Week ending January 26, 1997 Released 4:00 P.M. January 27, 1997 WEATHER SUMMARY: Freezing temperatures at the start of the week of January 19 through 25 harmed crops to varying degrees in all areas. Lows were in the 'teens, twenties, and thirties. Lows in Dade County were in the upper 20s to low 30s; Palmetto- Ruskin, upper 'teens to mid-20s; and Zellwood, 'teens to upper 20s. Some Everglades localities reportedly recorded temperatures below freezing for eleven hours. These low temperatures brought heavy frost to the Palmetto-Ruskin, Immokalee, and Dade County areas. Temperatures for the rest of the week climbed to more seasonable levels with weekly highs mostly in the 60s and 70s. For the week, temperatures averaged mostly one to six degrees below normal. Rainfall for the week totaled from none at several stations to over two inches with western Panhandle and the northern half of the state reporting most of this precipitation. The passage of a cold front on January 25 and 26 brought significant showers to many localities. FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture is adequate to surplus in the Panhandle and northern Peninsula with scattered areas of short moisture. The southern Peninsula moisture is short to adequate with scattered areas of very short. Topsoil moisture condition as reported from very short to surplus (previous week's rating in parentheses): very short 1% (1%), short 53% (24%), adequate 40% (69%), and surplus 6% (6%). Subsoil moisture condition: very short 1% (2%), short 36% (31%), adequate 59% (64%), and surplus 4% (3%). Sugarcane harvest is active. The sugarcane crop was damaged by the cold temperatures on January 19-20. The green canopy in sugarcane fields was damaged. In some fields the leaves were only scorched and in others the total top was killed. Mills are adjusting schedules to handle the most heavily damaged cane first. Growers are preparing fields for spring crops. Growers are maintaining tobacco plant beds. Pine tree planting is active. LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: The condition of the State's ranges and pastures was rated from very poor to excellent (previ ous week's rating in parentheses): very poor 15% (5%), poor 40% (25%), fair 40% (35%), good 5% (35%), and excellent 0% (0%). Pastures are showing the effect of the January freeze. Small grains for forage in the central area generally doing well through some areas need rain. Cool seasonal temperatures are holding back forage growth. Some ranchers in the southwest are starting to burn the permanent pastures. Cattlemen are feeding hay and supple ments. The State's cattle herds were rated at poor 10% (0%), fair 65% (60%), good 25% (40%), and excellent 0% (0%). CITRUS: Damage from freezing temperatures January 19 is variable depending on location, tree condition, stage of growth and moisture levels at the time of the freeze. There will be some defoliation in some areas. Harvesting crews are moving damaged early maturing crops to the processing plants. Most of the grapefruit on the east coast was not exposed to temperatures low enough long enough to cause damage. Fresh fruit packing houses have sufficient fruit to meet current commitments. Caretakers are discing and cutting in dead cover crops for fire prevention. Hedging and topping were active in some areas this week. Estimated boxes harvested week ended Crop Jan 12 Jan 19 Jan 26 Navel oranges 222,000 266,000 180,000 Early and Mid oranges 9,352,000 11,053,000 7,308,000 Valencia oranges 0 9,000 19,000 All grapefruit 1,482,000 1,624,000 1,222,000 Tangerines 328,000 361,000 185,000 Temples 78,000 124,000 98,000 Tangelos 375,000 402,000 250,000 VEGETABLES: Warmer conditions during most of the week helped some fields, mainly younger acreage, recover from the freezing temperatures of early week. Producers are salvaging marketable fruit from fields hurt significantly by the freeze with only a low volume of some crops available for the next few weeks. Vegetables available: beans, cabbage, carrots, celery, Chinese cabbage, sweet corn, cucumbers, eggplant, endive, escarole, lettuce, parsley, peppers, radishes, squash, strawberries, tomatoes. SNAP BEANS: Dade, Everglades--Some young acreage is recovering from the frost with plants now greening up. The cold hurt most older fields with growers plowing this acreage and replanting. East Coast--Older fields nearing maturity show top foliage burned by the cold. Younger plants have some leaves burned but are expected to recover. Warmer temperatures are boosting germination of recent seedings and growth of plants. Growers are picking a light volume by machine and hand. Southwest--Growers are continuing to plant acreage destroyed by the recent freeze. CABBAGE: Hastings--No visual damage from the January 19-20 freeze. Harvest steady. Quality good. Planting steady. Crop in good condition. Growth and development normal. Central-- Light damage from freeze. Harvest active. West Central--Not much damage from freeze. Harvest steady. Quality fair. Size fair. Planting virtually complete. Crop in fair to good condition. Growth and development normal. Dade--Cabbage looks good and weekly harvest underway. Good quality and average yield. Growth and development good. CARROTS: Zellwood--Digging active. Growers are reseeding most of the acreage lost to the freeze. Everglades--Crop condition is mostly good with most fields recovering well from the cold. SWEET CORN: Dade--Crop condition is improving. Young fields are recovering from the frost. Plants at the tassel stage have burnt leaves but ears escaped major frost damage. Growers are picking a light volume of fair quality and yield. Planting is finished. Everglades--Producers are starting to replant young fields destroyed by the freezing temperatures. East