HDR1012000170100730961200WEEKLY WEATHER & CROP BULLETIN Released July 30, 1996, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture. For information on "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" call Greg Preston at (202) 720-7621, office hours 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. For assistance with general agricultural statistics, information about NASS, its products or services, contact the NASS Information Hotline at 1-800-727-9540 or E-mail: NASS@NASS.USDA.GOV. NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY July 22 - 28, 1996 HIGHLIGHTS: Widespread rains and cool weather in the Corn Belt were welcomed during the critical pollination stage, but the low temperatures slowed crop growth. Sunshine and warmer weather are needed in the central Corn Belt, where crop development for corn and soybeans remained 1 to 2 weeks behind normal. Parts of northern Illinois remained flooded from last week's heavy rains. The timely rains in the Midwest improved crop conditions, but reporters remained concerned about uneven stands as insect activity increased. In Minnesota, dry soil conditions curled corn and yellowed soybean leaves. Beneficial rains slowed fieldwork in the Southeast, where increased insect counts caused cotton producers to spray earlier than usual. In the Dakotas and Great Lakes region, many areas remained dry and needed rain to improve crop conditions. Hot, dry weather in the Mountain States and the Pacific Coast stressed late-seeded crops, but provided ideal conditions for small grain harvesting. Wheat harvested for the 19 major producing States was 82 percent (%) complete, up 8 percentage points from the previous week. The wheat harvest in Michigan was halfway complete, up 47 points from the previous week and 19 points behind the 5-year average. Ideal weather conditions in the Western States allowed harvest activity to advance. Some wheat varieties in Ohio were infected with vomitoxon. Hot, dry weather in South Dakota pushed wheat harvested to 23% complete, up 21 points from the previous week but 28 points behind normal. The wheat harvest was completed in Texas with land preparation underway for fall planting. In Wisconsin, cool weather slowed wheat drying in the fields. Spring wheat condition was mostly good to fair with 94% of the acreage headed, up 9 points from the previous week and 2 points below the average. Spring wheat headed in North Dakota at 93% complete was up 12 points from the previous week, but 1 point behind the average. In Montana, spring wheat condition declined due to the hot, dry weather. Corn was in mostly good to fair condition, with 48% of the acreage in the silking stage or beyond. Corn silking for the 17 major producing States was up 25 points from the previous week, but 15 points behind the average. With the exception of Missouri, the percentage of acreage silking in the Corn Belt ranged from 17 to 52 points behind the average. Silking in Ohio at 14% complete was 52 points behind the average, while Indiana's corn silking was approximately 12 days behind normal. Widespread rains and cool weather slowed crop development but eased dry conditions that had previously stressed corn plants. In Minnesota, continued dry conditions caused corn leaves to curl. Spraying for insects was reported in the Great Lakes region, where some producers commented on corn height varying from ankle-to head-high. In Texas, high winds damaged some fields. Cotton setting bolls was 78% complete, up 15 points from a week earlier and 12 points ahead of the average. Cotton condition was mostly good to fair for the 14 major producing States. Crop development was ahead of normal by 16 points in Louisiana and Mississippi. Rainfall helped dryland cotton fields in Texas, where increased insect populations required control measures. Cotton was threatened by bollworms and bollweevils in the Delta and across the Southeast. In California, cotton was treated for insects in the San