OR-crop-weather Oregon Crop Weather Released: June 9, 2008 Week ending: June 8, 2008 OR-CW1008 OREGON CROP WEATHER NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS SERVICE USDA, NASS, Oregon Field Office Phone: 503-326-2131 Released: June 9, 2008 Toll Free: 1-800-338-2157 Week ending: June 8, 2008 Email: nass-or@nass.usda.gov Volume: 10-08 Internet: www.nass.usda.gov/or Weather: The cool spell continued last week with all counties in the State reporting below average temperatures. High temperatures ranged from 80 degrees in Medford to 57 degrees at the Crescent City weather station. Low temperatures ranged from 48 degrees in Portland to 27 degrees in Christmas Valley. The Detroit Lake weather station received the most precipitation with 3.45 inches followed by Florence with 2.94 inches. All but 1 of the 43 stations received measurable precipitation with many southwest valley and southcentral counties reporting only a trace. Precipitation levels in most Willamette Valley cities and along the coast were above normal for this time of year. Field Crops: Conditions for grass seed crops were good. However, good haying weather was not available this past week as cool wet conditions continued to hamper cutting and baling across the State. Warmer weather is forecasted this week, but a good dry spell would aid hay a lot. Fescue grass seed pollination began in the Willamette Valley. Hops were rapidly growing in Marion County last week. Crimson clover seed was seeded in Washington County and Red clover silage was almost done in Yamhill County. Some grains in Klamath County showed sings of frost after low nighttime temperatures. In drier northern central and eastern areas, grains have benefited from the cool wet weather conditions. Vegetables: Unseasonably wet and cool conditions continued throughout the State this past week. Many vegetable crops were growing slowly and have been delayed in their development this spring due to the cold weather. Some scheduled sweet corn plantings were delayed. Warm season vegetables aren't going to be ready for picking until well into the summer months. The cool and wet weather that has set back other crops in Jefferson County has not been a real problem for vegetable seed. Overall, sun and warmer weather is needed. Fruits and Nuts: Last week's predominately cool weather again slowed fruit growth. Strawberries were becoming increasingly available in the northern Willamette Valley, but were still ripening in the southern Willamette Valley. Blueberry and raspberry development continued; harvest is expected about two weeks late this year along with many other fruits. Overall, Willamette Valley apples look to be a good crop. Southern Oregon apples and pears were off to a good start. Vineyards were showing good growth. Wasco County cherry orchardists continued spraying for fruit fly and were hoping for drier conditions. Nurseries and Greenhouses: Nurseries were busy getting balled/burlapped and potted plants out. The cool temperatures provided a low stress environment for digging and moving ornamental plants. Greenhouses and nurseries continued with weed control activities, and spraying new shrubs and trees. Greenhouses remained busy providing vegetable and flower starts. Livestock, Range and Pasture: Pasture and rangeland across the State have benefited from recent rains and are showing improved growth. Livestock were in good condition. Soil Moisture-Week Ending 06/08/08 ------------------------------------------------------------------ : Very : : : : short : Short : Adequate : Surplus ------------------------------------------------------------------ : Percent : Topsoil : 4 21 69 6 Subsoil : 7 21 67 5 ------------------------------------------------------------------ Crop Progress-Week Ending 06/08/08 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : 5 year Crop : week : week : year : average -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Alfalfa hay, first cutting : 55 32 82 27 Winter wheat headed : 84 55 95 86 Barley headed : 33 - 99 42 Spring wheat headed : 55 - 49 29 : Days