 4

Dist 6(EC)

0

16

34

50

0

Dist 7(SW)

0

4

40

52

4

Dist 8(SC)

1

3

43

51

2

Dist 9(SE)

0

8

15

72

5

*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 17, 2005 Prev Year

--Percentages--

Very Short

0

17

Short

2

49

Adequate

65

34

Surplus

33

0

5 Year Avg
6 24 57 13

Soil Moisture Table - District Level

April 17, 2005

Very Short Short Adequate

--Percentages--

Dist 1(NW)

0

0

95

Dist 2(NC)

0

1

76

Dist 3(NE)

0

0

78

Dist 4(WC)

0

5

65

Dist 5(C)

0

3

68

Dist 6(EC)

0

0

66

Dist 7(SW)

0

6

59

Dist 8(SC)

0

0

45

Dist 9(SE)

0

2

63

Surplus
5 23 22 30 29 34 35 55 35

Weather Information Table

GEORGIA WEATHER SUMMARY FOR THE WEEK ENDING MIDNIGHT, SUNDAY

APRIL 17, 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 39 60 0.09 1

6.18 10.73 13.22 64

ALPHARETTA

79 37 59 0.37 4

6.84 13.93 18.83 62

ARLINGTON

79 41 60 0.11 1 10.74 13.63 17.50 67

ATTAPULGUS

77 38 60 0.02 1 13.56 18.98 22.02 66

BLAIRSVILLE

76 31 57 0.26 3

5.49 11.61 15.75 60

BOWEN

79 41 60 0.19 1 12.25 16.51 19.35 68

BRUNSWICK

77 46 60 0.33 2

7.40 14.53 17.06 68

BYRON

78 40 60 0.12 1

6.75 11.12 14.99 65

CAIRO

78 40 61 0.04 1 11.86 17.38 19.82 66

CALHOUN

79 36 60 0.20 3

6.94 12.64 16.28 64

CAMILLA

80 39 61 0.08 2 12.30 15.76 18.36 68

CLARKS HILL

82 35 56 0.34 2

5.81 10.82 15.42 63

CORDELE

79 40 61 0.00 0 11.95 14.68 18.82 66

COVINGTON

78 37 59 0.19 1

5.33 8.40 12.45 63

DAHLONEGA

77 34 57 0.40 3

7.32 13.76 18.26 59

DALLAS

76 39 59 0.35 3

7.57 13.27 17.27 62

DAWSON

79 38 61 0.05 1

7.89 10.18 13.89 67

DEARING

80 39 59 0.09 2

6.30 10.54 14.82 62

DEMPSEY

77 36 59 0.00 0

7.59 11.05 15.70 64

DIXIE

81 41 63 0.00 0

9.73 16.51 19.09 66

DUBLIN

80 38 59 0.26 1 10.28 13.21 16.31 66

DULUTH

78 37 59 0.04 2

6.66 12.77 16.69 63

DUNWOODY

78 39 60 0.14 2

6.43 13.61 17.82 64

EATONTON

78 33 57 0.36 2

5.82 9.41 14.48 64

ELLIJAY

77 35 58 0.15 3

6.70 12.29 16.21 60

GAINESVILLE

76 40 59 0.35 2

6.44 12.68 16.69 64

GEORGETOWN

79 34 60 0.03 1 16.10 18.34 24.32 69

GRIFFIN

76 39 60 0.00 0

7.55 11.23 16.54 63

JACKSONVILLE 78 39 59 0.12 1

7.76 11.23 15.74 64

JONESBORO

78 38 59 0.59 2

6.78 12.25 17.98 62

LAFAYETTE

76 37 59 0.10 2

3.13 7.37 10.55 61

MCRAE

79 35 58 0.19 1

9.37 12.46 14.88 66

NAHUNTA

78 34 57 0.23 2

6.05 12.24 14.80 66

NEWTON

79 39 61 0.13 2 13.95 17.31 20.70 67

PINE MOUNTAIN 78 37 59 0.38 1

9.84 15.22 19.33 62

PLAINS

78 40 60 0.00 0 10.87 13.18 18.15 64

ROME

78 39 60 0.15 3

3.94 7.32 10.31 63

SASSER

78 44 62 0.08 1 10.12 13.16 18.12 65

SAVANNAH

78 37 57 0.11 3

7.25 11.27 13.53 65

SHELLMAN

81 40 61 2.42 3

9.61 11.83 14.95 65

SKIDAWAY

79 42 59 0.28 3

8.34 12.88 14.68 62

STATESBORO

78 38 58 0.20 3

9.99 13.27 16.53 67

TIFTON

77 42 61 0.10 1

7.61 10.71 13.84 64

TIGER

77 31 54 0.81 3

7.86 12.93 16.84 60

VALDOSTA

81 42 62 0.28 3

8.86 16.49 18.83 65

VIDALIA

78 41 60 0.11 2

5.87 7.73 10.06 65

WATKINSVILLE 77 37 58 0.77 2

9.20 14.02 20.49 62

WILLIAMSON

77 36 59 0.03 2

8.35 12.40 17.55 63

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 April 17, 2005
DISTRICT 1 - NORTHWEST No comments available.
DISTRICT 2 - NORTH CENTRAL Rain is making it difficult to plant crops and harvest hay.
Routine care of livestock and poultry, pasture fertilization.
DISTRICT 3 - NORTHEAST No comments available.
DISTRICT 4 - WEST CENTRAL Fields are starting to dry up and the last corn is being put in. Producers are getting ready to put in cotton. Peaches look great.
Dried out a lot last week; pastures are coming on; applied lime, fertilizer, and weed control to pastures and hayfields; small grains in good shape.
DISTRICT 5 - CENTRAL Some light showers. Corn planting continues. Pasture and hayfield conditions continue to improve slightly. Wet conditions continue to hamper field work.
Areas of the county are still wet. We have had a break in rain which has been helpful.

Farmers currently cutting spring ryegrass for hay this week with a few good drying days forecasted - cold night temperatures slowing Bermuda green-up some.
Peaches are bloomed out in middle Georgia.
Wet conditions and cool temperatures are keeping corn silage planting and wheat silage harvesting to zero.
DISTRICT 6 - EAST CENTRAL Watching for disease on wheat, spraying herbicides on corn, stripping land for strip-planting.
Soils still wet. Some planting taking place.
Cold, burr!
DISTRICT 7 - SOUTHWEST Snapbean plantings completed. Cool temperatures and wet soils preventing field and plantings.
DISTRICT 8 - SOUTH CENTRAL Should wrap-up tobacco planting next week. Tobacco greenhouse plants are short. Preparing soil for cotton. Cool and windy on Thursday and Friday.
Onion crop going good. Wheat overall looks good. Corn crop up and going good.
Tobacco transplanting is underway. Corn crop will be less acres planted due to lateness of season. Field work is starting on high ground. Still lot of wet corners and areas in fields. Missing out on rain this week really helped. One week of good weather will help field preparation for cotton and peanuts.
Moisture conditions improving for field work; however, warmer temperatures are needed for spring crops.
DISTRICT 9 - SOUTHEAST Hail storm on March 22 destroyed the onion crop in the county which represents 12 to 15% of the total crop.
Fields are wet causing planting to be delayed.
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