Source: USDA'S NASS NC FIELD OFFICE, 7/23/18

SOIL MOISTURE PERCENT
VS ST A SS
Topsoil Moisture 20 36 42 2
Subsoil Moisture 8 28 62 2
VS= Very Short ST = Short A = Adequate SS = Surplus


DAYS SUITABLE FOR FIELD WORK 
This Week Last Week Last Year 5-Year Avg.
6.2    6.5     6.0     5.6 

CROP CONDITION PERCENT
VP P F G EX
Apples 0 16 38 46 0
Corn 14 26 34 23 3
Cotton 10 17 27 43 3
Hay 9 22 33 32 4
Pasture 5 13 38 41 3
Peaches 1 15 24 60 0
Peanuts 4 5 35 48 8
Sorghum 7 16 34 42 1
Soybeans 8 13 35 41 3
Sweet Potatoes 2 11 36 49 2
Tobacco: Burley 1 4 42 50 3
Tobacco: Flue-cured 6 13 31 47 3
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:
Soybeans Blooming 49 38 44 39
Soybeans Setting Pods 21 11 24 19
Corn Silking 94 90 96 95
Corn Dough 63 46 69 67
Corn Dent 23 n/a 30 26
Cotton Squaring 86 78 88 90
Cotton Setting Bolls 43 24 47 50
Peanuts Pegging 77 62 83 81
HARVESTED:
Hay: Second Cutting 51 45 51 49
Oats 98 94 100 91
Peaches 40 29 50 50
Tobacco: Flue-cured 11 n/a 11 11

COUNTY EXTENSION AGENT REPORTS
Rainfall has been above normal for the period with heavy
Thunderstorms, widespread rainfall of approximately 2".
Temperatures near normal with highs in 80s and lows in the 60s.
Tomato crops may be suffering from too much rainfall and will
confirm for next report.
Robert Hawk – Swain County Extension

Dairies are getting ready to start chopping silage corn. Farmers
are spraying over top of soybeans. Some hay is still being cut.
Overall, most crops in Cleveland County look fair to good.
Stephen Bishop – Cleveland SWCD

Lack of rains has allowed, especially with the hot temperatures,
corn and soybean fields that do not retain as much water to
experience drought stress. Growers are monitoring and
addressing pest problems in their corn and soybean crop as
needed. Harvesting of Irish potatoes and cabbage is completed.
Al Wood - Pasquotank County Extension

Rain has been very localized over the past two months, with many
of the agriculture areas getting little if any rain. Many areas did get
an inch or more over the weekend however.
Paige Burns – Richmond County Extension

Franklin County finally received much needed rain. Many areas
had only received .25 to .5 inches of rain over a five week period.
Tobacco, soybeans and pastures are showing some response to
the much needed rain. The rain was too late for some of the corn
crop this year.
Charles Mitchell - Franklin County Extension

Extremely dry conditions.
Norman Harrell – Wilson County Extension

Some spotty showers crop are progressing corn crop looking
some better, tobacco crop being irrigated, soybeans slow growth.
Gary Cross – Person County Extension

Scattered afternoon thunderstorms predominated the week with
most areas of the county receiving some level of precipitation.
Some of the storms brought heavy rainfall with some areas
reporting 4"-6" in a short period of time resulting in flash flooding
with some isolated crop damage, particularly to vegetable crops.
Some hay producers finished harvesting first cutting hay.
Stanley Holloway - Yancey County Extension

Most areas have gotten 1-3 inches over the past few days.
Tim Britton – Johnston County Extension

Extremely varied weather limits crop growth. Approximately half
of county has experienced extreme heat and little rainfall resulting
in poor pollination of corn and poor soybean growth. In contrast,
the coastal areas have continued to receive 1-3 inches of rainfall
each week preventing much, if any, field work.
Mike Carroll - Carteret County Extension

Crops vary in stage greatly due to extended planting season.
Added variability results from vast climatic differences. Some
areas have experienced high temperatures with no significant
rainfall over the past two weeks while others have continued to
receive excessive rainfall. Having thus said, harvest of tobacco
has begun by most. Some are also making adjustment for low
nitrogen, sulfur and potassium. Soybean and cotton producers
are applying herbicides for weed control.
Mike Carroll - Craven County Extension

For the full report, click here.