suitable for fieldwork : 4.8 5.5 5.4 5.8 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop Condition-Week Ending 06/08/08 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Crop : poor : Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Winter wheat : 9 21 42 24 4 Spring wheat : 4 28 35 27 6 Barley : 3 17 31 43 6 Range and pasture : 3 11 29 45 12 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WESTERN OREGON BENTON/LINN/LANE: Unseasonably wet and cool spring conditions continued throughout the past week, preventing scheduled plantings of sweet corn. Pollination of early fescue grass seed has begun in most areas of the southern Willamette valley. Cool damp weather is ideal for cool season grasses in pastures and for seed production. The grass seed crop looked good. Pollination is running about a week behind average and rust was slowly developing. Local dry hay has been nearly impossible to make. Some hay has been in windrows over three weeks. Strawberries were ripening. Fruit crops were still two weeks slow. A few peach orchards had crop. There was a lot of scab on apples. The plum crop appeared to be down and the pear crop appears to be huge. Raspberries were producing a lot of fruit and the blueberry crop looked good. Vegetable crops were growing slowly due to the cold weather. Greenhouses continued growing crops. COLUMBIA: It was unseasonably cool last week. Some days received some mist but there was not a lot of moisture. This could increase disease pressure on a variety of crops. COOS/CURRY: Temperatures were unseasonably cool throughout much of the week, with a high of only 67 degrees in Brookings. Just over one inch of precipitation was received for the week, with 0.9 inches on Tuesday. Hay fields were getting ready to cut, but growers were very nervous about the continued wet weather. Curry County: The low temperature for the period was 44.96 degrees, 2.93 degrees below the 5-year average. The high temperature for the period was 66.94 degrees, 4.48 degrees below the 5-year average. Precipitation for the period was 1.01 inches, compared to a 5-year (including drought years 2003-2004) average of 1.08 inches. Current weather year precipitation (began 10/07) stands at 64.09 inches, 15.07 inches below the 5 year average. Historical average precipitation through June is 69.98 inches. DOUGLAS: The cool continued during the past week. Perennial crops looked good but are about 10 to 12 days behind normal development. Grape growers were getting a little concerned since a cool summer would really put harvest under pressure from an early fall. Vegetable crops were slow to develop this spring and warm season vegetables are going to be well into summer before picking. Cool temperatures have allowed the ornamental nursery industry to have a very low stress period for digging and moving plants. JACKSON: Last week was another off-and-on-again week of rain showers with temperatures about 10 degrees below normal during the day and 5 to 10 degrees below normal during the night. All field crops showed good growth last week. Hay, both alfalfa and grass, had fair growth. A lot of hay has been cut, but most has had some precipitation on it. Lots of work was being done to try to get hay dried and baled. Apples and pears were off to a good start, plenty of weed control. Vineyards were showing good growth. Vegetables that were in were doing ok but were in need of sun and warmer weather. Still lots of vegetable and flower starts at outlets, so greenhouses were still quite busy. Nurseries were still busy getting potted and balled/burlapped crops out. MARION: Field crops benefited from some decent rainfall early in the week. Temperatures were still unseasonably low. Some early grass seed crops were pollinating and, overall, crop development was good. Cool temperatures were delaying maturity. Winter wheat was heading out. Hops were growing rapidly now. POLK: Temperatures were below normal with some rain in parts of the County. But it still wasn't much help for dry areas. Winter wheat looked good. Fruit crops were delayed