Mississippi Weekly Crop Weather Released: Monday, 3PM August 23, 2004 Week Ending August 22, 2004 This report is best viewed with a monospace font. Issue MS-CW3404 Agricultural Summary According to the Mississippi Agricultural Statistics Service, there were 5.6 days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending August 22, 2004. Dry weather conditions during the week allowed for harvesting to continue before rain showers arrived over the weekend. Cooler temperatures experienced a few weeks ago has caused a delay in cotton maturation with the open boll stage not progressing as well as it has in the past. Farmers have seen an increase in hay production due to rains experienced in late June and early July. Soil moisture was rated 10 percent very short, 22 percent short, 62 percent adequate and 6 percent surplus. Item Event This Last 2003 5-Yr Very Week Week Avg Poor Poor Fair Good Excellent Corn Dough 100 99 100 100 1 3 17 47 32 Dent 99 94 97 98 Mature 90 70 68 80 Harvested 40 17 15 32 Silage Harvested 96 92 96 81 Cotton Setting Bolls 100 98 98 100 2 7 23 47 21 Open Bolls 22 7 19 40 Rice Heading 100 98 97 95 0 1 10 60 29 Mature 40 20 27 30 Harvested 3 1 4 3 Sorghum Turning Color 97 95 97 96 0 1 16 64 19 Mature 75 55 66 66 Harvested 24 5 13 21 Soybeans Setting Pods 100 99 98 99 1 6 14 46 33 Turning Color 70 54 51 47 Shedding Leaves 50 34 31 29 Harvested 25 9 11 7 Hay Harvested (Warm Season) 74 70 84 80 7 6 30 46 11 Sweetpotatoes 1 8 36 46 9 Cattle 2 6 15 59 18 Pasture 5 8 22 53 12 Other Agricultural Comments and News County Agent Comments "As weeks pass, it has become more apparent that late planted and weather-damaged cotton will not likely have time to produce a "normal" crop this year. Recent cool weather has caused many fields to begin the final stages of maturation with reddening leaves showing in most fields. Corn and soybean harvesting has started, but local showers will likely hold up progress for now." -- Ernie Flint, Attala "Warmer temperatures and scattered showers summarize the weather for the past week. Most showers were one-half inch or less. Row crops continue maturing with corn harvest to begin right away. Soybeans really need rain to fill pods. Cotton is developing slowly with no open bolls observed thus far. Pastures and hay fields need more rain if we are to have an ample forage supply this winter." -- Ed Williams, Oktibbeha "A dry period allowed farmers to gather a good bit of hay, but rains this week have halted hay harvesting. Farmers are preparing to break ground for planting of winter forages." -- Perry Brumfield, Lincoln "High humidity is helping to promote plant disease in fall horticulture crops and landscape plants." -- Mark Gillie, Greene "Pastures and hay fields are beginning to show some stress due to the lack of rain." -- Walter Walker, Jackson "Rainfall received at the end of the week will be of benefit to soybeans and cotton. Most corn is mature and harvesting had started before the rainfall." -- Jay Phelps, Pontotoc "We received about one inch of rain last night which stopped all soybean, rice and corn harvesting. Some cotton is being sprayed for plant bugs, but most of it is finished." -- Don Respess, Bolivar "Cotton and late soybeans need a good rain. Milo, early beans and rice need dry weather." -- Mack Young, Quitman "We are still in need of some rain in most areas of the county. Crops are drying down fast with little or no moisture. Potential yields for all crops are good." -- Melvin Oatis, Benton "Beans are drying down slowly, even after desiccations. We will start cutting again after the rain clears out. The rain should help our pastures, hay fields, and cotton." -- Stephen R. Winters, Grenada "Corn harvest has begun with above average yields. Cotton is still trying to set bolls. Hot, dry weather has hurt late beans, and much needed rain was welcomed late last week. Insect pressure has been light, but some spider mites are showing up in cotton." -- Tim Needham, Tippah "Excellent progress was being made harvesting corn and soybeans until the rains started falling Friday and continued throughout the weekend. In the harvested fields, some disking, liming and fall fertilizer applications have been completed." -- Jerry Singleton, Leflore "Rains stopped harvest Thursday night. Good yields are being reported. No cotton has been defoliated at this time, and there has been little insect spraying taking place." -- Tommy Baird, Sunflower "Forages of all types have been showing slowed growth patterns since the rains have slowed down in frequency and amount. Armyworms have made themselves known in the area, but don't seem to be as bad as previous years." -- Houston Therrell, Rankin "Although isolated rains fell this past week, more rain is needed. Corn and soybean harvest began. Cotton roots that were damaged from the early heavy rains are still showing problems. Sweetpotato harvest will begin in earnest within the week. Insect pressures remain light in most