fl-crop-weather Week ending July 5, 1998 Released 4:00 P.M. July 6, 1998 WEATHER SUMMARY: Scattered rains and hot temperatures continued during the week of June 28 through July 4. Measurable rain totaled from none at Orlando to an inch and a quarter at West Palm Beach. Temperatures mostly averaged four to five degrees above the historic average with daytime highs averaging mostly in the upper 90s and lows mostly in the 70s. Daytona Beach, Jacksonville, and Orlando reported at least one daily high at 100 degrees or more. Several record-high temperatures were met or exceeded during the week. Smoke from fires reduced the air quality in many areas. Lightning from thunderstorms on Sunday, July 5, sparked some new, small fires in inland wooded areas which firefighters promptly brought under control. As of July 4, twenty- two counties have declared a local state of emergency due to the fires. FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture in the State is mostly very short to short with a very few scattered areas of adequate moisture. The State is in great need of rain. Some scattered showers have been a little help to some local areas. Fires continue to be a problem in all areas. Record-high temperatures and lack of moisture have stressed all crops, especially dryland crops. Corn for grain is being chopped for livestock feed and haying has stopped in almost all areas. Fifty percent of the peanuts are pegging. Peanut condition: very poor 8%, poor 31%, fair 44%, and good 17%. Moisture Topsoil Subsoil Rating Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very short 50 34 23 28 Short 31 58 57 64 Adequate 19 8 20 8 Surplus 0 0 0 0 LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: Statewide, pastures improved slightly following rain in northeast and southwest counties, but statewide condition of cattle worsened. Pastures in the Panhandle were very dry. Many locations in northern counties received rain. However, cattle feeding remained active as grass is short. In the west central area, hay was being fed to cattle, unheard of for this time of year. Pastures improved in the south following recent rains. Range Cattle Condition Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very poor 20 15 0 0 Poor 50 45 25 20 Fair 25 40 55 75 Good 5 0 20 5 Excellent 0 0 0 0 CITRUS: This was another very hot and mostly dry week. High temperature records were set on three or four days in the north central counties of the citrus belt. Only one or two scattered showers with a hit and miss thunderstorm were seen in the central part of the State this week. There were a few more rains in the south central counties and on both coasts, but far from sufficient to alleviate the current drought conditions. Growers and caretakers are still using all types of irrigation to help keep trees from wilting. There are only a few areas that have had heavy rains on successive days that have permitted reducing the around the clock irrigating. Most well-cared-for groves continue in good condition. Those groves that have not had supplemental watering during the past month and a half are in various stages of stress. Some are wilting and showing leaf loss. Grapefruit harvest is complete. Valencia harvest is about to wind up for this season as most processors are closed. Fires in north Brevard County did not reach any commer cial groves. Caretakers are mowing, chopping, and discing cover crops to help eliminate food for stray fires. Summer spraying and fertiliz ing are being reported in all areas. Some growers are hedging and topping. Tree pushing continues along with stacking for future burning when permits are again released. FLORICULTURE: Several ferneries and nurseries were threat ened by nearby fires in the Pierson area. Damage to-date consists of some equipment losses, some saran being singed by falling ash with overhead sprinklers protecting most of the saran, and one storage area burned. Growers are using water tank trucks and fertilizer tanks filled with water to help fight the blazes. VEGETABLES: Most growers shipped the last tomatoes, sweet corn, and watermelons during the week to meet the Independence Day demand with harvesting virtually finished. Producers continue to pick a small summer crop acreage for local markets. The fires have caused no significant losses to vegetables. RANGE, PASTURE AND CATTLE CONDITIONS, 1997 - 1998 SEASON In June, 1997, pastures were in fair to good condition. Central pastures were in poor condition and ponds were dry, Panhandle pastures were in good condition. Warm days helped northern grass growth, but overgrazing was still a problem. Pastures in the south were in good condition but mole crickets were a problem. The cattle condition was fair to excellent. In late June, the rainy season started. Mole cricket damage caused in winter hurt pasture conditions. There was standing water in the southwest. In July, there was flooding in the Panhandle and surplus moisture in the South. The cattle condition was good to excellent. By month's end, pastures had standing water in the southwest and Panhandle, but west central stock ponds were low. Pasture mowing and haying were active. The cattle