Georgia Crop Weather Week Ending Date May 1, 2005 COOL WEATHER DELAYS SPRING ACTIVITIES A cold front brought some unseasonably cold night temperatures throughout the State, according Georgia Agricultural Statistics Service. Night temperatures dropped below average in some areas. Frost earlier in the week caused minimal damage to crops. Areas of the State received scattered rainfall over the weekend. Soil moisture levels were rated 10 percent short, 75 percent adequate, and 15 percent surplus. Overall, crops were rated in mostly good to fair condition. Cotton and peanut producers are anxiously waiting for warmer soil temperatures before planting their crops. Cool temperatures has slowed green-up of pastures and hayfields. Livestock producers continued hay feeding. There are concerns about commercial grapes and strawberries due to the late frosts. Fruit producers used protective frost measures. County Extension Agents reported an average of 5.1 days suitable for fieldwork. Highbush blueberries harvest was underway. Onion harvest continued. Other activities included side dressing tobacco with fertilizer, planting vegetables where weather permitted, and the routine care of livestock and poultry. Crop Progress Table Corn, Planted Corn, Emerged Cotton, Planted Peanuts, Planted Sorghum, Planted Soybeans, Planted Tobacco, Transplanted Wheat, Boot Wheat, Heading Onions, Harvested Watermelons, Planted Apples, Blooming May 1, 2005 88 78 9 3 21 3 88 98 87 14 86 84 Prev Week 77 63 4 1 13 1 59 91 73 2 78 70 Prev Year 97 91 17 9 18 10 97 98 92 32 91 97 5 Year Avg 94 88 21 8 17 7 95 96 91 27 91 93 Crop Condition Table May 1, 2005 Crop Very Poor Corn 3 Hay 0 Sorghum 0 Tobacco 0 Wheat 0 Onions 6 Watermelons 3 Apples 0 Peaches 0 Pasture 0 Poor Fair Good --Percentage-- 7 38 48 5 31 56 0 51 47 2 37 59 3 27 59 6 22 29 9 45 42 0 7 86 1 22 73 5 27 60 Excellent 4 8 2 2 11 37 1 7 4 8 Pasture Condition Table - District* Level May 1, 2005 Very Poor Poor Fair Good --Percentage-- Dist 1(NW) 3 13 39 39 Dist 2(NC) 0 1 20 62 Dist 3(NE) 0 0 27 63 Excellent 6 17 10 Dist 4(WC) 0 3 25 62 10 Dist 5(C) 0 3 27 57 13 Dist 6(EC) 0 19 30 51 0 Dist 7(SW) 0 5 28 61 6 Dist 8(SC) 1 1 36 59 3 Dist 9(SE) 0 0 11 82 7 *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 May 1, 2005 Prev Year --Percentages-- Very Short 0 13 Short 10 44 Adequate 75 40 Surplus 15 3 5 Year Avg 9 33 52 6 Soil Moisture Table - District Level May 1, 2005 Very Short Short Adequate --Percentages-- Dist 1(NW) 0 24 71 Dist 2(NC) 0 8 81 Dist 3(NE) 0 0 82 Dist 4(WC) 0 3 79 Dist 5(C) 3 12 64 Dist 6(EC) 0 23 77 Dist 7(SW) 0 8 76 Dist 8(SC) 0 5 69 Dist 9(SE) 0 10 83 Surplus 5 11 18 18 21 0 16 26 7 Weather Information Table GEORGIA WEATHER SUMMARY FOR THE WEEK ENDING MIDNIGHT, SUNDAY MAY 1, 2005 1/ 2005 Air Temperature Precipitation Totals Extreme Weekly Rain 30 60 Soil Location Max Min AvG Weekly Day Day Day Season Temp ALMA 84 37 62 1.24 3 4.58 10.72 15.26 65 ALPHARETTA 75 32 56 1.41 4 3.53 11.36 21.11 59 ARLINGTON 83 40 63 3.04 3 5.69 16.08 21.11 68 ATTAPULGUS 82 38 62 2.15 2 7.78 19.87 24.90 67 BLAIRSVILLE 73 30 51 1.34 5 3.85 9.49 17.90 56 BOWEN 85 40 61 2.15 3 6.94 17.71 22.67 69 BRUNSWICK 80 42 63 0.55 2 5.40 11.40 18.49 68 BYRON 81 36 59 1.80 2 4.31 11.16 17.37 64 CAIRO 81 39 62 1.99 2 6.93 17.80 22.38 67 CALHOUN 75 29 55 2.67 4 5.29 12.66 19.87 60 CAMILLA 85 40 64 2.04 3 4.59 17.00 21.26 69 CLARKS HILL 82 37 61 0.63 4 2.52 8.44 16.66 65 CORDELE 83 42 61 1.72 3 6.45 17.06 22.22 67 COVINGTON 79 35 58 1.43 3 3.19 8.57 14.58 61 DAHLONEGA 72 34 52 1.60 4 4.75 11.49 20.52 57 DALLAS 75 35 57 1.46 3 3.18 12.13 19.16 60 DAWSON 83 38 61 1.83 3 4.46 12.92 17.42 66 DEARING 81 37 59 0.48 1 2.28 8.95 15.58 63 DEMPSEY 78 33 58 2.10 2 4.81 12.30 19.12 61 DIXIE 82 39 62 1.81 3 7.19 16.44 21.48 66 DUBLIN 83 38 62 1.93 4 4.22 14.55 18.98 67 DULUTH 76 32 57 1.25 3 2.87 10.34 18.66 61 DUNWOODY 74 34 54 0.44 1 4.70 9.55 18.97 60 EATONTON 79 31 56 1.68 2 3.96 9.89 16.95 63 ELLIJAY 72 28 53 2.39 4 4.78 12.29 19.79 57 GAINESVILLE 73 40 57 1.34 5 3.33 9.99 18.44 62 GEORGETOWN 84 37 61 2.11 4 6.56 21.84 28.80 66 HOMERVILLE 85 36 63 0.91 4 2.97 11.82 16.08 69 JACKSONVILLE 81 34 60 1.51 4 3.35 11.61 17.71 65 JONESBORO 78 33 58 1.98 4 4.43 11.77 