FL WEEKLY WEATHER-CROP NEWS Week ending August 31, 1997 Released 4:00 P.M. September 2, 1997 WEATHER SUMMARY: Cloudy skies kept temperatures one to two degrees below normal at the official stations in some northern, east central, and southeastern areas during the week of August 24 through 30. Elsewhere, temperatures were normal to one degree above. Daytime high temperatures averaged in the upper 80s and low 90s while nighttime lows were mostly in the 70s although Jacksonville lows averaged 68 degrees for the week. Some northern temperatures were at record low levels during the week. Rainfall totaled from a trace to one and two third inches at the official stations except for West Palm Beach recording almost three and a half inches for the week. Some northern and central localities are getting dry. Unofficial reports showed that Palmetto- Ruskin received scattered showers near the end of the week which dropped up to four inches in some localities. The Southwest region had scattered showers nearly every afternoon. Some Dade County localities received at least three and a half inches for the week. FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture is mostly short to adequate in the Panhandle, northern, and central Peninsula. In the southern Peninsula topsoil moisture is adequate to surplus. Peanut condition: poor 1%, fair 34%, good 63%, excellent 2%. Nine percent of the peanut acreage for nuts has been harvested. Peanuts are wilting during the day and immature pods are beginning to shrivel in some areas from the dry conditions. Sugarcane growth is normal. Tobacco marketing is active. Dry weather was good for haying and corn harvesting. Cotton and soybeans are making very good growth. Moisture Topsoil Subsoil Rating Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very short 0 4 0 1 Short 16 17 8 16 Adequate 57 62 58 58 Surplus 27 17 34 25 LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: Pastures are mostly in good condition. However, pastures in the north were in need of rain. Very mature bahia grass pastures were reported to be of poor quality. Mosquitos were reported to be bad in east central counties. West central pastures received some much needed rain and grasshoppers were active. Cattle were in good to excellent condition. Range Cattle Condition Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very poor 0 0 0 0 Poor 0 0 0 0 Fair 30 30 5 15 Good 60 55 85 70 Excellent 10 15 10 15 CITRUS: Most of this State's well-cared-for citrus is in very good to excellent condition. Moisture is generally adequate. New growth is in abundance in most areas. New crop fruit is making good progress. The first grapefruit of the season was picked the last week of August and was to be packed the first of September depending on maturity testing. Many fresh fruit packing houses have been testing white and colored grapefruit, Navels, Ambersweet oranges and Fallglo tangerines for early picking. Caretakers are mowing, discing, and chopping cover crops that are making good growth with near ideal conditions. Some sprays and fertilizations are going on between thunderstorms and summer rains. Ditch maintenance continues in bedded and flatwoods groves. Limited resetting is occurring in larger groves. VEGETABLES: Palmetto-Ruskin: The tomato crop is in fair to good condition with transplanting to continue over the next two to three weeks. Tomato plant growth is slow due to high temperatures with some very small patches re-set due to loss from the heat. Workers continued to make first ties and scheduled spray applications in the tomato fields. Planting of cucumbers, peppers, squash, and plum tomatoes continued to gain momentum with all in fair to good condition. Cherry tomato planting is slowing seasonally with some re-set due to loss from the heat. Planting of watermelons and eggplant is also slowing as producers finish scheduled plantings. East Coast: Tomato, pepper, eggplant, cherry tomato, and plum tomato planting remain active. Wet soils delayed some laying of plastic. Heat continues to cause stress to some plants. Southwest: The condition of tomatoes remains fair to good with hot weather slowing some growth of transplants. Workers are staking and spraying tomatoes and laying plastic for future tomato transplanting. The condition of eggplant, peppers, and cherry and plum tomatoes remains fair to good with planting gaining momentum. Dade: Wet weather is causing delays in the making of beds for planting of fall crops. A small acreage of tomatoes is expected to be planted in about ten days with most growers to begin in late September. Snap bean planting is expected to begin before mid- month and the planting of squash should begin about mid-month. Okra harvesting continues with good quality and yield. Zellwood: Sweet corn planting is active. Rain delayed some field preparations. Sumter County: Growers are preparing land for the planting of fall crops. Quincy: The condition of tomatoes is good. Harvesting is expected to begin in late September or early October.