Crop Progress and Condition for the Week Ending October 18, 2015.
Extension Comments
Henry Dorough, REA, Blount, Calhoun, Jefferson, Marshall, and St. Clair Counties.
Most areas of the region are very dry and need moisture to plant cool season grazing. Light patchy frost occurred in a few areas last week pushing warm season forages closer to dormancy.
Jack Tatum Jr., REA, Chambers, Clay, Cleburne, Coosa, Lee, Randolph, Shelby, Talladega, and Tallapoosa Counties.
A good slow rain is needed badly.
Brenda Glover, REA, Greene, Hale, Marengo, Perry, and Sumter Counties.
Need rain!
Jeffrey Smith, CED, Coosa, Elmore, Montgomery and Tallapoosa County.
Dry conditions for most of the week advanced the cotton harvest to the halfway point, with peanuts and soybeans also being harvested. Only a few cotton fields not defoliated at this point.
Willie Durr, CEC, Houston County.
Good dry weather is enabling farmers to catch up on peanut harvesting. I have heard and seen a lot of peanuts plowed up. With perfect harvesting weather many will be to get their peanuts to the dryers. Cotton harvest is progressing though slightly behind peanuts.
General Comments
According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service’s Alabama Field Office, there were 6.6 days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending Sunday, October 18, 2015. Precipitation estimates for the state ranged from no rain to 0.5 inches in Haleyville. Average mean temperatures ranged from 61.6°F in Muscle Shoals to 68.1°F in Mobile.