due to the cool temperatures. TILLAMOOK: Temperatures were below normal last week. The seasonal rain was good for pastures, but tough on those with grass silage down. WASHINGTON: It was a rainy and misty week with a high temperature of 70 and a low of 41. Humidity was 83 percent for the high and 47 percent for the low and the area received 1.25 inches of rainfall. Red clover was growing well. Crimson clover was setting seed. Green chop and red clover were nearing completion. Field crops in general were starting rapid growth. New grass for seed plantings looked good. Spring wheat was in boot to early flower stage. Some varieties of apples were doing well and prunes were scarce. Strawberries were coming on strong and stands started opening last week. Rhubarb was about finished. Berries were two weeks behind in growth for this time of year. Blueberries were being sprayed for disease control. There were reports of cherry losses. Plum drop has occurred. Higher yields in the hazelnut crop are being anticipated according to some reports but that remains questionable. Some sweet corn was still being planted. Greenhouses and nurseries were weeding and spraying new shrubs and trees, and culling shrubs. Pastures were beginning to rebound due to the favorable weather. YAMHILL: Last week's cool, wet weather has slowed the development of tree fruits and their insect pests. The emergence of cherry fruit fly has been delayed. Caneberries were in bloom, but we need warm weather for all crops and a dry spell for hay. Red clover silage should be almost done as should haylage. EASTERN OREGON BAKER/UNION: Cool, cloudy weather continued last week with light precipitation to add to the 1 inch (approximately) received the previous week. Recent precipitation and cooler weather has helped cool season crops rebound from the current spring dry spell. Range conditions have improved with the showers. GILLIAM: Continuing cool weather and occasional showers have sustained the cereal crops. However, the same conditions have hampered hay production. GRANT: Cold temperatures were slowing growth. JEFFERSON: The cool wet weather that had been a huge problem for other crops like hay has not been a real problem for vegetable seed and grass seed crops. Windy conditions have delayed some pesticide applications, but nothing major. KLAMATH: The area experienced cooler temperatures last week. There was more rain and some light snow during the week. With the promise of better temperatures next week a few farmers have dropped first cutting. Some grains were showing signs of frost due to the cold nighttime temperatures and excessive moisture. LAKE: The County received some precipitation during the week. Pasture conditions have improved dramatically with the recent moisture. MALHEUR: There were scattered showers toward the beginning of the week. This along with cool temperatures stopped some field work. Some hay that got wet the previous week got wet again. All crops were behind and are in need of warmer weather. SHERMAN: The cool weather along with small showers helped wheat and barley. This is expected to be a later than usual harvest with such a short crop. UMATILLA: The cool weather pattern has kept daytime temperatures in the 60's and 70's. Good moisture from several previous weeks has helped turned stressed wheat back. Wheat has started to head out. Army worm worries seemed to be isolated in a small portion of the County. Spring wheat in the southern and western portions of the County was in poor condition. Moisture was still a concern here as we look forward to the next several weeks. WASCO: The cool weather and showers all last week have really saved the small grains and rangelands. Most growers are confident of at least an average crop now. Spring grain crops looked better but were still smaller than normal due to cooler weather. Most of the winter wheat was headed by the end of the week. Grain farmers were praying for more rain. Cherry orchardists continued spraying for fruit fly and were hoping for drier conditions. Other fruit growers would like some warmer weather but were enjoying the showers as well. Peaches and apples continued to size. Hay growers were in full swing trying to get the first cutting in between showers. Pastures continued to produce forage at a normal level and livestock were in good condition. Weather data for selected stations in Oregon, Week ending: June 8, 2008 (as of 11:00 am) 1/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : : Growing : Last week precip. 