Crop Progress and Condition for the Week Ending October 5, 2014.
According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service in Mississippi, there were 5.0 days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending Sunday, October 5, 2014. Topsoil moisture supplies were 7 percent very short, 23 percent short, 61 percent adequate, and 9 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies were 6 percent very short, 28 percent short, 61 percent adequate, and 5 percent surplus.
Low temperatures ranged from 51.4 degrees Fahrenheit at Ashland to 72.0 degrees Fahrenheit at Biloxi. Highs ranged from 78.7 degrees Fahrenheit at Pontotoc to 87.4 degrees Fahrenheit at Laurel. Most of the state received around an inch of rain, with the southeast and south central regions receiving 1.35 inches.
Comments from Extension Agents
“Thursday rains were welcomed by many but not all. We’re in that slot where some fields need harvesting but others need additional moisture to mature out. Overall, yields look better than average which worries growers about the price floor.”
–Dr. Bill Burdine, Pontotoc County
“Producers were able to continue harvesting their crop and prepare their fall beds for most of the week. The cotton crop is being defoliated and harvested with reports of above average yields. A much needed shower came just in time for the weekend to give everyone a break.”
–Jon M. Carson, Issaquena and Sharkey County
“Scattered showers and rain on Thursday ended what had been a great run of ideal harvest conditions. With some sunshine this weekend growers should be able to return to fields on Monday or Tuesday. Cotton harvest was well underway and soybean producers were in the short rows. A somewhat dry October would be a nice exclamation point to end a really good crop year.”
–Preston Aust, Humphreys County
“We had a little rain this past week but not much, less than an inch for the whole county. We needed more rain to finish out the soybeans, peanuts and sorghum, but the lack of rain will reduce yields for those commodities. Pasture ground is fair but still need more moisture for the overseeded ryegrass on pastures to germinate and take root. Livestock prices still at a high so some producers are selling lower weight calves to the markets and have reduced their herd numbers.”
–James Randall Nevins, Monroe County
“Cotton is fully open. Corn is harvested and peanuts are being dug and harvested. Cotton harvest will start after the peanuts are finished. Hay harvest is continuing. Rye grass land is being broken and some planting has taken place.”
–Lee Taylor, Forrest County
