Issued Monday 3:00 PM;  September 15, 2008	Week Ending September 14, 2008	

A GOOD WEEK FOR HARVEST 

Mostly dry weather across the state last week provided favorable harvest conditions and gave farmers 6 days suitable for fieldwork.  Corn and tobacco harvest progressed with isolated showers mid-week causing only temporary delays.  Tropical Depression Ike passed through on Sunday bringing light rain with a few thunderstorms and windy conditions, especially to West and Middle Tennessee.  The extent of damage to crops and livestock is unknown, although numerous trees and power lines were knocked down from the winds.  Cotton and soybean development continued slightly behind normal.  Virtually all of the tobacco has been topped with over 60 percent of the crop in good-to-excellent condition. Other field activities last week included defoliating cotton and harvesting hay.

As of Friday, topsoil moisture levels were rated 17 percent very short, 39 percent short, 43 percent adequate, and 1 percent surplus.  Subsoil moisture levels were rated 26 percent very short, 39 percent short, 34 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus.  Temperatures across the state last week averaged slightly above to above normal. Rainfall amounts were above normal across East Tennessee and the Plateau, while middle and western areas received below normal precipitation. 
CROP PROGRESS	CONDITION	
Crop	This
Week	Last
Week	2007	Five
Year
Avg.	Item	Very
Poor	Poor	Fair	Good	Excellent	
	Percent		Percent	
Corn –  Mature	76	58	100	92	Cotton	0	8	33	52	7	
Corn –  Harvested for Grain	23	7	82	47	Pastures	11	25	38	25	1	
Corn – Silage Harvested	89	80	91	88	Soybeans	9	17	33	37	4	
Cotton – Bolls Opening	45	25	94	61	Tobacco	1	5	33	52	9	
Cotton – Defoliated	7	n/a	37	18							
Soybeans – Dropping Leaves	36	23	69	45							
Tobacco – Topped	95	92	99	98							
Tobacco – Burley Harvested	53	43	74	71							
Tobacco – Dark Air-Cured Harvested	80	69	91	85							
Tobacco – Dark Fire-Cured Harvested	72	60	75	74							
n/a – not available
County Agent Comments

“Producers started corn harvest this week with yields running from 80 to 130 bushels per acre on average. Corn seems to be holding moisture and drying down slowly this year compared to last year. Early maturing soybeans are dropping leaves and other maturities have leaves turning yellow. Some hay has been harvested this week, as well as lime applied to harvested corn fields.”
Jeff Lannom, Weakley County

“Late season rains have improved pasture conditions somewhat and will hopefully help our late season soybeans. The dark fire-cured and air-cured tobacco crops will probably produce the best yields we have ever seen. Some beef producers may actually get a fall cutting of hay this year.”
Ronnie Barron, Cheatham County

“Pastures have improved slightly due to the rains the last two weeks and slightly cooler weather. A few farmers have gotten a second cutting of hay but most have not. Corn harvest continues and yields are reported to be generally under 100 bu. which is disappointing. Some late soybeans have improved but much of the double-cropped beans will have poor yields.”
Richard Groce, Maury County

“Dry conditions have allowed for grain moisture to continue to drop, which has accelerated harvest efforts for corn. Soybeans are in need of another good drink of water to help continue the progress they made after receiving moisture from TS Fay.  Cotton producers are beginning to defoliate the crop, about 80% of the crop has open bolls. Weather permitting producers should begin harvesting this week. Producers have been busy cutting fall hay, mostly Johnson grass and other summer annuals; high humidity has made for slow curing. Pastures continue to hold their own but in need of additional moisture.  
Ed Burns, Franklin County

“This week's extra 1/2 inch of rainfall really helped our crops and pasture. It may have been too late on the drought stricken corn and beans. Some of the later beans and corn are looking better. Pasture and hay is greening back up and it appears that another round of hay is to come.”
John J. Goddard, Loudon County

