Georgia Crop Weather Week Ending Date September 18, 2005 DRY CONDITIONS PERSIST The dry weather experienced by most of the State continued through the final full week of summer, according to the Georgia Agricultural Statistics Service. Current dry conditions are in stark contrast to the overall wet conditions Georgia experienced most of the summer. Overall, soil moisture conditions were rated 31 percent very short, 49 percent short, 19 percent adequate, and 1 percent surplus. The lack of rainfall continued to be a major problem for Georgia farmers this week. Dry conditions could adversely affect the quality of cotton and peanuts. In the case of peanuts, the dry weather has increased the disease pressure. Both crops were progressing, however, with cotton defoliating and peanuts being dug regularly. Soybeans were being damaged by the dry and hot weather as the pods filled. Hay growers have mixed feelings about the dry conditions. The dry weather helps during the harvest, but slows the growth of the remaining crop. Other activities included corn harvest, commercial vineyard harvest, irrigation to combat dry conditions, and routine care of livestock and pastures. Some farmers have already begun feeding hay to cattle. The small grains crop is running behind, as growers are waiting for rainfall to plant. County Extension Agents reported an average of 6.6 days suitable for fieldwork. Crop Progress Table Sep 18, 2005 Prev Week Prev Year 5 Year Avg Corn, Harvested for Grain 75 59 83 83 Soybeans, Setting Pods 99 96 100 99 Soybeans, Dropping Leaves 23 13 34 29 Sorghum, Harvested for Grain 31 25 35 33 Cotton, Bolls Open 54 35 75 71 Cotton, Harvested 1 0 4 6 Apples, Harvested 22 15 34 38 Peanuts, Dug 12 5 12 18 Peanuts, Combined 5 0 7 10 Rye, Planted 2 1 7 6 Other Small Grains, Planted 1 0 4 4 Crop Condition Table September 18, 2005 Crop Very Poor Poor Fair Good Excellent --Percentage-- Soybeans 3 9 32 52 4 Sorghum 3 7 42 44 4 Cotton 2 7 31 50 10 Pasture 3 18 39 37 3 Apples 0 9 29 53 9 Hay 1 11 45 40 3 Peanuts 2 9 34 46 9 Pecans 0 6 38 48 8 Pasture Condition Table - District* Level September 18, 2005 Very Poor Poor Fair Good Excellent --Percentage-- Dist 1(NW) 0 6 27 65 2 Dist 2(NC) 10 18 30 41 1 Dist 3(NE) 0 23 45 32 0 Dist 4(WC) 10 7 35 41 7 Dist 5(C) 2 29 43 22 4 Dist 6(EC) 2 15 38 42 3 Dist 7(SW) 2 12 44 41 1 Dist 8(SC) 3 24 31 39 3 Dist 9(SE) 0 7 55 35 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 Sep 18, 2005 Prev Year 5 Year Avg --Percentages-- Very Short 31 0 7 Short 49 0 25 Adequate 19 34 49 Surplus 1 66 19 Soil Moisture Table - District Level September 18, 2005 Very Short Short Adequate Surplus --Percentages-- Dist 1(NW) 7 56 37 0 Dist 2(NC) 15 51 34 0 Dist 3(NE) 23 54 23 0 Dist 4(WC) 36 41 23 0 Dist 5(C) 43 49 8 0 Dist 6(EC) 34 48 10 8 Dist 7(SW) 48 39 13 0 Dist 8(SC) 38 50 12 0 Dist 9(SE) 13 58 28 1 Weather Information Table GEORGIA WEATHER SUMMARY FOR THE WEEK ENDING MIDNIGHT, SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 18, 2005 1/ 2005 Air Temperature Precipitation Totals Extreme Weekly Rain 30 60 Soil Location Max Min AvG Weekly Day Day Day Season Temp ALMA 95 63 79 0.00 0 1.96 6.48 37.30 80 ALPHARETTA 92 59 74 0.00 0 3.68 12.15 51.13 77 ARLINGTON 95 60 76 0.00 0 3.41 8.26 47.83 82 ATTAPULGUS 94 57 76 0.00 0 2.24 8.69 51.37 83 JACKSONVILLE 94 61 77 0.00 0 2.07 5.76 37.51 82 JONESBORO 92 59 75 0.01 1 2.66 7.70 44.97 76 