condition was fair to excellent. In August, pasture growth was good to excellent. Some west central ponds were still low but other areas reported surplus moisture. Mole crickets continued to cause damage in westcentral locations. In the second half of August, some southwestern pastures were flooded. High temperatures stressed pastures in the north. Mosquitos were a problem in the northeast. The condition of cattle was good to excellent. Early September, pastures in the north needed rain. Perma nent pasture grass was of poor quality. Mosquitos were bad in east central counties and grasshoppers were active in west central pastures. The cattle condition was good to excellent. After mid- September, the pasture in the Panhandle and north declined seasonally. Bermuda grass pasture showed damage from pro longed drought. Some supplemental feeding of hay was done in the north. Some west central pastures suffered damage from army worms and loopers. The cattle condition was fair to good. Cattle in areas of prolonged dry spell lost weight in September. In October, grass growth slowed seasonally in north and central areas. Some rain reduced the severity of the drought, but ponds levels were low. Pastures in southeast had standing water from heavy (10" inch) rains. Fall calving was going strong. By late October, pasture grass growth slowed seasonally in the central and southern areas. Ponds were very low in the Panhandle and central areas. Planting of small grains for winter pasture was delayed by dry conditions. Hay was fed to supplement poor pasture in the north. Haying continued in the central area. The cattle condition was fair to good. In November, planting of winter pasture continued. Army worm damage was reported in the north and central areas. Winter forage planting in the central area was delayed by rain. By mid- November, winter grain pastures in north and central areas began to emerge. Permanent pastures were almost dormant. The Big Bend and north received a 24-hour rainfall. Freezing temperatures on November 17 in the Panhandle lowered pasture quality. In December, cattle and pasture conditions deteriorated seasonally. Small grain pasture was still being planted. Feeding of hay increased. There was flooding in central, southern areas. The cattle condition was fair to good. At mid-month, there was widespread heavy frost. Cattle were in mostly fair togood condi tion. In January, 1998, winter forages were in good condition in the North. The central area had flooding. Feeding of supplemen tal hay was active in the northern half of Florida. Grass growth was slow in the south. In the Panhandle, some winter grain pasture had not grown enough to permit grazing. Calving was active in the westcentral area. In the southwest, ranchers started spring burning. By late January, pastures throughout State were hurt by too much rain. In February, there was flooding in much of the central area. Pasture growth was slower than normal due to cool temperatures. Supplemental feeding was active in the north. Ranchers in the southwest were burning off pasture so new grass could get started. Cattle were in mostly fair to good condition. At month's end, some small grain pasture in the Panhandle was severely affected by dwarf virus disease. Cold and flooding lowered pasture conditions statewide. Some ranchers in the Panhandle kept cattle off the wet pastures. In March, flooding and colder than normal temperatures continued. Growth of winter grains was poor and ranchers fed hay where pastures were flooded. Some feeding was complicated by washed-out roads. Pastures in southwest were in good shape. Cattle were in mostly poor to good condition. In late March, spring growth of pasture started in the southwest and pastures dried out. There was a light frost in the northern counties. Some ranchers prepared to plant summer forages. Supplemental feeding of cattle was still active in most of the State. In April, dry, warm weather helped flood water recede and pastures started to green up. Many areas had short grass and supplemental feeding was active. Black flies were numerous and irritated the livestock. In mid-April, pastures in the central and southern areas were dry, which aided brush fires. Cattlemen cut pastures, fertilized, and planted seed. Cattle were mostly in fair to good condition. In May, pastures were in fair to good condition but needed rain. Supplemental feeding was active. Most ponds were still very high. In mid-May, pasture in the Panhandle showed stress from drought. Grass growth throughout the State was hampered by the dry conditions. There were brush fires in the southwest. The cattle condition continued fair to poor. By June, 1998, pasture conditions throughout the State were very poor to fair. Hay was still being fed hay in the north. Pastures were stressed by the hot, dry conditions. There were serious brush fires throughout the State. Statewide, the cattle condition was mostly poor to fair. To receive this report via e-mail, send an e-mail message to nass-state-releases@news.usda.gov with the following message: subscribe fl-crop-weather. The report will be e-mailed automatically to your e-mail address each week.