fl-crop-weather

Week ending July 11, 1999
                             Released 4:00 P.M.
                                                              July 12, 1999

WEATHER SUMMARY: Scattered rains and hot temperatures continued during the
week of July 4 through 10. Rainfall varied from less than a tenth inch at
West Palm Beach and Jacksonville, to over four inches at Pensacola.
Temperatures ranged from lows in the 60s and 70s to highs in the 80s and
90s.

    For June, rain totaled from an inch and a half at St. Petersburg, to a
total of almost twenty four inches at Coral Springs with several stations
recording ten inches or more. Most
temperatures during June averaged normal to two degrees below normal with
most daily highs averaging in the 80s, and lows, in the 70s.

FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture throughout the State is adequate to surplus
with scattered areas of short moisture in central Peninsula. Cotton is in
good condition. Cotton is starting to bloom. Weeds are becoming a problem
in some cotton and peanut fields. Daily rains have hampered application of
post emergence herbicides. Green peanut harvest is active. Tobacco harvest
is active. Hay harvesting is being done between showers. Sugarcane growth
is normal. Peanut condition: fair 1%, good 74%, excellent 25%. Peanuts
pegged is reported at 73 %.

     Moisture              Topsoil                      Subsoil
     Rating        Last week     This week     Last week      This week

                                         Percent
 Very short                 0              1             6              0
 Short                      2              3            12              7
 Adequate                  65             67            57             56
 Surplus                   33             29            25             37

LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: Pastures and cattle were in mostly good condition
throughout the State. Recent rains have permitted good grass growth. Haying
has begun in the north and central areas, with yields and quality
reportedly good.

                           Range                        Cattle
   Condition
                  Last week      This week     Last week      This week
                                         Percent
 Very poor                  0              0             0              0
 Poor                       0              5             0              5
 Fair                      25             20            10             20
 Good                      60             60            80             70
 Excellent                 15             15            10              5

CITRUS: Daily rains in virtually all areas of Florida's citrus belt have
produced surplus moisture conditions in some groves. The rains have not
been excessively heavy at all times. The hours of daily sunlight have been
restricted by overcast skies and general cloudy conditions that have
prevented moisture evaporation. Trees of all ages are producing a lot of
new foliage. New crop fruit continues to make good progress. Valencia and
grapefruit harvest are over for this season. However there are a few fresh
juice plants that plan to operate as long as there is late bloom fruit
available.

    Caretakers are mowing, chopping and discing cover crops that are making
excellent growth with the help of abundant moisture. A few growers are
applying their third sprays on crops being grown for the fresh fruit trade.
Herbiciding and fertilizing continue in all areas. Dead tree removal and
burning have been reported in most citrus counties. Replanting is active in
most larger groves.

VEGETABLES: Growers in the Quincy area have laid most of the plastic for
fall crop tomatoes with transplanting to start within the next seven to ten
days. A few northern producers continue to pick watermelons. Southern
growers are preparing land for fall crop planting. Dade County producers
continue to harvest okra.

          RANGE, PASTURE AND CATTLE CONDITIONS, 1998 - 1999 SEASON

    Overall, pasture conditions were lower than normal during the year due
to a dryer than normal year. Considerable hay feeding was done throughout
most of the year.
    Pasture in Florida was in poor to fair condition in June 1998. Pastures
were stressed by drought and there were brush fires in the southwest.
Statewide, the cattle condition was fair to poor. Ranchers still had to
feed hay even in the west-central area during mid- June due to poor
pastures. By mid- July, pastures improved slightly following rains, however
hay feeding was active, ponds were very low, and some producers sold
livestock for lack of feed. Ranchers began to spray to control armyworms
and loopers. Statewide, cattle were in fair condition. Normal rainfall
improved the pasture condition through mid- August. Cattle and calves were
in fair to good condition. Grass growth slowed at the end of August due to
drought and armyworms caused considerable loss to pastures in the Panhandle
and northern counties. Grass growth was good in September. Pastures in the
Panhandle and west central areas were quite wet in early October from rains
of Hurricane George. Seasonal planting of forages began in mid- October. By
November, small grains for pasture emerged but quality of permanent pasture
in the north declined seasonally. However, much small grain pasture was not
planted due to dry soil conditions. Ranchers in the north and Panhandle fed
supplemental hay. At mid-month, pastures received rain from tropical storm
Mitch. Pastures in the south had standing water and cattle were in poor to
good condition. In early December, planting of small grains for forage
finally was completed in the north. Central area pastures declined
seasonally and southwest pastures had standing water. Throughout December,
pastures needed moisture, hay stocks were low and winter forages did not do
well due to dry conditions.
    In January, 1999, pasture in most of the Panhandle and north was in
poor condition due to prolonged drought. In the central area, grass growth
was held back by seasonally cool temperatures. Cattle and calves were in
fair to good condition. A frost in mid-January worsened pasture conditions.
Cool temperatures also slowed small grain growth. Pastures in the southwest
still had standing water from earlier rains. In February, supplemental
feeding was active in the north. Small grain pasture improved following
ample rains. Ranchers cleared pasture in the southwest by burning and bush
hogging. Cattle and calves were in mostly fair condition. At month's end,
cool season forage was doing well in the Panhandle and north. Permanent
pasture grass in the southwest emerged on land burned and mowed. The
State's pastures through mid- March were in poor to fair condition due to
drought and seasonally cool nights. A frost in early March damaged emerging
perennial grass in the north. Hay feeding was active. There were brush
fires in the southwest due to drought. Cattle and calves were mostly in
fair condition. By April, the Statewide condition of range was so poor that
hay feeding was active. Hay supplies were low at mid-month. Drought
continued through April and pastures were in poor to fair condition. Some
cattle lost weight from the poor feed. In May, rains improved the pasture
in the Panhandle and southwest. Fires on dry pasture increased in northern
counties. Water holes dried up in the west-central area. Overall, pastures
were still stressed by drought in early June, 1999. Most areas of the State
received rain by mid-month. Hay was made, and some sold as soon as baled.
Ponds and the water table in the west central area were down, however there
was standing water in the southwest. The State's pastures showed marked
improvement by month's end.

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