LAFAYETTE 91 56 73 0.74 2 2.73 7.80 35.57 77 MCRAE 97 58 76 0.00 0 2.54 6.52 32.46 83 MIDVILLE 95 63 78 0.00 0 0.57 10.29 38.17 84 NAHUNTA 96 58 79 0.00 0 4.78 8.71 38.61 82 NEWTON 94 60 76 0.00 0 2.13 9.96 49.40 81 PLAINS 93 64 77 0.00 0 2.10 8.08 48.17 80 SASSER 91 62 75 0.00 0 3.39 10.39 50.00 81 SAVANNAH 97 58 80 0.00 0 3.33 6.63 36.04 69 SHELLMAN 95 65 78 0.00 0 3.11 7.17 41.40 87 SKIDAWAY 96 66 80 0.04 3 6.96 9.16 39.85 78 STATESBORO 95 61 79 0.00 0 0.87 10.41 41.42 84 TIFTON 93 64 78 0.00 0 1.45 4.55 35.33 81 TIGER 88 52 69 0.00 0 3.43 12.02 55.03 79 VALDOSTA 95 63 80 0.00 0 0.50 5.13 47.60 79 VIDALIA 97 63 79 0.00 0 1.68 5.68 25.77 84 WATKINSVILLE 93 59 76 0.00 0 0.68 6.15 46.93 80 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 Over two weeks without any rain. Very dry. Commercial vineyard harvest underway - dry conditions slowing hay and pasture growth. DISTRICT 3 - NORTHEAST No comments available. DISTRICT 4 - WEST CENTRAL Need rain. Fuel is too expensive to use. Dry! What rain did fall was widely scattered, it's dry out there; Bermuda hay baled. DISTRICT 5 - CENTRAL Very dry! Needing rain really bad. Corn and grain sorghum harvest progressing nicely. Pasture and hay field conditions declining due to drought conditions. Some farmers preparing land for planting of small grains but will wait for rain before planting. Crop conditions declined rapidly without rain. Winter annual planting will be delayed, pasture & hayfield conditions are less than ideal. Cattle producers have already begun to feed hay. We have been very dry as of late. We need rain. Dry! Cotton defoliation has begun. Peanut harvesting continued. Having trouble digging peanuts due to dry conditions. Pastures/hayfields going down hill quickly. Soil conditions have become dry. Spittle bugs have caused extensive damage to pastures & hayfields. Hay harvesting has picked up with recent dry weather conditions. Dry conditions prevail as the wind and temperature continued to lower soil moisture. Great weather to cut and bale hay! DISTRICT 6 - EAST CENTRAL Dry, hot weather has damaged soybeans as the crop filled pods. Cotton defoliation and peanut digging have begun. Soil moisture was very short. Soybeans and late planted cotton continued to suffer. Dry, dry, dry. DISTRICT 7 - SOUTHWEST Very dry. No rainfall. DISTRICT 8 - SOUTH CENTRAL Dry! Effecting cotton yield and peanut yield and quality. Most of peanuts need rainfall desperately. Effecting maturity and digging decisions. Some satisfaction is disease pressure has decreased. Some cotton fields ready to be defoliated first of next week. Most growers irrigating if possible. Some hay cutting. Beginning peanut harvest. Beginning to defoliate cotton. Dry conditions have hurt row crops. Three months of above average rainfall have left crops with poor root systems now three weeks without rainfall has hurt crop maturity and yields. Rain fall will be needed to finish crops. The old saying we are only a week away from a drought is coming true. Hot, dry weather causing drop losses. Peanut diseases showing increase. All crops going down in yield and quality. Dry weather impacts crop positively if you are harvesting, negatively if you are a couple of weeks away. DISTRICT 9 - SOUTHEAST We have gotten very dry. Peanut digging has began. Cotton being defoliated and picking now underway. 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