LA-WEATHER United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service, Louisiana Field Office Crop Weather Cooperating with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture Louisiana Field Office · 5825 Florida Blvd · Baton Rouge, LA 70806 (225) 922-1362 · (225) 922-0744 FAX www.nass.usda.gov/la Released: July 9, 2007 Volume 07 No. 19 Days suitable for fieldwork: 1.9 Soil moisture supplies: 1% very short, 7% short, 47% adequate and 45% surplus Field Crops Report Nearly all areas of the state received rainfall last week. Corn and soybean fields in the northeast part of the state received much needed rainfall, although the rain came too late for some corn fields. Stinkbugs and sheath blight were present in rice fields. These were worsened by the wet weather. Some soybean producers were still planting late beans. Many soybean fields were stressed by the extremely wet conditions. Soybean producers were spraying fungicides to prevent Asian soybean rust. Sugarcane producers were trying to spray fallow land, but rainfall hampered field activities. Fruits, Vegetables and Specialty Crops Vegetable producers were busy harvesting and selling produce. Vegetable conditions declined some due to excessive rainfall. Poor weather conditions slowed the peach harvest with peaches harvested reaching 58 percent, behind the 5-year average. Livestock, Pasture and Range Report Pasture conditions continued to improve due to the abundant rainfall and warm temperatures. The first and second cutting of hay continued to progress ahead of the 5-year average, although the rainfall slowed some producers. PERCENT OF PROGRESS CROP STAGE Current Week Last Week 2006 5 YR AVG Corn Dough 82 62 80 72 Mature 11 3 13 9 Cotton Squaring 94 82 98 93 Setting Bolls 43 14 68 50 Hay First Cutting 97 92 100 93 Second Cutting 31 19 33 17 Peaches Harvested 58 52 59 64 Rice Headed 54 33 47 54 Sorghum Headed 90 56 84 68 Turning Color 17 6 29 13 Soybeans Emerged 100 99 100 96 Blooming 87 70 85 62 Setting Pods 66 38 65 38 Sweet Potatoes Planted 99 98 100 93 CONDITIONS IN PERCENTAGES ITEM VERY POOR POOR FAIR GOOD EXCELLENT Corn 4 8 19 57 12 Cotton 0 2 21 71 6 Rice 0 2 37 55 6 Sorghum 0 4 9 48 39 Soybeans 2 4 25 58 11 Sugarcane 0 2 39 32 27 Livestock 0 2 25 65 8 Vegetables 2 21 29 46 2 Pasture 4 7 20 61 8 LOUISIANA OFFICE OF STATE CLIMATOLOGY, LSU, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA LOUISIANA WEATHER SUMMARY FROM 07/02/07 TO 07/08/07 AIR PRECIPITATION TEMPERATURE WEEKLY FOUR YR.TO MAX MIN AVG NRM TOTAL WEEKS DATE NORM 1. Northwest LSU-Bossier City 89 70 78 82 8.83 15.44 33.68 29.09 Minden 89 70 78 81 5.44 10.53 33.27 31.53 Mooringsport 89 70 77 MM 5.78 9.34 30.96 26.22 Extreme/Average 89 70 78 82 6.68 11.77 32.64 29.67 2. North-Central LSU-Calhoun 93 69 78 82 4.77 6.96 27.97 32.02 Homer/Hill Farm 91 (68) 77 80 8.29 10.97 34.51 31.44 ULM-Monroe (95) 70 79 82 3.85 5.10 20.66 33.89 Winnfield MM MM MM 81 M.MM M.MM 6.37 33.82 Extreme/Average 95 68 78 82 5.64 8.97 31.24 32.62 3. Northeast Lake Providence 93 71 78 82 4.65 6.20 22.75 35.01 LSU-St Joseph 95 MM 76 82 3.82 4.30 20.60 33.21 LSU-Winnsboro MM MM MM 82 M.MM 2.84 24.30 33.29 Tallulah 95 68 79 82 3.61 5.07 18.99 34.55 Extreme/Average 95 68 78 82 4.03 5.07 MM.MM 33.94 4. West-Central Leesville 92 70 78 81 3.15 6.07 25.88 31.56 LSU-Rosepine 89 71 78 81 5.30 11.63 32.62 31.59 Natchitoches 93 71 79 83 3.43 7.23 22.28 31.21 Extreme/Average 93 70 78 82 3.96 8.31 26.93 31.29 5. Central Alexandria 92 72 80 83 2.05 6.09 27.43 33.03 Brusly 90 70 79 81 0.85 6.93 31.22 34.02 Bunkie 91 71 80 82 4.61 8.22 27.32 35.04 LSU-Alexandria 92 68 77 82 2.99 7.20 27.46 31.56 Extreme/Average 92 68 80 82 2.50 7.08 29.27 33.34 6. East-Central Bogalusa 94 70 80 82 3.15 3.84 24.27 36.51 LSU-Baton Rouge 92 70 81 81 2.92 9.10 30.75 33.67 LSU-Clinton 91 68 78 81 1.47 3.73 26.23 35.00 LSU-Hammond 94 68 80 81 1.53 4.51 27.07 34.50 Slidell 92 69 81 82 2.10 4.75 27.41 33.71 Extreme/Average 94 68 80 82 2.23 5.30 27.36 35.48 7. Southwest De Ridder 89 71 78 82 3.09 10.97 35.29 32.69 Jennings 88 71 78 81 4.24 8.13 30.59 31.16 LSU-Crowley 91 72 81 82 3.64 6.16 33.81 31.80 Extreme/Average 91 71 79 82 3.66 8.42 33.23 31.75 8. South-Central Donaldsonville 92 72 80 82 1.57 6.63 28.51 32.51 LSU-Jeanerette 91 72 81 81 1.66 11.24 30.74 32.53 Morgan City 92 73 83 81 1.34 4.87 23.18 32.18 Extreme/Average 92 72 81 82 1.52 7.58 27.48 32.61 9. Southeast Galliano 92 75 83 82 1.06 4.05 21.35 33.84 Houma 93 72 82 82 1.06 5.75 22.09 32.71 NO Audubon Park MM MM MM 83 M.MM 3.18 23.09 33.65 Reserve 92 72 81 82 3.79 6.97 36.08 36.25 Extreme/Average 93 72 82 83 1.97 4.90 21.35 33.71 State State Averages 95 68 79 82 3.51 7.40 28.85 32.70 M = Missing ( ) = Extremes Yr. To Date = Through July 8, 2007