Crop Progress and Condition for the Week Ending September 6, 2015.
Comments
Tim Malone, FSA CED, Marion and Winston Counties
We are experiencing hot, dry weather again. The forecast for the week is calling for rain and cooler weather. Soybeans are starting to drop their leaves. Corn harvest should start in the next couple of weeks.
Henry Dorough, REA, Blount, Calhoun, Jefferson, Marshall, and St. Clair Counties
A dry week opened the door for plenty of farm work. Reports of armyworm and bermudagrass stem maggot continue to come in, with farmers either spraying or mowing to gain some control. Some farmers have begun to stockpile bermudagrass and plant cool season annual forages to extend grazing.
Jeffrey Smith, FSA CED, Coosa, Elmore, Montgomery, and Tallapoosa Counties
Cotton defoliation began this week. Corn harvest is still ongoing. Good corn yields being reported. Few areas caught any rain showers this week.
Karen McDonald-Minor, FSA CED, Monroe County
Monroe County is still dry and in need of rain. The south part of the county has suffered the most, causing crops to be stressed. Corn harvest was good.
Willie Durr, CEC, Houston County
Patchy rainfall has left many farmers wanting. Weather pattern has been feast or famine. Insect pressures are moderate with more foliage feeders than last week, which further shrink the bottom line.
General
According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service’s Alabama Field Office, there were 6.3 days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending Sunday, September 6, 2015. Precipitation estimates for the state ranged from no rain in Florence to 1.25 inches in Bessemer. Average mean temperatures ranged from 77.0°F in Rock Mills to 84.0°F in Montgomery.