Joaquin and Imperial Valleys, with some fields showing signs of heat stress. Cotton in the mid-Atlantic States was sprayed with insecticides and growth regulators. Rice headed for the five major producing States was 53% complete, up 16 points from the previous week and 14 points ahead of normal. Rice condition was mostly good to fair. Rain and cooler weather over the Delta and the Southeast improved rice growth. Arkansas rice producers scouted fields for disease. Some Texas rice fields were drained in preparation for the harvest, while harvest activity began in some fields. In Texas and Louisiana, rice harvesting was hindered by rainy weather. Sorghum condition was mostly good to fair with sorghum headed at 38% complete, up 10 points from the previous week. Sorghum headed in Illinois and Nebraska was up 2 points from last week but was 30 and 21 points behind the average, respectively. Sorghum development was slowed by cool weather in the Central States. Insect activity was increasing in Texas, where recent, frequent rains aided dryland sorghum fields. Soybeans blooming was 53% complete, up 20 points from last week and 11 points below the average. Soybeans were in mostly good to fair condition. Blooming in Indiana and Ohio was behind the average by over 40 points. In Illinois and Michigan, soybeans blooming was over 30 points behind normal. Worm infestations were reported in some Arkansas soybean fields. Insects were prevalent in Indiana, where soybeans blooming was 16 days behind the average. Soybean fields in the Delta were sprayed for Aerial blight. National Weather Summary Volume 83, No. 30 July 21 - 27, 1996 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: A sluggish, nearly stationary front--anchored by a highly amplified jet stream--governed a cool (temperatures 3 to 8 degrees F below normal), damp pattern from the Central States to the Middle Atlantic region. Rainfall further tempered the effects of the 10-month drought from Kansas to northern and eastern Texas, and eased dryness in the Southeast. Reproductive Corn Belt crops benefited from the absence of heat stress and scattered thunderstorms. Meanwhile, hot (temperatures up to 10 degrees F above normal), generally dry weather dominated the West. Early in the week, heat spread eastward through the West, while very cool conditions prevailed from the Midwest into the East. On Sunday, downtown Sacramento, CA notched a daily-record maximum of 106 degrees F; in Indiana, South Bend's high of 62 degrees F was their lowest on record in July. Farther east, daily-record lows included 42 degrees F in Beckley, WV and 49 degrees F in Mansfield, OH. A day later, St. George, UT registered their first of two daily records (110 and 112 degrees F), and first of 3 110-degree days. July 23 proved to be the heat wave's peak in Lake Havasu City, AZ (123 degrees F). In Laughlin, NV, highs soared to 118 degrees F on Tuesday and Thursday. California's Death Valley tallied 7 consecutive 120-degree days (July 20-26), including a maximum of 125 degrees F on July 25. Farther north, weekly departures in Oregon reached +10 degrees F in Portland and +9 degrees F in Medford. During the week, cooler, wetter conditions evolved across the South. More than 1 inch of rain dampened parts of Texas, including San Antonio and Wichita Falls. A broad area of scattered 2- to 4-inch totals, extended from Kansas to eastern Texas, eastward to the southern Appalachians, including Dodge City, KS, Shreveport, LA, Meridian, MS, and Birmingham, AL. In Oklahoma City, OK, the weekly rainfall of 1.58 inches boosted their monthly total to a July-record 10.16 inches, eclipsing the mark set in 1950. Severe weather accompanied some of the thunderstorms, including wind gusts in Kansas on Monday to 86 mph at Ft. Riley (near Junction City) and 67 mph in Concordia. Across the Midwest, short-term moisture deficits persisted in a few pockets (including southern Michigan and portions of Iowa and Minnesota), while 2- to 