Source: USDA'S NASS NC FIELD OFFICE, 8/21/17

SOIL MOISTURE PERCENT
VS ST A SS
Topsoil Moisture 4 20 64 12
Subsoil Moisture 4 22 62 12
VS= Very Short ST = Short A = Adequate SS = Surplus

DAYS SUITABLE FOR FIELD WORK
This Week Last Week Last Year 5-Year Avg.
5.3             4.8             6.2              5.4 

CROP CONDITION PERCENT
VP P F G EX
Apple 0 0 32 67 1
Corn 1 6 21 51 21
Cotton 2 6 21 59 12
Hay 1 3 29 61 6
Pasture 2 6 32 58 2
Peanuts 0 2 16 72 10
Sorghum 0 3 31 64 2
Soybeans 1 4 23 63 9
Sweet Potato 0 2 23 69 6
Tobacco: Flue-cured 1 10 29 53 7
Tobacco: Burley 0 1 45 54 0
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.
PHENOLOGICAL:
Corn % Dent 89 79 91 87
Corn % Mature 56 45 64 58
Cotton % Setting Bolls 90 87 92 94
Soybeans % Blooming 90 86 92 82
Soybeans % Setting Pods 64 58 73 62
HARVESTED:
Apples 24 20 28 25
Corn Silage 46 42 49 43
Hay: Second Cutting 88 85 85 75
Hay: Third Cutting 20 13 21 22
Peaches 82 77 77 82
Tobacco Flue-cured 38 33 44 42

COUNTY EXTENSION AGENT REPORTS
This period was drier than normal with scattered thundershowers,
so rainfall ranged from a "T" to .25". A few localized areas near the
Cashiers plateau may have recorded a 1" or so. Temperatures
were about 3 F degrees above normal, so it was warm to hot for
the period. Robert Hawk – Swain County Extension

Warm, drier conditions predominated the week. Scattered rain
showers and thunderstorms did limit field activities in some areas;
however, overall precipitation levels were relatively light with most
areas of the county receiving between .75" - 1" of rain. hay
producers made some progress harvesting their second cutting.
Vegetable crop harvest continues with disease pressures
increasing as we get later in the season.
Stanley Holloway – Yancey County Ext

Rain showers have helped with the dry conditions. Second cutting
hay will be short. Some producers have been feeding hay as
pastures have become short. The recent rain showers should help
with this and second cutting hay.
Julia Houck – Ashe-Alleghany County Extension

High rainfall in the Mills River, NC area has slowed down tomato
ripening. Growers started harvesting sweet corn this past week.
Cucumbers, Tomatoes, peppers, and sweet corn are all being
harvested. Gala and Ginger Gold apples are being harvested.
Karen Blaedow - Henderson County Extension

The warm temperatures hurt our late corn crops. Our tobacco is
getting a little more body to it. There are still areas that our
tobacco has suffered. We did have some industrial hemp planted
late that germinated and the heat and dry weather wiped some of
it out. Vegetable crops have taken a beaten by the hot weather.
Pastures and hay land have suffered from the heat as well.
Soybeans are blooming and trying to set pods, but the 90 degree
temperatures are doing some damage as well.
Charles Mitchell - Franklin County Extension

Rainfall has helped soybeans, along with more moderate
temperatures. Growth on double cropped beans have been good
the last week. Tobacco harvest continued, barely slowing down
during rain showers. Pastures have greened up a bit following
showers, but rainfall is still needed across the areas as showers
have continued to be pretty spotty.
Paul Westfall – Granville County Extension

Wet weather continues to delay corn harvest. If this patterns
continues, grain quality will be affected. Soybeans are responding
to wet weather with good growth.
Daniel Simpson – Pamlico County Extension

Extreme heat taking a toll on crops. Tobacco continues to
deteriorate, corn is maturing, soybeans aborting flowers. Silage is
cut most second hay cuttings are done.
Gary Cross - Person County Extension

Crop conditions improved slightly in areas that received rain,
many areas could use more, especially considering the heat.
Don Nicholson – Agronomist Region 7

Hot and dry weather conditions have affected crops in Harnett
County. Some growers are pushing very hard in an effort to
irrigate as much tobacco and sweet potato ground as possible.
Some tobacco growers are starting to strip harvest some of their
fields as some tobacco has matured very quickly.
Brian Parrish – Harnett County Extension

Black Shank has been seen in Tobacco.
Della King – Sampson County Extension

Frequent rainfall events of 1-2 inches continues to fall upon
Carteret and southern areas of Craven County delaying harvest
and field work. Insect population increasing in soybean fields so
this might delay pesticide applications. Limited corn harvest
suggest slightly better than average corn yield.
Mike Carroll – Carteret and Craven County Extension

For the full report, click here.