Virginia Field Reports: Rains Bring Most Field Work to a Halt

Crop Progress and Condition for the Week Ending June 5, 2016.

REPORTER COMMENTS BY COUNTY – Comments are based on remarks made by extension agents, farmers, commodity specialists, and other knowledgeable individuals.

NORTHERN

ROCKINGHAM (Doug Horn)
Locally heavy rains caused some flooding.

WESTERN

ROCKBRIDGE (Thomas Stanley)
Wet conditions started the week and the ground no sooner began to dry-out on Wednesday than another series of significant thunderstorms Thursday night and then again Saturday night brought most field work to a complete halt. Pasture forage is abundant but many hay meadows are over mature waiting for a weather window to allow hay harvest. A significant proportion of corn acreage remains unplanted. Rainfall totals for the week exceeded 1.5 inches for most of Rockbridge.

ROANOKE (Barbara Leach)
Some hay has been gotten up but it is hard to get it dried.

CENTRAL

AMELIA (Laura Siegle)
By the end of this week, it looks like most of our producers finally finished baling their first cutting of hay. The corn crop continues to improve. We expected some showers this week, but missed most of what was called for. The soil is becoming slightly dry again in a few places, so we would benefit from a light shower, which is expected in the next day or two.

AMHERST (Alyssa Elliott)
Heavy rainfall Friday and Saturday. Warm temperatures high 80s average through the week but with low humidity.

CAROLINE (Mike Broaddus)
Weekly rains continue to bless our area with needed moisture, but also with moisture for disease, and excess moisture that stops harvesting and planting operations.

EASTERN

KING GEORGE (Mike Broaddus)
Weekly rains continue to bless our area with needed moisture, but also with moisture for disease, and excess moisture that stops harvesting and planting operations.

GLOUCESTER/MATHEWS/MIDDLESEX (David Moore)
More rain fell over the weekend and has halted field activity. Soybean planting continues slowly. Field prep for beans and veggies continues, as well as some N and herbicide applications on corn. Some fields may be abandoned due to failure to plant. Some folks are struggling with those decisions. Haymaking difficult. Things are growing due to the hot weather. Veggies slowly coming along.

ESSEX/KING AND QUEEN/KING WILLIAM (Keith Balderson)
Farmers continued to play catch up as the weather allowed. Applying nitrogen and post-emergence herbicides to corn and planting full-season soybeans continued to be the main farming activities. Barley harvest will begin next week.

SOUTHWESTERN

FLOYD (Jon Vest)
Severe thunderstorms produced hail in some regions of the County.

CARROLL (Steve Pottorff)
Rains fell nearly every day this week.

GRAYSON (Kevin Spurlin)
Some needed rain entered the area this week. While not widespread every day, it was a difficult week for hay making. Some corn continued to be planted on a limited basis between showers.

SOUTHEASTERN

CHESAPEAKE CITY (Watson Lawrence Jr.)
Corn crop is a mixture of plenty of moisture for rapid growth coupled with some spots in fields drowning in low areas. Wheat head diseases are spreading. Can actually smell grain fermenting in wheat fields with wet heads and cloudy, non-dry days. Field activity has slowed this week until fields dry out.

BRUNSWICK (Cynthia Gregg)
Rain has slowed down some planting while others are going along, depending upon how quickly producers can get back in fields. Hay is being cut and quite a bit of it is over mature and supplies are low as well. Some crops such a fruit trees and such and really showing eth damage from the freeze and excessive rainfall.

PRINCE GEORGE (Scott Reiter)
Field work was limited again this week. Though the sun was shining wet soil conditions prevented much activity. Some corn was side dressed with nitrogen and herbicide applications were made. Very few soybeans were planted again this week.

SURRY (Mr. Glenn Slade)
Rains have really slowed spring planting, and caused nutrient deficiencies in corn. We need warm weather and sunshine to keep things going. Where they can get on fields growers are side-dressing corn and adding micro-nutrients that leached out.

General Comments

Days suitable for fieldwork were 4.7. Fields were still wet in some areas, but the weather conditions in Virginia remain warm and rainy this week; many farmers were able to cut and bale hay, and get in the fields to work. Farming activities for the week included preparing for planting soybeans and corn, harvesting barley, applying herbicides, hauling manure, and checking crops for quality.