4-inch rainfalls were confined to parts of Illinois (Peoria) and Indiana (Indianapolis). In Des Moines, IA, the mercury failed to exceed 85 degrees F during the week, leaving their July total of 90-degree days at 2, compared with a monthly normal of 10. Through week's end, July temperatures had yet to reach the 90-degree plateau in Philadelphia, PA. Farther south, weekly temperatures averaged below normal, despite early-week, triple-digit heat in locations such as Tulsa, OK (103 degrees F on Sunday) and Little Rock, AR (103 degrees F on Monday). By Friday, lows in Arkansas dipped to daily-record levels in Calico Rock (53 degrees F) and Fayetteville (56 degrees F). Farther west, maxima remained below 70 degrees F on Friday in parts of the central Plains, including Chanute, KS (69 degrees F) and Kansas City, MO (68 degrees F). Only Peninsular Florida, where highs on Saturday rose to daily-record levels in Tampa and Orlando (both 97 degrees F), escaped the cooling trend. Corn: Percent Silking, Soybeans: Percent Blooming, Selected States Selected States -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1991- :-----------------------: 1991- State:Jul 28,:Jul 21,:Jul 28,: 1995 State:Jul 28,:Jul 21,:Jul 28,: 1995 : 1996 : 1996 : 1995 : Avg. : 1996 : 1996 : 1995 : Avg. -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Percent : Percent : : CO : 58 19 1 34 AL : 44 35 47 42 GA : 100 97 100 100 AR : 51 38 38 37 IL : 52 22 65 84 GA : 49 35 59 51 IN : 35 14 61 77 IL : 42 19 46 75 IA : 42 4 47 59 IN : 33 15 65 80 KS : 98 85 39 79 IA : 72 47 73 73 KY : 68 53 81 85 KS : 60 52 18 51 MI : 13 2 58 48 KY : 35 24 39 52 MN : 46 15 51 39 LA : 85 77 75 59 MO : 83 67 38 68 MI : 21 8 71 56 NE : 70 36 27 65 MN : 69 44 79 71 NC : 97 94 95 95 MS : 85 74 73 55 OH : 14 4 56 66 MO : 50 32 15 49 PA : 53 35 53 43 NE : 66 37 43 63 SD : 16 0 6 34 NC : 34 23 31 31 TX : 97 95 91 88 OH : 36 15 70 79 WI : 9 1 46 42 SC : 38 24 30 32 : SD : 58 38 47 57 17 Sts: 48 23 50 63 TN : 46 28 43 35 -------------------------------------- : These 17 States produced 91% of the 19 Sts: 53 33 54 64 1995 corn crop. -------------------------------------- These 19 States produced 94% of the 1995 soybean crop. Winter Wheat: Percent Harvested, Cotton: Percent Setting Bolls, Selected States Selected States -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1991- :-----------------------: 1991- State:Jul 28,:Jul 21,:Jul 28,: 1995 State:Jul 28,:Jul 21,:Jul 28,: 1995 : 1996 : 1996 : 1995 : Avg. : 1996 : 1996 : 1995 : Avg. -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Percent : Percent : : AR : 100 100 100 100 AL : 78 65 84 74 CA : 99 99 98 98 AZ : 93 84 75 91 CO : 92 67 72 83 AR : 100 94 88 84 GA : 100 100 100 100 CA : 80 50 65 72 ID : 7 1 6 10 GA : 92 83 91 84 IL : 96 93 99 96 LA : 99 96 99 93 IN : 88 70 100 94 MS : 98 93 93 82 KS : 100 98 99 96 MO : 94 76 75 76 MI : 50 3 78 69 NM : 85 82 50 59 MO : 100 99 100 94 NC : 79 52 72 69 MT : 2 0 1 2 OK : 51 33 32 36 NE : 83 52 74 80 SC : 79 69 69 72 NC : 100 99 93 99 TN : 98 79 84 69 OH : 95 64 99 87 TX : 59 41 47 46 OK : 100 100 100 100 : OR : 19 11 19 28 14 Sts: 78 63 68 66 SD : 23 2 37 51 -------------------------------------- TX : 100 99 97 99 These 14 States produced 99% of the WA : 17 3 19 25 1995 cotton crop. : 19 Sts: 82 74 81 82 -------------------------------------- Sorghum: Percent Headed, These 19 States produced 92% of the Selected States 1995 winter wheat crop. -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1991- State:Jul 28,:Jul 21,:Jul 28,: 1995 : 1996 : 1996 : 1995 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 72 61 74 70 CO : 9 7 0 8 IL : 3 1 3 33 KS : 25 13 2 16 LA : 97 91 84 84 MS : 93 80 82 77 MO : 33 18 24 39 NE : 2 0 1 23 NM : 3 0 9 10 OK : 46 41 14 28 SD : 13 4 8 12 TX : 74 61 84 76 : 12 Sts: 38 28 30 38 -------------------------------------- These 12 States produced 98% of the 1995 sorghum crop. Spring Wheat: Percent Headed, Barley: Percent Headed, Selected States Selected