Mississippi Weekly Crop Weather Released: Monday, 3PM June 14, 2004 Week Ending June 13, 2004 This report is best viewed with a monospace font. Issue MS-CW2404 Agricultural Summary According to the Mississippi Agricultural Statistics Service, there were 4.9 days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending June 13, 2004. After several weeks of rainy weather, producers took advantage of the drier conditions to harvest wheat, bale hay and plant late-season soybeans. Although there has not been much report of insect damage throughout the state, the humid temperatures have contributed to some spread of disease; in particular, tomato spotted wilt disease has become problematic for quite a few commercial growers. Soil moisture was rated 6 percent short, 81 percent adequate and 13 percent surplus. Item Event This Last 2003 5-Yr Very Week Week Avg Poor Poor Fair Good Excellent Corn Silked 55 20 50 46 0 1 20 52 27 Cotton Planted 100 99 99 100 1 2 24 53 20 Emerged 99 98 97 99 Squaring 30 8 26 36 Rice Emerged 100 99 98 99 0 1 19 58 22 Sorghum Emerged 100 99 99 99 0 0 24 70 6 Heading 2 -- -- -- Soybeans Planted 99 98 96 97 0 3 17 55 25 Emerged 98 97 92 92 Blooming 42 20 26 23 Setting Pods 20 -- -- -- Wheat Mature 96 90 96 97 0 2 24 65 9 Harvested 80 42 62 69 Hay Harvested (Cool Season) 95 85 95 98 0 1 15 59 25 (Warm Season) 20 18 35 31 Sweetpotatoes Planted 40 35 57 55 -- -- -- -- -- Watermelons Planted 98 97 100 100 0 4 19 70 7 Blueberries 0 0 1 70 29 Cattle 1 5 14 60 20 Pasture 0 5 16 60 19 Other Agricultural Comments and News County Agent Comments "Feast to famine! We now need some rain to keep this crop growing. Most producers will be ready for some rain by Monday." -- Mack Young, Quitman "It was a very busy week with the completion of soybean planting behind wheat, producers side-dressing cotton with nitrogen solution, weed control activities in cotton and soybeans and irrigation activities in corn and some soybeans." -- Jerry Singleton, Leflore "Growers were able to make some progress this past week in applying fertilizers and herbicides, but some are still not finished. We need another week of clear weather to get past this stage of work. Some cotton is setting squares now, and the earliest corn fields are in silk and tassel. Insects have been light, in general, with the exception of a few soybean fields which have been treated." -- Ernie Flint, Attala "We have had rain showers occurring at the proper time to help out the crops. Cattle look good with plenty of grass to graze. Both cotton and peanut planting are continuing. Many gardens are overrun with grass." -- Lee Taylor, Forrest "Three inches of rain fell Sunday in addition to scattered rains earlier in the week. Everything is very wet starting out this week and the forecast is calling for 3 more days of rain. Some fieldwork was being carried out by Friday and Saturday. Pastures are growing well. Rains are hampering timely hay harvest." -- Ed Williams, Oktibbeha "Wheat has been harvested and soybeans planted behind wheat have turned out to be a good crop. There are no major problems in other crops. Most cotton is getting sprayed for insects." -- Don Respess, Bolivar "Wheat has been harvested and soybeans have been planted. Hail damaged some cotton during the last storm we had." -- Melvin Oatis, Benton "Things are looking good. We could use a rain to help flush some weeds and to keep the soil moisture needs met. Insects are quiet but we are seeing some disease around due to the humid weather." -- Stephen R. Winters, Grenada "The rainfall continues to delay post emergence herbicide applications. All crops are growing well with the warm temperatures and adequate moisture." -- Jay Phelps, Pontotoc "Crops are looking very good at this point. Corn irrigation is starting again due to weekly moisture demands and warmer weather." -- Tommy Baird, Sunflower "Moderate amounts of hay were baled this past week with the little dry spell that we had. Showers are still randomized throughout the region and have prevented some farmers from baling at the proper time." -- Houston Therrell, Rankin "Field conditions have improved significantly. Sweetpotato fields are still heavy but planting is again underway. Soybeans and corn are starting to green up following the saturated soil conditions. Insect pests have been low, generally; however some flare-ups have occurred locally." -- Bill Burdine, Chickasaw "Crops and pastures are performing extremely well in response to favorable soil moisture conditions." -- Lamar Adams, Walthall "High humidity and high temps are increasing mortality on most poultry farms with 5 week-old plus birds. Summer