Coast--Some plants near maturity in low lying areas have leaves burned down to where ears develop. Some germination of recent plantings was slowed by recent heavy rains and the cold temperatures. Producers are picking a light volume. Spring crop planting is continuing. CUCUMBERS: East Coast--Most acreage escaped significant damage due to growers using crop covers. Plants not protected show cold damage. Harvesting of a light volume is yielding super select, select, and plain grades, and 24 count boxes. Growers are continuing scheduled spring crop planting. Southwest--A small acreage was protected from the freeze by crop covers. Dade--A small acreage of pickles is recovering from the frost. Producers may start replanting other fields lost to the cold in about a week or more. EGGPLANT: East Coast--Older plants are showing some foliage burn with the warmer temperatures aiding crop recovery. Most acreage was not significantly harmed by the recent cold. Growers continued cutting fancy and medium grades of mostly good quality and color. Dade--Young fields are recovering from the cold. Oldest plants suffered heavy damage from the frost. Quality and volume will be poor for fruit being picked over the next few weeks. Production is expected to increase in about a month. ESCAROLE/ENDIVE: Everglades--Supplies are light as plants recover from the cold. LETTUCE: Everglades--Harvesting of a light volume is active as plants recover from the recent freezing temperatures. OKRA: Dade--The frost damaged most acreage beyond salva tion. Producers may start replanting in late February or early March. PEPPERS: Southwest--Warmer temperatures are aiding growth and development of plants not significantly hurt by the freeze. Planting is active. Harvesting of a reduced volume continues. East Coast--Most acreage was not significantly affected by the recent cool temperatures. The tops of some older plants show cold burn. Producers are making spot resets of young plants killed by the cold with only a limited acreage affected. Harvesting of green and red Bells and some specialty types is continuing. Quality and sizes are very good. Scheduled planting is active. Palmetto-Ruskin, Lithia-- The crop is in poor to fair condition. Some young acreage is recovering slowly from the recent cold. Growers are replanting some fields killed by the freeze and continuing to make scheduled spring crop plantings. POTATOES: Southwest--Cold temperatures of January 19-20 killed plants in most fields but most of the fields will be harvested. Harvest is starting. Dade--Potatoes are looking fair with some fields showing slight vine burn from frost last weekend. Rain Tuesday, January 14 caused some damage. The first harvest should start in early February. West Central--The growers were able to cover most of the plants thus only minor damage to potato crop. Growth and development normal. Hastings--Damage to the fields at Federal Point where the plants were too large to cover. Planting was active. RADISHES: Zellwood, Everglades--Digging of a freeze-reduced acreage is active. SQUASH: Southwest--Youngest acreage is in good condition with warmer weather boosting growth. East Coast--Oldest fields nearing harvest completion were damaged the most by the cold temperatures. Some other fields show leaf damage on the top of plants. Younger plants are recovering well. Cutting of a light volume is active with fancy and medium grades of mostly good quality and color available. Planting is active. Dade--Growers are irrigating some young acreage to aid recovery from the recent cold. Growers are replanting some of the oldest acreage that was lost to the freezing temperatures. Volume will be very low for the next six weeks. Lithia--Growers are replanting some fields killed by the frost. STRAWBERRIES: Plant City--Plants were not hurt significantly by the freeze due to growers sprinkling fields. However, the application of water reduced the volume of marketable berries. Harvesting is light with volume expected to increase in about two to three weeks. Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair. Picking is steady with fair quality, sizes, and color available. Some plants show a little damage from the recent cold but are expected to recover. Dade--The U-Pic harvesting is yielding good quality and yield. TOMATOES: Southwest--Warmer temperatures are aiding crop recovery from the recent cold weather. Harvesting of a reduced volume is continuing. Planting remains active. East Coast--Crop condition is mostly good. The tops and sides of some older plants show leaf burn while growers are spot resetting a limited amount of younger plants killed by the recent cold. Picking of a moderate volume continued with good quality and sizes available. Some fruit is not meeting grade due to damage caused by Tropical Storm Lili around mid-October. Dade--Damage from the recent frost was spotty. Some fields show considerable damage while others were not hurt as much. Increased bloom loss due to the frost lowered future yield prospects for some acreage. Picking is active with good quality and sizes available. Packout is fair. Palmetto-Ruskin- -Crop condition is poor to fair. Producers are replanting some acreage lost to the recent freeze and making spot resets in other fields. Most fields lost to the freeze will be replanted. Staking is underway. CHERRY TOMATOES: Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is poor to fair. Growers are replanting acreage lost to the freeze and picking any marketable fruit left on the vines. Southwest-- Planting active. PLUM TOMATOES: Southwest--Planting active. Palmetto- Ruskin--Crop condition is fair as spring crop planting begins. WATERMELONS: Southwest--Warmer weather aided the germination of recent seedings. Planting is active.