Source: USDA'S NASS NC FIELD OFFICE, 5/22/17

DAYS SUITABLE FOR FIELD WORK
This Week Last Week Last Year 5-Year Avg.
6.2             4.4                 4.0            5.1 

SOIL MOISTURE PERCENT
VS ST A SS
Topsoil Moisture 7 25 64 4
Subsoil Moisture 6 20 68 6
VS= Very Short ST = Short A = Adequate SS = Surplus

CROP CONDITION PERCENT
VP P F G EX
Barley 0 15 24 53 8
Corn 1 2 11 77 9
Cotton 0 3 7 87 3
Hay 0 1 28 66 5
Oats 0 2 50 45 3
Pasture 1 2 24 68 5
Tobacco: Flue-cured 0 2 19 71 8
Wheat 2 9 24 58 7
VP = Very Poor P = Poor F = Fair G = Good EX = Excellent


CROP PROGRESS PERCENT – WITH COMPARISONS 
This Week  Last Week Last Year 5 Yr. Avg.
PLANTED:
Corn 96 93 96 97
Cotton 62 31 55 67
Peanuts 52 25 48 59
Sorghum 33 25 37 N/A
Soybeans 36 19 31 32
Sweet Potatoes 18 13 17 19
Tobacco: Burley 35 N/A 35 53
Tobacco: Flue-cured 90 73 85 88
PHENOLOGICAL:
Corn % Emerged 92 86 87 89
Soybeans % Emerged 19 N/A 14 15
HARVESTED:
Hay: First Cutting 37 N/A 36 50

COUNTY EXTENSION AGENT REPORTS

Recent rains have help with the dry conditions. Corn has been planted in between rain showers.
Julia Houck – Ashe-Alleghany County FSA

Sunshine and Spring showers are abundant in the county this week. Producers are harvesting hay and pastures are green and growing. Corn is up and wheat has headed. Janice Nicholson – Rutherford County Extension

Warm, dry weather for most of the week allowed good progress in planting corn and vegetable crops. Hay producers have begun cutting first cutting hay. The hay crop appears to be a little on the thin side due to last year's drought and most producers are estimating that the first cutting will be off 15%-30% normal. Burley tobacco producers are just beginning to transplant. Stanley Holloway – Yancey County Extension

The first part of the reporting period was dry, sunny and warm, but the very end of the period saw good steady rain on Sunday, May 21 with 1.88" of rain. Therefore the rainfall for the period was above normal. Fields were dry early and wet late. Strawberry crops still strong! Robert Hawk – Swain County Extension

Planting corn, Flue-cured tobacco, soybeans as well as cutting and baling of hay was in full swing this week. Strawberry production is declining due to the 90 degree temperatures. Blueberries are looking good. Robin Watson – Agronomist Region 8

Excellent week for planting crops progressing. Gary Cross – Person County Extension

Conditions had gotten very dry towards the end of the week, too dry to plant in the sandiest soils. Rains over the weekend were welcome in most areas. Don Nicholson – Agronomist Region 8

The last week has been excellent planting weather for farmers in Jones County. Over 50% of the cotton in Jones County was planted last week. The other crops are growing off well and the wheat crops looks to be above average. Jacob Morgan – Jones County Extension

Conditions are getting dry and we need a shower. Overall, crops look good with the occasional wet spot that had to be replanted. Daniel Simpson – Pamlico County Extension

Cotton, Sweet potato, peanut, and soybean planting continues to progress well under favorable weather conditions. Brian Parrish – Harnett County Extension

Blueberry harvest began last week. Harvest volume is OK but harvest will be up and down as varieties mature. Corn planting is complete - much later than normal. Early planted corn is in excellent shape with adequate subsoil moisture keeping it going. Late planted corn is emerging OK but rain is needed county wide. Mark Seitz – Pender County Extension

For the full report, click here.