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