States -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1991- :-----------------------: 1991- State:Jul 28,:Jul 21,:Jul 28,: 1995 State:Jul 28,:Jul 21,:Jul 28,: 1995 : 1996 : 1996 : 1995 : Avg. : 1996 : 1996 : 1995 : Avg. -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Percent : Percent : : ID : 97 95 95 96 ID : 96 84 93 95 MN : 91 87 99 99 MN : 95 88 99 99 MT : 97 90 95 96 MT : 95 89 94 95 ND : 93 81 78 94 ND : 97 88 84 96 SD : 100 93 99 100 SD : 97 95 99 100 : WA : 100 99 100 100 5 Sts : 94 85 87 96 : -------------------------------------- 6 Sts : 96 89 91 96 These 5 States produced 96% of the -------------------------------------- 1995 spring wheat crop. These 6 States produced 82% of the 1995 barley crop. Rice: Percent Headed, Selected States Barley: Percent Harvested, -------------------------------------- Selected States : Week Ending : -------------------------------------- :-----------------------: 1991- : Week Ending : State:Jul 28,:Jul 21,:Jul 28,: 1995 :-----------------------: 1991- : 1996 : 1996 : 1995 : Avg. State:Jul 28,:Jul 21,:Jul 28,: 1995 -------------------------------------- : 1996 : 1996 : 1995 : Avg. : Percent -------------------------------------- : : Percent AR : 51 24 27 29 : CA : 5 3 2 1 ID : 2 NA 1 4 LA : 68 60 72 70 MN : 0 NA 5 7 MS : 62 48 58 41 MT : 0 NA 0 1 TX : 93 86 81 75 ND : 0 NA 0 5 : SD : 3 NA 0 21 5 Sts : 53 37 40 39 WA : 8 NA 8 19 -------------------------------------- : These 5 States produced 96% of the 6 Sts : 1 NA 1 5 1995 rice crop. -------------------------------------- These 6 States produced 84% of the 1995 barley crop. Oats: Percent Harvested, Selected States -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1991- State:Jul 28,:Jul 21,:Jul 28,: 1995 : 1996 : 1996 : 1995 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : IA : 30 5 49 57 MI : 8 0 14 13 MN : 0 0 8 21 NE : 58 32 61 62 ND : 0 0 0 3 OH : 21 7 57 46 PA : 31 14 16 25 SD : 10 1 0 28 WI : 8 0 11 14 : 9 Sts : 12 3 16 24 -------------------------------------- These 9 States produced 70% of the 1995 oats crop. Peanuts: Percent Pegging, Selected States -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1991- State:Jul 28,:Jul 21,:Jul 28,: 1995 : 1996 : 1996 : 1995 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AL : 96 92 85 81 FL : 99 99 NA NA GA : 98 92 100 97 NC : 78 75 NA NA OK : 97 95 80 74 SC : 83 76 0 0 TX : 79 63 NA NA VA : 94 80 NA NA : 8 Sts : 92 85 93 90 -------------------------------------- These 8 States produced 99% of the 1995 peanut crop. Corn: Crop Condition Soybeans: Crop Condition by Percent, Selected States by Percent, Selected States -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- State : VP : P : F : G : EX State : VP : P : F : G : EX -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Percent : Percent : : CO : 1 1 8 70 20 AL : 0 2 23 64 11 GA : 4 16 36 35 9 AR : 3 13 31 43 10 IL : 4 11 35 39 11 GA : 2 8 35 49 6 IN : 3 9 40 42 6 IL : 3 15 42 32 8 IA : 1 5 23 55 16 IN : 3 14 42 36 5 KS : 1 2 13 56 28 IA : 1 7 26 51 15 KY : 1 6 26 54 13 KS : 1 2 19 60 18 MI : 9 20 38 27 6 KY : 1 6 29 51 13 MN : 1 7 39 48 5 LA : 1 6 26 59 8 MO : 1 10 24 50 15 MI : 8 19 43 25 5 NE : 1 3 17 52 27 MN : 1 8 40 47 4 NC : 5 18 38 37 2 MS : 2 8 26 54 10 OH : 5 16 42 32 5 MO : 1 11 34 45 9 PA : 1 5 15 54 25 NE : 0 3 16 62 19 SD : 0 2 19 60 19 NC : 1 7 25 64 3 TX : 17 24 26 16 17 OH : 6 14 42 32 6 WI : 1 8 19 56 16 SC : 2 6 25 59 8 : SD : 0 2 27 52 19 17 Sts : 3 8 28 47 14 TN : 1 2 24 56 17 : : Prev Wk : 3 8 28 47 14 19 Sts : 2 10 33 45 10 Prev Yr : 2 7 30 48 13 : -------------------------------------- Prev Wk : 3 10 34 43 10 Prev Yr : 1 9 33 47 10 -------------------------------------- Cotton: Crop Condition Spring Wheat: Crop Condition by Percent, Selected States by Percent, Selected States -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- State : VP : P : F : G : EX State : VP : P : F : G : EX -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Percent : Percent : : AL : 