Global Crop Watch

Global Crop Watch Summary May 30, 2003.  Favorable showers in Australia, Eastern Europe, Canada, and United States for winter wheat and summer crop development.  More rain needed in China and Ukraine.  Heavy rain delayed harvesting in Argentina.  

Russia and Ukraine Rainfall and Temperature Maps for May 18 - 24, 2003.  Unseasonably dry and warm weather stressed winter wheat and spring sown crops in southern and eastern Ukraine and southern Russia.  It has been dry for six consecutive weeks.  The warm and dry weather allowed planting to progress rapidly in the Central and Volga Regions of Russia. 

Argentina and Brazil Rainfall Map for May 18 - 24, 2003.  In Brazil, moderate to heavy rain slowed fieldwork but improved moisture supplies for wheat and second-crop corn.  In Argentina, heavy rain disrupted soybean and  cotton harvesting but boosted moisture for winter wheat growth.

China - Rainfall Map for May 18 - 24, 2003.  Dryness Causes Concern in the Northeast.  Mostly dry across northern China last week.  More rain needed for emerging summer crops in the Northeast.  Dryness on the North China Plain was mostly favorable for spring-sown crops and winter wheat.

China - Percent Soil Moisture Map for May 20, 2003.  Unfavorably low soil moisture in the Northeast for emerging and vegetative summer crops.  Recent high temperatures increased moisture demand.  Soil moisture is also very low on the North China Plain for summer crops, but adequate for maturing winter wheat.     

China - Rainfall and Soil Moisture Graphs for Heilongjiang Province.  Heilongjiang is China's top soybean producer and a major corn producer.  Rainfall has been lower than normal in May, and soil moisture has declined rapidly.  Rainfall normally increases in June.

Southeast Asia - Rainy Season Starting in Indochina.  Widespread heavy rainfall covered Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam, providing favorable moisture for vegetative corn and rice  Seasonably dry weather returned to Indonesia and Malaysia.  Locally heavy rain caused flooding in northern Vietnam.  

Western Pacific - Tropical Storm Linfa Hits Philippines, Heading for Japan.  A moderate tropical storm brought high winds and rain to the Philippines.  It is now getting stronger and heading toward Honshu, Japan. 

United States and Mexico - 7 day Cumulative Rainfall Map Ending May 28, 2003.  Dry and hot in the West and Southwest, helpful showers in Texas and Mexico.  Scattered showers and warm temperatures in the Great Plains and western Corn Belt, continued very wet and cooler than normal in the East and Southeast.  Local flooding in Florida.

United States - Texas Rainfall Graphs, September 2002 through May 2003 compared to other years.  Graphs show rainfall in northern Texas since September 2002 has been similar to last year.  More rain is needed in many areas.

United States - Palmer Drought Severity Index Map for May 24, 2003.  Conditions are unusually wet in the southeast U.S. and Mid-Atlantic.  Drought reported in parts of the West and Southwest, but conditions have improved over the past few months.  There are no major areas of drought or excess moisture in the Great Plains or Corn Belt.