4/ : Season cum. precipitation 5/ : Air temperature 2/ : degree days 3/ :-------------------------------------------------------------- Station :-------------------------------:-----------------: Total : : : Total : : Pct. : : Low : High : Avg. :DFN 6/ : Total :DFN 6/ : inches :DFN 6/ :Days 7/: inches :DFN 6/ : normal :Days 7/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ COASTAL AREAS : Astoria/Clatsop : 44 59 52 -4 15 -23 2.19 1.56 5 59.89 -2.44 96 181 Bandon 8/ : 40 58 51 -5 10 -24 0.60 0.16 5 52.36 -4.25 92 170 Crescent City : 43 57 52 -5 14 -26 0.51 0.08 3 44.19 -18.91 70 114 Florence : 36 63 50 -7 5 -39 2.94 2.27 5 84.31 11.56 116 155 North Bend : 39 59 51 -6 12 -31 1.23 0.76 5 57.78 -3.12 95 148 Tillamook : 41 61 53 -2 22 -11 2.53 1.68 5 56.50 -26.68 68 169 WILLAMETTE : VALLEY : Aurora 8/ : 44 71 55 -6 34 -33 0.84 0.41 6 41.47 3.12 108 163 Corvallis : 38 72 52 -8 18 -44 0.96 0.61 6 42.24 1.71 104 150 Detroit Lake 8/ : 40 72 50 -6 15 -26 3.45 2.84 6 87.45 23.49 137 174 Eugene : 36 72 53 -8 24 -45 0.57 0.15 4 34.52 -12.37 74 135 Hillsboro : 42 68 54 -7 26 -40 0.09 -0.26 4 30.43 -4.59 87 136 McMinnville : 40 70 53 -7 23 -44 0.90 0.60 6 33.82 -7.50 82 147 Portland : 48 67 56 -6 41 -40 0.92 0.50 4 32.43 -1.21 96 151 Salem : 40 71 53 -7 26 -40 0.70 0.35 4 35.88 -1.08 97 133 SW VALLEYS : Grants Pass : 41 74 57 -8 47 -52 0.04 -0.12 2 28.00 -2.00 93 123 Medford : 42 80 58 -7 55 -41 0.08 -0.08 2 16.34 -1.37 92 101 Roseburg : 40 75 56 -7 40 -40 0.20 -0.04 5 31.82 0.66 102 137 NORTH CENTRAL : Condon : 35 69 49 -8 9 -42 0.38 0.10 4 11.23 -0.99 92 98 Echo 8/ : 42 78 58 -8 58 -44 0.23 0.09 1 7.53 -0.54 93 95 Heppner : 38 70 54 -8 27 -49 0.38 0.10 4 13.18 0.87 107 113 Hermiston : 45 79 59 -6 67 -35 0.24 0.10 2 7.34 -0.73 91 77 Madras 8/ : 33 73 50 -10 9 -57 0.16 -0.05 3 7.43 -1.50 83 93 Moro : 37 67 51 -9 12 -49 0.24 0.09 3 9.33 -0.63 94 84 Parkdale 8/ : 34 69 50 -11 10 -61 0.44 0.23 4 21.68 -7.88 73 107 Pendleton : 43 75 56 -8 42 -52 0.39 0.21 3 10.11 -0.63 94 90 Prairie City 8/ : 33 73 50 -10 9 -57 0.16 -0.05 3 7.43 -1.50 83 93 The Dalles : 43 76 58 -2 58 -7 0.15 0.01 1 12.70 1.37 112 79 SOUTH CENTRAL : Agency Lake 8/ : 37 68 48 -8 4 -35 0.08 -0.13 2 12.51 -2.07 86 92 Bend : 34 71 50 -6 12 -28 0.01 -0.20 1 11.64 1.60 116 76 Burns : 29 68 48 -8 7 -34 0.22 0.01 2 8.64 0.30 104 96 Christmas Valley 8/ : 27 71 47 -13 - -63 0.13 -0.15 1 7.16 -3.47 67 71 Klamath Falls : 30 69 48 -11 5 -54 0.06 -0.15 1 9.38 -2.74 77 80 Klamath Falls 8/ : 29 71 48 -11 5 -54 0.66 0.45 2 10.62 -1.50 88 104 Lakeview : - - - - - - - - - - - - - Lorella 8/ : 30 72 49 -10 4 -55 0.07 -0.14 1 9.01 -3.11 74 104 Redmond : 28 74 49 -8 9 -41 0.01 -0.20 1 1.83 -5.28 26 38 Worden 8/ : 28 73 47 -12 3 -56 - -0.21 - 8.07 -4.05 67 99 NORTHEAST : Baker City : 31 68 49 -10 5 -52 0.15 -0.20 3 8.99 0.57 107 104 Joseph : 33 63 46 -7 2 -22 0.37 -0.12 5 17.78 -4.00 82 121 La Grande : 37 70 52 -9 18 -50 0.80 0.42 5 13.03 -1.95 87 93 Union : 36 69 52 -6 24 -29 0.94 0.52 6 10.18 -1.04 91 94 SOUTHEAST : Ontario : 41 76 58 -8 61 -50 0.19 -0.02 2 5.83 -2.76 68 66 Rome : 32 73 52 -10 19 -60 0.30 0.02 2 6.99 0.19 103 82 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1/ Summary based on NWS data. Copyright 2008: AWIS, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 2/ Air temperature in degrees Fahrenheit. 3/ Growing degree days base-50 degrees Fahrenheit. 4/ Precipitation (rain or melted snow/ice) in inches. 5/ Season cumulative precipitation starts September 1, 2007. 6/ DFN=Departure from normal (using 1961-1990 normals period). 7/ Precipitation days = Days with precipitation of 0.01 inch or more. 8/ Agri-Met weather stations.