1 1 14 59 25 ID : 0 3 10 56 31 AZ : 0 1 17 45 37 MN : 1 6 31 56 6 AR : 0 8 27 53 12 MT : 3 17 45 31 4 CA : 0 0 0 60 40 ND : 1 5 26 60 8 GA : 1 8 28 49 14 SD : 0 2 19 61 18 LA : 0 5 35 46 14 : MS : 1 4 26 53 16 5 Sts : 1 8 30 53 8 MO : 0 13 25 57 5 : NM : 0 17 19 54 10 Prev Wk : 1 6 30 53 10 NC : 1 2 12 78 7 Prev Yr : 1 9 27 52 11 OK : 0 8 22 64 6 -------------------------------------- SC : 1 9 25 59 6 TN : 0 2 20 60 18 TX : 7 20 33 28 12 Rice: Crop Condition by Percent, : Selected States 14 Sts : 3 11 26 45 15 -------------------------------------- : State : VP : P : F : G : EX Prev Wk : 3 10 27 46 14 -------------------------------------- Prev Yr : 2 9 30 48 11 : Percent -------------------------------------- : AR : 0 2 20 60 18 CA : 0 0 15 75 10 Sorghum: Crop Condition LA : 0 4 38 53 5 by Percent, Selected States MS : 3 5 42 36 14 -------------------------------------- TX : 0 0 12 62 26 State : VP : P : F : G : EX : -------------------------------------- 5 Sts : 0 2 24 59 15 : Percent : : Prev Wk : 0 3 20 60 17 AR : 5 13 37 39 6 Prev Yr : 0 2 18 62 18 CO : 0 5 15 70 10 -------------------------------------- IL : 3 6 44 41 6 KS : 1 3 19 59 18 LA : 0 1 27 64 8 Barley: Crop Condition MS : 0 6 27 54 13 by Percent, Selected States MO : 1 5 28 54 12 -------------------------------------- NE : 0 1 15 62 22 State : VP : P : F : G : EX NM : 0 52 29 19 0 -------------------------------------- OK : 0 1 14 83 2 : Percent SD : 0 1 21 68 10 : TX : 8 13 41 29 9 ID : 0 5 10 59 26 : MN : 1 6 28 57 8 12 Sts : 3 7 26 50 14 MT : 4 17 43 30 6 : ND : 0 3 20 64 13 Prev Wk : 2 8 31 47 12 SD : 0 3 16 77 4 Prev Yr : 1 6 34 49 10 WA : 5 12 25 41 17 -------------------------------------- : 6 Sts : 1 7 25 54 13 : Prev Wk : 1 7 25 55 12 Prev Yr : NA NA NA NA NA -------------------------------------- Oats: Crop Condition by Percent, Selected States -------------------------------------- State : VP : P : F : G : EX -------------------------------------- : Percent : IA : 0 3 29 55 13 MI : 1 9 44 37 9 MN : 1 4 33 59 3 NE : 0 2 26 67 5 ND : 0 6 31 55 8 OH : 5 13 49 28 5 PA : 0 4 24 58 14 SD : 0 1 20 71 8 WI : 0 3 19 64 14 : 9 Sts : 0 4 28 59 9 : Prev Wk : 0 5 25 60 10 Prev Yr : NA NA NA NA NA -------------------------------------- Peanut: Crop Condition by Percent, Selected States -------------------------------------- State : VP : P : F : G : EX -------------------------------------- : Percent : AL : 0 3 28 69 0 FL : 0 27 23 14 36 GA : 1 7 34 48 10 NC : 0 0 12 74 14 OK : 0 6 31 54 9 SC : 3 10 34 51 2 TX : 1 8 29 54 8 VA : 0 0 9 40 51 : 8 Sts : 1 7 28 52 12 : Prev Wk : 1 6 31 52 10 Prev Yr : NA NA NA NA NA -------------------------------------- Pasture and Range: Crop Condition by Percent, Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- State : VP : P : F : G : EX :: State : VP : P : F : G : EX -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : AL : 1 7 33 54 5 :: NJ : 0 0 0 75 25 AZ : 49 32 14 5 0 :: NM : 12 29 36 16 7 AR : 4 22 37 33 4 :: NY : 0 0 14 86 0 CA : 5 10 25 60 0 :: NC : 4 25 32 36 3 CO : 2 8 27 55 8 :: ND : 1 7 26 58 8 CT : 0 0 5 87 8 :: OH : 2 12 45 36 5 DE : 0 0 12 83 5 :: OK : 1 11 35 50 3 FL : 0 5 15 65 15 :: OR : 0 5 31 36 28 GA : 4 16 40 37 3 :: PA : 1 4 24 58 13 ID : 0 4 25 54 17 :: RI : 0 0 6 82 12 IL : 5 15 40 36 4 :: SC : 5 24 36 33 2 IN : 2 11 39 43 5 :: SD : 0 2 20 64 14 IA : 3 15 38 38 6 :: TN : 1 10 41 42 6 KS : 1 10 33 51 5 :: TX : 20 29 39 11 1 KY : 1 7 31 52 9 :: UT : 5 13 37 45 0 LA : 0 5 30 58 7 :: VT : 0 1 2 95 2 ME : 0 15 21 40 24 :: VA : 0 5 25 50 20 MD : 1 2 9 72 16 :: WA : 0 17 30 47 6 MA : 0 0 8 90 2 :: WV : 0 3 29 59 9 MI : 11 24 34 27 4 :: WI : 4 8 29 50 9 MN : 3 20 40 35 2 :: WY : 0 1 33 60 6 MS : 5 16 37 36 6 :: : MO : 4 20 40 30 6 :: 48 Sts : 5 13 32 44 6 MT : 2 15 37 43 3 :: : NE : 0 2 32 54 12 :: Prev Wk: 6 13 31 43 7 NV : 5 6 14 75 0 :: Prev Yr: 2 10 30 47 11 NH : 0 0 13 53 34 :: : -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VP - Very Poor P - Poor F - Fair G - Good Ex - Excellent