sc-crop-weather South Carolina Weekly Weather and Crop Progress Report Released: September 17, 2007 Week Ending Date: September 16, 2007 Issue: SC-CW003707 GENERAL The entire State of South Carolina experienced some level of precipitation this past week with much of the State receiving an inch or more of badly needed rain. The only area that was slighted by the rains was a streak running from Greenwood to Cheraw. Despite the rains, soil moisture ratings did not improve, as the ground had been extremely dry. The ratings for the week were 30% very short, 50% short, and 20% adequate. There was an average of 6.1 days that were suitable for field work. FIELD CROPS CORN harvest was complete in most of the State. Yields have been fairly decent for most farmers, running around 100 bushels per acre. More defoliants were being applied to COTTON fields. A few people will begin harvesting this week. The cotton condition was 14% very poor, 33% poor, 38% fair, and 15% good. The rain from the past week will hopefully improve the yield potential of PEANUTS. The condition was 6% very poor, 27% poor, 47% fair, 18% good, and 2% excellent. SOYBEANS have suffered damage from the drought, but the rain this past week may help make a crop yet. Early forecast put the crop at only 22 bushels an acre. The condition of the crop was 19% very poor, 25% poor, 45% fair, 10% good, and 1% excellent. There was still TOBACCO remaining to be pulled in some fields. Yields have been coming in at a statewide average of 2,250 lbs. per acre. OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST LIVESTOCK sales were ongoing due to a lack of forage. Some PASTURES and HAY fields have been overgrazed. There are a few PEACHES left to be harvested, not that there were ever very many to begin with this summer. The Easter freeze made for a very poor year for many of the State's fruit crops. Likewise, the APPLE harvest has been disappointing as well. The condition was little changed from the previous week. Now that we have had rain, planting of WINTER GRAZINGS has begun. Some plantings may not occur, as survivability is in question. Crop Progress for Week Ending September 16, 2007 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop and Stage : 2007 : 2006 :5-Yr Avg :: Crop and Stage : 2007 : 2006 :5-Yr Avg ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Apples, Harvested : 37 42 40 :: Sorghum, Harvested : 42 59 42 Corn, Matured : 100 100 100 :: Soybeans, Pods Set : 87 95 92 Corn, Harvested : 88 80 79 :: Soybeans, Turned Color : 15 17 19 Cotton, Bolls Opened : 55 56 48 :: Soybeans, Leaves Dropped : 6 3 5 Hay, Other Hay, Harvested : 100 99 99 :: Sweetpotatoes, Harvested : 3 14 15 Peaches, Harvested : 96 98 98 :: Tobacco, Harvested : 95 97 97 Peanuts, Harvested : 1 5 9 :: Tobacco, Stalks Destroyed : 54 74 67 Sorghum, Turned Color : 91 95 95 :: Winter Grazings, Planted : 9 17 17 Sorghum, Matured : 70 74 70 :: : ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Condition for Week Ending September 16, 2007 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent :: Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Apples : 40 35 25 0 0 :: Peanuts : 6 27 47 18 2 Cotton : 14 33 38 15 0 :: Sorghum : 8 22 47 23 0 Livestock : 7 9 60 24 0 :: Soybeans : 19 25 45 10 1 Pasture : 27 25 44 4 0 :: Sweetpotatoes : 5 15 80 0 0 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Carolina Weekly Weather Summary for the Week Ending September 16, 2007 On both Monday and Tuesday, afternoon high temperatures were recorded in the middle to upper 90's. A weak frontal boundary dropped southeast Tuesday evening with a few welcomed thundershowers. The nearly stationary feature became the avenue for increased rainfall coverage for central counties eastward to the coast through Thursday. On Friday, the remnants of once Hurricane Humberto, which had made landfall near the Texas-Louisiana border early Thursday morning, combined with the boundary over the Upstate to produce heavy thunderstorms. Anderson received 3.50 inches of rain and there was a tornado report from Clinton in Laurens County. Over the weekend, a modified Canadian airmass slowly replaced the longstanding summer heat with much cooler weather. By Sunday afternoon, high temperatures were peaking in the lower 80's. The state average temperature for the period was four degrees above normal. The highest official temperature reported was 99 degrees at Darlington AP on September 11. The lowest official temperature reported was 50 degrees at Lake Bowen on the morning of September 16. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 3.53 inches at Georgetown AP ending at 7:00 a.m. on September 13. The state average rainfall for the period was 1.2 inches. SOIL: 4-inch depth average soil temperature: Columbia 82 degrees. RIVERS AND SURF: South Carolina river stages were below normal. Ocean water temperatures at S Capers Island were reported at 81 degrees. Precipitation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Location : Weekly : Jan 1 : Deviation : Total : Total : from Average ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greer : 1.30 23.45 -13.4 Columbia : 0.71 23.62 -13.9 Orangeburg : 2.08 30.93 -6.6 Charlotte, NC : 0.91 21.27 -10.3 Augusta, GA : 1.29 24.69 -9.3 Florence : 0.77 26.40 -7.8 N Myrtle Beach : 0.99 24.97 -8.7 Charleston : 3.41 30.18 -9.9 Savannah, GA : 1.42 34.57 -4.6 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weekly rainfall totals this period ending midnight Sunday.