pastures and hay crops look good following recent rains. Spotted wilt is approaching 20 percent in some commercial tomato fields. The watermelon crop looks good and we should begin harvest in less than two weeks." -- Tommy Bishop, Jasper "Blueberries are ripening and we have an excellent crop. Cattle are continuing to do well and so are pastures. We need a few days of good weather to get a cutting of hay cured. Tomato spotted wilt virus has hit the tomato crop hard." -- Chuck Grantham, Jones "Timely rains, along with warm nights, are making production easy for forage producers. Lauderdale County livestock are looking great. The grass available is ample and of a fair quality. It is looking like a profitable summer." -- Lance Bruce, Lauderdale "Dry weather this past week allowed producers to get into the fields to control weeds and insects. The outlook for this year's watermelon crop is good, with the first harvest to begin next week if the weather holds and allows producers to get into the fields." -- Florieda K. Mason, Perry "The blueberry harvest is going well. In some cases, isolated showers have sent pickers from the field to the processing shed. Corn is in excellent condition, pasture forages are in excellent condition, cattle are in excellent condition and watermelons are in good condition. Disease is a problem in home gardening." -- Allen McReynolds, Wayne Weather Information Table Weather Summary from June 7, 2004 to June 13, 2004 for Mississippi Air Precipitation 4 Inch Soil Avg Temperature Weekly Rn Four Temperature Pan Max Min Avg Nrm DFN Total DFN Ds Weeks Max Min Avg Evap --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Upper Delta Charleston 76 0.81 -0.38 1 9.28 Cleveland 78 0.02 -1.17 1 1.95 Tunica 77 0.88 -0.38 2 3.05 0.26 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Extreme/Average 78 0.57 -0.62 1 4.76 0.26 2. North-Central Hickory Flat 92 60 78 74 +4 0.41 -0.71 1 5.00 Calhoun City 89 61 77 75 +2 0.02 -1.04 1 4.45 Independence 90 65 79 75 +4 0.35 -0.81 1 2.37 Oxford 92 67 80 75 +5 0.07 -1.04 1 2.58 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Extreme/Average 92 60 78 76 +2 0.21 -0.94 1 3.60 3. Northeast Booneville 97 64 80 75 +5 0.33 -0.75 1 3.36 Iuka 91 52 74 72 +2 0.30 -0.64 1 2.30 Ripley 91 61 77 74 +3 0.42 -0.68 2 4.81 Tupelo 93 68 80 0.39 2 3.54 Verona 76 0.85 -0.27 2 4.80 0.29 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Extreme/Average 97 52 77 76 +1 0.36 -0.72 2 3.50 4. Lower Delta Moorhead 91 67 81 78 +3 0.00 -0.98 0 2.77 Rolling Fork 95 66 82 78 +4 0.00 -1.02 0 5.00 103 76 Stoneville 79 0.00 -0.95 0 2.03 0.31 Yazoo City 92 66 80 79 +1 0.00 -0.95 0 4.75 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Extreme/Average 95 66 81 79 +2 0.00 -1.01 0 4.17 103 76 5. Central Canton 92 62 78 78 0 0.64 -0.16 2 4.36 Carthage 91 64 79 77 +2 0.32 -0.46 1 4.34 Lexington 91 65 78 76 +2 0.11 -0.93 1 3.56 Eupora 92 65 78 76 +2 0.38 -0.60 2 4.97 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Extreme/Average 92 62 78 77 +1 0.36 -0.55 2 4.31 6. East-Central Aberdeen 93 63 79 76 +3 0.89 -0.14 2 5.59 0.21 Houston 90 65 78 75 +3 0.46 -0.80 2 3.47 Louisville 94 65 79 75 +4 0.62 -0.22 1 3.70 State University 93 65 80 77 +3 1.46 +0.54 2 5.63 85 75 80 0.24 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Extreme/Average 94 63 79 77 +2 0.86 -0.14 2 4.60 85 75 80 0.21 7. Southwest Crystal Springs 92 63 79 78 +1 2.03 +0.75 2 7.74 96 73 84 Natchez 90 67 80 78 +2 0.23 -0.89 2 4.22 Oakley 93 63 80 77 +3 1.78 +0.66 2 11.55 92 71 84 Vicksburg 90 67 80 0.89 1 8.36 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Extreme/Average 93 63 80 78 +2 1.23 +0.11 2 7.97 96 71 84 8. South-Central Collins 96 64 79 77 +2 0.91 -0.02 1 5.14 Columbia 92 64 81 79 +2 0.74 -0.38 3 5.08 Tylertown 93 63 80 78 +2 0.56 -0.56 2 4.55 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Extreme/Average 96 63 80 78 +2 0.74 -0.31 2 4.92 9. Southeast Beaumont 94 65 80 0.64 3 8.75 Hattiesburg 91 63 79 78 +1 1.24 +0.26 2 7.72 Laurel 92 64 80 78 +2 0.84 -0.04 2 5.19 Newton 93 61 79 76 +3 0.54 -0.30 1 3.73 88 72 80 0.24 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Extreme/Average 94 61 79 78 +1 0.82 -0.09 2 6.35 88 72 80 0.24 10. Coastal Bay St Louis 93 64 80 79 +1 0.74 -0.24 2 1.68 Gulfport 89 66 81 80 +1 0.62 -0.50 1 3.80 Pascagoula 78 1.22E+0.03 2 3.70E Poplarville 92 64 80 79 +1 1.67 +0.66 2 7.54 99 72 83 0.31 Waveland 89 67 80 79 +1 1.11 -0.05 1 6.10 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Extreme/Average 93 64 80 79 +1 1.07 -0.01 2 4.56 99 72 83 0.31 State Averages 97 52 79 77 +2 0.64 -0.39 2 5.05 103 75 81 0.26 DFN = Departure from Normal.