HDR101200019001 FL WEEKLY WEATHER-CROP NEWS WEATHER & CROP NEWS Week ending July 28, 1996 Released 4:00 P.M. July 29, 1996 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- WEATHER SUMMARY: Hot temperatures persisted in all areas during the week with highs through Saturday ranging from the upper 80s in the Panhandle to the low to mid 90s elsewhere. Minimum temperatures recorded were in the low to mid 70s with almost all weekly average temperatures within one to two degrees of normal. Rainfall was limited to mainly the Panhandle and a few northern areas with from one half to almost 3.00 inches falling. Some central Peninsula and southeastern localities are becoming dry. Rainfall since June 1 is over three inches below normal in Orlando and almost four inches below normal at West Palm Beach. FIELD CROPS: The State is in need of rain. Topsoil moisture is short to adequate throughout the State. Topsoil moisture condition as reported from very short to surplus (previous week's rating in parentheses): very short 0% (0%), short 45% (9%), adequate 48% (66%), and surplus 7% (25%). Subsoil moisture condition: very short 2% (0%), short 12 (6%), adequate 79% (72%), and surplus 7% (22%). Peanut condition is reported: 0% (0%) very poor, 27% (0%) poor, 23% (25%) fair, 14% (58%) good, and 36% (17%) excellent. Percent of peanuts pegging is 99%, the same as last week. Tobacco harvest and marketing are active. Hay cutting is active. Corn, cotton, soybeans, and sugarcane are in good condition. LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: The condition of the State's ranges and pastures was rated from very poor to excellent (previous week's rating in parentheses): poor 5% (0%), fair 15% (20%), good 65% (55%), and excellent 15% (25%). Pastures remain in generally good condition throughout the State because of rains the previous weeks. The State's cattle herds were rated at poor 0% (0%), fair 15% (20%), good 70% (60%), and excellent 15% (20%). Mosquitoes are bad on the livestock in some central Peninsula counties. CITRUS: The weather was hotter this week than last and there was less rain. Growers in all areas are irrigating to help offset the dry conditions and high temperatures. There is a lot of new foliage in most of the well-cared-for groves. New crop fruit are sizing well for the last of July. Virtually all oranges are larger than golf balls with the grapefruit showing sizes generally larger than baseballs. Most of the Temples and tangelos are golf ball size and larger and tangerines are approaching the size of golf balls. Valencia harvest is over for this season. Caretakers are cutting cover crops and herbiciding under and around trees as a lot of the aggressive weeds are making good growth with the recent tropical weather. Growers are continuing to fertilize and spray where conditions permit. There is still some dead tree removal and replanting going on in all areas. VEGETABLES: Harvesting for local markets continued. A few watermelons from northern areas and okra from Dade County are being picked for out-of-State shipment. East Coast producers are preparing land for planting of fall crops with some growers adding moisture to fields prior to laying plastic. Some southwestern growers began laying plastic with land preparation very active. Quincy growers continued tomato transplanting.