areas." -- Dr. Bill Burdine, Chickasaw "Light rain showers Saturday were not enough to significantly improve soil moisture conditions. Late soybeans desperately need rain to avoid tremendous yield loss. Corn for grain harvest and warm season hay harvest continue in full swing. Plowing cool season pastures and hay fields in preparation for planting has ceased as producers wait for a good, deep-soaking rain to soften soils." -- Lamar Adams, Walthall "Both cotton and peanuts look good. Hay is being cut and baled at every break in the weather. Army worms are showing up. Some land is being broken up in preparation for ryegrass. We are seeing more agricultural land in the county being split up for housing developments." -- Lee Taylor, Forrest "We need a good rain. Hay harvest has been in full swing and most folks have caught up with the harvest of summer grasses. Cotton and peanuts need some rain in order to fill pods and bolls at this stage of the game." -- Mike Steede, George "Rains received over the weekend helped relieve dry conditions over the county." -- Tommy Bishop, Jasper "Rain over the weekend is helping keep grass growing for pastures and hay. Armyworms are bad in a lot of Bermuda grass fields. Cattle is looking really good. Fall gardens are benefitting from the recent rain. Soybeans are looking pretty good, but producers are having to keep a check on loopers and bean leaf beetles." -- Chuck Grantham, Jones "Rains late in the week brought relief from dry weather to most of the county. Pastures were beginning to show signs of drought stress. Many producers took advantage of the dry weather to prepare winter grazing fields." -- Victor Lee, Newton "Rain in June and July has provided soil moisture to pastures and hay fields which should insure adequate feed for cattle now and in the winter. Producers are reporting that hay supplies will be higher than last year's yields." -- Florieda K. Mason, Perry Weather Information Table Weather Summary from August 16, 2004 to August 22, 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 94 51 74 79 -5 2.11 +1.41 3 4.44 Cleveland 94 56 76 80 -4 0.88 +0.57 3 1.27 Tunica 80 0.30 -0.21 2 0.79 0.20 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Extreme/Average 94 51 75 80 -5 1.50 +0.94 3 2.86 2. North-Central Hickory Flat 91 50 72 78 -6 0.59 -0.18 2 1.37 Calhoun City 89 53 73 79 -6 1.51 +0.81 2 3.07 Independence 91 51 73 79 -6 0.87 +0.20 2 1.11 Oxford 92 49 73 78 -5 0.65 -0.12 2 0.93 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Extreme/Average 92 49 73 79 -6 0.91 +0.21 2 1.62 3. Northeast Booneville 95 56 75 78 -3 0.55 -0.20 2 1.32 Iuka 89 46 70 76 -6 0.95 +0.11 3 4.38 Ripley 90 53 71 78 -7 0.86 +0.23 3 2.17 Tupelo 92 58 76 1.23 2 1.87 Verona 80 0.77 -0.10 2 1.36 0.28 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Extreme/Average 95 46 73 79 -6 0.90 +0.20 3 2.44 4. Lower Delta Moorhead 91 61 77 81 -4 1.24 +0.75 3 3.99 Rolling Fork 95 58 76 81 -5 0.46 -0.10 3 2.35 98 71 85 Stoneville 93 57 76 81 -5 0.73 +0.31 3 1.15 0.22 Yazoo City 92 54 75 81 -6 1.57 +0.84 3 1.97 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Extreme/Average 95 54 76 81 -5 1.00 +0.44 3 2.37 98 71 85 0.22 5. Central Canton 90 81 1.56 +0.87 3 3.14 Carthage 90 53 72 80 -8 1.82 +1.05 3 5.46 Lexington 91 53 73 79 -6 0.86 +0.23 3 1.51 Eupora 91 54 74 79 -5 1.11 +0.48 2 3.36 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Extreme/Average 91 53 73 80 -7 1.34 +0.63 3 3.37 6. East-Central Aberdeen 92 53 76 79 -3 0.51 -0.12 3 1.67 0.25 Houston 90 49 73 78 -5 1.50 +0.83 3 4.54 Louisville 79 0.30 -0.33 2 1.81 State University 93 56 75 80 -5 0.21 -0.49 2 0.34 85 76 80 0.23 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Extreme/Average 93 49 75 80 -5 0.63 -0.07 3 2.09 85 76 80 0.24 7. Southwest Crystal Springs 92 59 76 81 -5 2.45 +1.64 3 3.87 95 75 84 Natchez 92 56 76 81 -5 0.11 -0.80 2 1.75 Oakley 95 53 76 80 -4 2.98 +2.14 1 3.93 98 79 88 Vicksburg 91 53 74 3.36 2 4.92 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Extreme/Average 95 53 75 81 -6 2.23 +1.33 2 3.62 98 75 86 8. South-Central Collins 92 55 75 80 -5 0.67 -0.22 2 1.15 Columbia 92 57 76 81 -5 1.80 +0.82 2 6.06 Tylertown 92 56 75 81 -6 0.95 -0.10 2 5.93 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Extreme/Average 92 55 76 81 -5 1.14 +0.16 2 4.38 9. Southeast Beaumont 95 57 77 0.30 2 1.53 Hattiesburg 94 58 76 81 -5 1.19 +0.14 2 3.15 Laurel 92 58 76 81 -5 0.61 -0.28 2 5.51 Newton 79 0.64 -0.20 3 3.25 0.19 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Extreme/Average 95 57 76 80 -4 0.69 -0.14 2 3.36 0.19 10. Coastal Bay St Louis 82 0.30 -1.03 2 2.97 Gulfport 89 66 80 82 -2 0.53 -0.73 3 3.82 Poplarville 93 61 77 81 -4 1.16 +0.09 2 5.25 94 71 82 0.24 Waveland 92 63 78 81 -3 1.03 -0.21 2 3.83 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Extreme/Average 93 61 78 81 -3 0.91 -0.32 2 4.30 94 71 82 0.24 State Averages 95 46 75 80 -5 1.15 +0.37 2 3.05 98 71 83 0.23 DFN = Departure from Normal.