21.04 60 LAFAYETTE 74 29 54 0.96 3 2.53 5.60 11.89 58 MCRAE 82 34 61 1.31 5 4.55 13.74 17.65 67 MIDVILLE 83 40 62 1.07 3 2.95 10.02 17.37 67 NAHUNTA 85 35 62 0.91 4 3.97 10.64 16.64 69 NEWTON 84 39 61 2.26 3 8.78 18.74 23.63 68 PINE MOUNTAIN 80 31 58 1.78 3 3.52 13.74 21.25 62 PLAINS 81 39 59 1.84 3 5.30 14.59 20.76 65 ROME 75 31 56 1.26 4 2.80 6.87 11.97 61 SASSER 83 40 62 2.25 3 5.59 16.05 22.38 66 SAVANNAH 82 37 61 0.29 3 3.41 10.11 14.39 67 SHELLMAN 84 40 60 2.07 3 7.19 15.39 20.61 68 SKIDAWAY 79 41 62 0.13 4 3.66 11.31 15.48 63 STATESBORO 83 37 60 0.47 2 3.25 13.03 17.93 68 TIFTON 81 41 63 2.28 4 4.74 12.53 17.13 66 TIGER 75 33 53 1.34 3 5.37 11.95 19.61 57 VALDOSTA 83 41 65 1.75 5 4.09 16.31 21.06 66 VIDALIA 83 38 62 1.17 5 3.28 9.00 12.16 66 WATKINSVILLE 78 34 58 1.45 3 5.30 12.88 22.40 61 WILLIAMSON 78 32 58 2.29 3 4.41 12.96 20.43 60 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 compiled and edited by the Georgia Agricultural Statistics Service. DISTRICT 1 - NORTHWEST No comments available. DISTRICT 2 - NORTH CENTRAL Cool weather delaying crops. We experienced some frost and freezing this past week, but still not sure how much if any damage was done. Rain continues to create wet field conditions - late frosts have posed a threat the commercial grapes and strawberries. Small fruit producers have used frost protection measures this week. DISTRICT 3 - NORTHEAST No comments available. DISTRICT 4 - WEST CENTRAL Producers have started planting cotton and peanuts. DISTRICT 5 - CENTRAL Well below average temperatures early in the week. Cool temperatures slowing green-up of pastures and hayfields. Hay feeding continues to livestock. Cool night time temperatures continue to keep Bermuda grass hay delayed. Scattered showers are affecting harvest of ryegrass and fescue hay. Still too wet and cool to plant soybeans, corn or sorghum in our area. It has been cooler than normal which has delayed much of the early germination of seeds. Some folks finally were able to get their first cutting of hay and then it rained again--it's been difficult to get into the fields because of all of the rain, so fertilizing and other spraying is behind schedule--and weeds are quite tall! Cooler temperatures hampered Bermuda grass green-up. If we could ever put together 5 days of dry weather ryegrass hay harvest would be in full swing. Even though 100% of corn is rated good, this represents some replant. DISTRICT 6 - EAST CENTRAL Cold air/soil temperatures have corn looking stunted and yellow. Unseasonably cool temperatures (especially nights) have delayed planting so 97% of cotton/peanut crop will be planted in May. Crop conditions improving. DISTRICT 7 - SOUTHWEST Asiatic soybean rust found in volunteer soybeans. We received 0.81" of rainfall. Cool temperatures slowed plantings. Peanut planting start first week of May. DISTRICT 8 - SOUTH CENTRAL Much needed rain over weekend and another shower allowed growers to finish up late planted corn or replanting and tobacco growers are finishing up or finished setting. We are about 2 weeks behind normal for tobacco and corn is real late. Due to moisture many growers are preparing and bedding land for peanuts and cotton. BWEP man was in office this a.m. and looks like intended cotton acres will be down 60% or more. Most plan to plant peanuts. Cold temperatures last weekend hampered cotton emergence. Continuing to receive frequent rainfall. Many field sites saturated. Blueberry harvest started last week for Highbush. Tobacco transplanting is finished and most of crop is sidedressed. Monday, April 25, frost was reported in pastures and on sod farms. Cold nights have held up planting cotton. Vegetables are growing very slow due to cool weather. Rains across the county have slowed planting down for the next few days. DISTRICT 9 - SOUTHEAST Seeing some downy mildew because of cool conditions. We had a pretty good frost on Monday. Some damage to sensitive crops. Onion harvest is in full swing and we look to be having a normal year as far as size and yield is concerned. Watermelons are growing a little slower than we'd like due to the recent cool nights we've experienced. 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