Source: USDA'S NASS NC FIELD OFFICE, 9/4/18

SOIL MOISTURE PERCENT 
VS ST A SS
Topsoil Moisture 1 28 68 3
Subsoil Moisture 0 15 81 4
VS= Very Short ST = Short A = Adequate SS = Surplus


DAYS SUITABLE FOR FIELD WORK
This Week Last Week Last Year 5-Year Avg.
6.6 6.4 5.1 5.6

CROP CONDITION PERCENT 
VP P F G EX
Apples 0 15 38 47 1
Corn 11 19 34 32 4
Cotton 3 10 27 53 7
Hay 1 8 53 34 4
Pasture 1 9 43 45 2
Peanuts 3 3 30 57 7
Sorghum 3 7 32 52 6
Soybeans 5 7 29 51 8
Sweet Potatoes 0 5 42 45 8
Tobacco: Burley 1 3 44 51 1


CROP PROGRESS PERCENT – WITH COMPARISONS 
This Week  Last Week  Last Year  5 Yr. Avg.
PHENOLOGICAL:
Corn Dent 93 91 95 95
Corn Mature 80 67 81 84
Cotton Setting Bolls 95 91 97 97
Cotton Bolls Opening 25 N/A 19 22
Soybeans Setting Pods 83 74 86 82
HARVESTED:
Apples 47 27 41 41
Corn for Grain 27 12 35 33
Corn for Silage 74 57 63 63
Hay: Second Cutting 91 89 95 86
Hay: Third Cutting 36 25 39 39
Peaches 91 87 88 89
Tobacco: Burley 19 N/A 21 35
Tobacco: Flue-cured 58 50 56 59
VP = Very Poor P = Poor F = Fair G = Good EX = Excellent

COUNTY EXTENSION AGENT REPORTS
With no rain this week the ground is starting to dry out which is
great for those who are harvesting hay but it is negatively affecting
the growth of the other commodities.
Janice Nicholson – Rutherford County FSA

Conditions remain dry and rain would be welcome. Corn harvest
continues with good yields. Cotton is beginning to cut out on
marginal soils. Soybeans are looking good. Growers are pushing
to get tobacco out of the field.
Mac Malloy - Robeson County Extension

Rainfall was near average with .70" for the period with
temperatures above normal with high humidity and dew points
resulting in scattered afternoon and evening Thundershowers.
Robert Hawk – Swain County Extension

Field conditions are dry helping corn harvest move along rapidly.
However, soil moisture is dropping and soybeans that are trying to
fill pods need rain. Pastures are dry and need rain as well and
could lead to a shortfall of hay going into the fall/winter.
Mark Seitz-Tim Matthews – Pender County

Tobacco being harvested lower grades. Heat stress on soybeans,
corn harvest begin next two to three weeks. Hemp crop suffering
from disease but some is turning for bud harvest.
Gary Cross – Person County Extension

Areas throughout Region 7 are now in need of a rain. Some
isolated storms brought relief to some, but more is needed to fill
out soybean, peanut and cotton crops. Tobacco growers are
attempting to fill every available curing barn to save as much of
the crop as possible.
Don Nicholson – Agronomist Region 7

Scattered afternoon thunderstorms and rain events limited field
activity for the week. Precipitation levels were highly variable with
most areas receiving between 1"-2" of rain; however, some areas
of the county received significantly more resulting in localized
flash flooding with minimal crop damage.
Stanley Holloway - Yancey County Extension

Harvest of tobacco proceeding quickly due to rapid leaf decay.
Harvest of corn steady but limited by high grain moisture content
and wet soils conditions limiting equipment travel. Soybean and
cotton growth and conditions varies by planting date.
Mike Carroll - Craven County Extension

With the recent rainfall soil moistures have increased slightly
causes pastures to green back up some. Tobacco growers are
harvesting with light weights on late planted tobacco. Early
planted tobacco is looking great with good yields with the X and C
grades already harvested. Home gardeners are planting fall cold
crops. Strawberry growers are getting ready to lay plastic for late
September plantings.
Joey Knight – Caswell County Extension

Dry weather all week has allowed large advances in corn harvest.
Some early soybeans are beginning to drop leaves. Dry weather
this coming week should help push corn harvest over the finish
line for many.
Daniel Simpson – Pamlico County Extension

Scattered thunderstorms have hampered second cutting of hay.
Pumpkin harvest has started. Corn crop looks good, but has
places that show damage from excessive rain.
Julia Houck – Ashe-Alleghany County FSA

For the full report, cllick here.