Crop Progress and Condition for the Week Ending September 27, 2015.
REPORTER COMMENTS BY COUNTY – Comments are based on remarks made by extension agents, farmers, commodity specialists, and other knowledgeable individuals.
NORTHERN
PRINCE WILLIAM (Page Thacker)
No rain this weekend despite cloudy weather.
WESTERN
BOTETOURT (Kate Lawrence)
Botetourt got about an inch of rain this week which was much needed. Fall grass and pastures have seen a major turnaround.
ROCKBRIDGE (Thomas A Stanley)
All of Rockbridge received at least .75 of an inch of rain that fell gently over the 48 hour period that ended the week. This dramatically improved topsoil moisture and prospects for fall stockpiling of pastures.
CENTRAL
AMELIA (Laura Siegle)
We had three days of rain over the weekend, delaying some planting and harvest chores. We have a lot of producers planting and re-seeding pastures and hay land this week. Most soybean fields are now dropping leaves or nearing leaf drop.
APPOMATTOX (Bruce Jones)
Most of the dark tobacco is completely cured, but “smoking” will continue during these wet conditions to keep tobacco as dry as needed. Burley tobacco harvest is getting close to completion and the tobacco looks good in the barns. Flue tobacco harvest is still well under way with barn capacity and wet field conditions being the major obstacles.
EASTERN
ESSEX (Keith Balderson)
Farmers continued harvesting corn and planting cover crops. Rainfall for the week was relatively light at .25 to .50 of an inch. A good soaking rain would be nice right now to help with cover crop emergence and to restore topsoil moisture prior to wheat planting. Wheat acreage will most likely be down this fall due to low prices.
SOUTHWESTERN
CARROLL (Steve Pottorff)
Much needed rain fell Friday and Saturday.
GRAYSON (Kevin Spurlin)
The week ended with slow, steady rain for four straight days. The rain was much needed though harvest activities have come to a halt. Four to six inches of rain fell with most soaking in. It will take a few days of drying conditions for harvest to resume.
SMYTH (Andy Overbay)
Heavy rains over the weekend helped bring much needed moisture to fields and pastures. Wheat and rye seeding is progressing behind corn silage. Much of the burley tobacco crop is being harvested as cooler weather sets in.
SOUTHERN
LUNENBURG (Lindy Tucker)
We got what we asked for! About 4 inches of rain came in Thursday to Sunday. It came slow enough that the ground was able to absorb it without much trouble. We are thankful! Temperatures dropped this week. Soybean leaves have dropped like flies in the drought; hopefully this rain will help with final filling. Milo looks good for the most part, although these cooler days may keep the later crop from finishing well. Grain corn harvest is complete with very good yields this year – everyone who planted is pleased, everyone who didn’t is kicking themselves. A small amount of beans have been harvested. Things are wet but should dry out and allow harvest to proceed. A happy start to the week.
SOUTHEASTERN
MECKLENBURG (Taylor Clarke)
We need some sun now that moisture conditions have improved.
PRINCE GEORGE (Scott Reiter)
Corn harvest continued this week until the weekend rains. Very good yields have been reported. A few early maturity soybeans were harvested this week.
SUSSEX (Kevin Wells)
Scattered showers fell over most of the area to put a stop to the fall harvest season. Flue-cured tobacco harvest is coming to an end, peanut digging and harvest is underway. Corn harvest is coming to an end and cotton defoliation has started. Yields for corn could be a record; peanut and cotton yields will be average.
Agricultural News: Days suitable for fieldwork were 4.7. Field activities for the week included harvesting apples, corn, and peanuts, and planting barley and winter wheat. Temperatures were down and precipitation amounts increased; some areas received more than two inches of rain. High temperatures were in the 80s, and lows were mostly in the 50s. Moisture conditions have greatly improved with rain, but now some crop harvest has been delayed.