TEMPERATURES AND PRECIPITATION
For week ending:  September 14, 2008 (with comparisons)
LOCATION	TEMPERATURE	PRECIPITATION	
	Week Ending
September 14, 2008	Current
Week
9/14/08	Rain
Days	Current
Since
January 1	Departure
From Normal
January 1	Current
Since
April 1	Departure
From Normal
April 1	
	HI	LO	AVG	DFN							
Ames_Plantation	92	59	79	6	0.31	3	43.65	6.32	27.97	4.59	
Tri-City_RGNL_A	89	58	75	6	1.66	4	26.57	-3.62	15.65	-4.06	
Brownsville_TN 	92	60	77	5	0.35	2	38.94	1.63	22.69	-0.66	
Chattanooga/Lov	92	66	79	6	0.43	2	31.28	-7.13	17.14	-5.37	
Clarksville_Sew	91	61	77	6	0.00	0	34.59	-1.50	21.46	-0.81	
Cookeville     	90	59	75	5	0.01	1	32.57	-8.47	19.65	-6.19	
Covington      	89	58	76	3	0.00	0	39.18	2.76	23.52	0.96	
Crossville_AP  	86	59	74	7	1.64	2	33.92	-6.31	20.75	-4.28	
Dayton         	90	62	76	5	0.95	3	31.37	-8.96	19.07	-5.06	
Dickson_AG     	89	61	77	6	0.27	1	37.06	-1.48	22.14	-2.22	
Dover_1W       	94	60	76	6	0.00	0	38.55	1.11	21.19	-2.18	
Dyersburg      	93	61	79	6	0.03	1	31.15	-4.49	17.61	-5.05	
Erwin_1W       	90	59	75	8	1.61	4	27.87	-8.77	18.08	-6.91	
Huntingdon_Wate	93	59	78	6	0.00	0	37.70	0.09	21.10	-2.59	
Jackson_Exp_Stn	93	60	78	6	0.04	1	46.19	9.19	27.47	3.90	
Kingston_AG    	89	63	77	8	0.67	3	33.90	-8.26	21.04	-4.87	
Knoxville_AP   	92	63	78	7	2.72	3	32.96	-1.52	20.74	-0.28	
Lewisburg      	91	57	77	6	0.04	1	34.07	-4.96	22.27	-2.02	
Lexington_TN   	92	59	77	5	0.05	1	47.24	11.18	29.88	7.17	
Linden         	92	60	77	7	0.04	1	44.76	5.14	27.67	3.21	
Martin         	93	60	77	6	0.08	1	38.11	0.55	20.27	-3.88	
Mc_Minnville_Tn	91	63	78	7	0.79	4	26.14	-12.18	16.05	-7.68	
Memphis_AG     	92	61	79	4	0.26	1	47.83	11.30	30.53	7.67	
Milan          	92	57	78	7	0.06	1	42.00	3.37	24.85	0.01	
Murfreesboro_5N	92	60	77	6	0.12	2	30.47	-7.78	18.32	-5.99	
Nashville_Metro	91	66	79	7	0.00	0	34.88	0.59	22.06	0.16	
Newcomb        	88	61	75	8	0.08	2	28.68	-10.95	18.15	-7.46	
Oneida         	88	59	74	8	0.70	3	24.78	-14.85	19.05	-6.56	
Portland_TN    	90	61	76	6	0.00	0	39.17	2.07	24.86	1.22	
Pulaski_Water_P	90	57	77	4	0.00	0	39.37	0.21	25.30	1.71	
Savannah_6SW   	92	60	78	5	0.09	3	46.33	6.02	29.28	4.61	
Sparta_TN      	92	58	77	8	0.22	3	34.95	-4.63	22.93	-1.93	
Springfield    	90	60	76	6	0.00	0	38.10	2.50	24.64	2.07	
Springhill     	89	60	76	6	0.00	0	33.93	-5.22	22.30	-2.06	
Union_City     	93	55	76	6	0.17	2	34.78	-1.84	18.58	-4.69	
Waynesboro_TN  	91	59	77	7	0.10	2	37.91	-3.21	23.71	-1.45	
DFN = Departure From Normal (Using 1961-90 Normals Period).  Rain Days = Days with precip of 0.01 inch or more during the week.  Precipitation (rain or melted snow/ice) in inches.
Copyright 2008:  AWIS, Inc. All Rights Reserved

The USDA, NASS, Tennessee Field Office gratefully acknowledges contributions to this publication by:
National Weather Service and the University of Tennessee’s Extension.