Source: USDA'S NASS NC FIELD OFFICE, 9/24/18


SOIL MOISTURE PERCENT 
VS ST A SS
Topsoil Moisture 0 1 48 51
Subsoil Moisture 0 2 54 44
VS= Very Short ST = Short A = Adequate SS = Surplus



DAYS SUITABLE FOR FIELD WORK
This Week Last Week Last Year 5-Year Avg.
2.7 3.7 6.6 5.1

CROP CONDITION PERCENT
VP P F G EX
Corn 11 20 36 27 6
Cotton 7 22 45 23 3
Pasture 1 9 43 45 2
Peanuts 6 16 35 38 5
Sorghum 5 24 49 21 1
Soybeans 8 18 32 38 4
Sweet Potatoes 5 24 46 23 2
Tobacco: Burley 2 3 47 47 1

Crop conditions should be considered preliminary or incomplete at this point. More will be known in the weeks to come as the impacts of Hurricane Florence are determined.

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 Mature 96 93 96 97
Cotton Bolls Opening 71 59 64 69
Soybeans Dropping Leaves 40 29 35 31
HARVESTED:
Apples 63 62 63 62
Corn for Grain 76 66 76 75
Corn for Silage 92 89 86 87
Hay: Third Cutting 58 54 60 58
Sorghum 16 7 33 21
Sweet Potatoes 16 12 25 23
Tobacco: Burley 45 33 50 59
Tobacco: Flue-cured 74 70 79 81


COUNTY EXTENSION AGENT REPORTS

The remnants of Hurricane Florence deposited some significant
rainfall to the southern parts of the county late last week/early this
week. Rainfall amounts in excess of 15" were recorded in a 24
hour period resulting in some severe flash flooding from the two
main river systems in the county. Flooding was out bridges and
damaged roads in parts of the county and flooded some
agricultural lands. Overall damage was limited to streamside but
some vegetable crops were destroyed due to floodwaters.
Fortunately major precipitation was isolated to the southern parts
of the county which limited the amount of damage. Rainfall
amounts in other parts of the county were highly variable and
ranged from 2"-7". Main farm activity this week included storm
cleanup, harvesting vegetables, and some silage harvest later in
the week as field conditions would allow.
Stanley Holloway – Yancey County Extension

The week after Hurricane Florence created some concern in
Franklin County with the remaining tobacco crop. Leaves are
ripening fast and now there are concerns of barn rot. There was
not much damage to livestock or livestock fences in our area. The
soybean crop still looks good also. There is concern also of sweet
potatoes sitting in saturated soils. The corn that was not harvested
prior to Florence is still sitting in the field waiting for dry soils to
harvest. Charles Mitchell – Franklin County Extension

Hurricane Florence destroyed the half of the tobacco crop
remaining in the field, representing a bit more than half of the
value. A few growers attempted to salvage the remaining crop in
sheltered pockets of fields, but the when cured this proved mostly
to be of inferior quality. Any crop still remaining in the field will by
this time have degraded to an unmarketable quality. Much of the
standing corn in the field was likewise lodged and will be damaged
and likely unsalvageable.
Taylor Williams – Moore County Extension

Hurricane Florence significantly impacted the tobacco crop. The
tobacco crop was big and late. Harvest is essentially over now.
There was also a lot of lint lost in cotton.
Norman Harrell – Wilson County Extension

Tobacco in bad shape from too much water from Hurricane
Florence. About 60% that is left in the field is questionable for
harvest. Soybeans had some damage but look okay. Corn is
matured and ready for harvest just a matter of the fields drying
up. Gary Cross – Person County Extension

A lot of tobacco was still in the field when Florence arrived. Nearly
all of it has deteriorated during the past week. A few more
protected fields on deep sands may have some salvageable leaf,
but most of the remaining crop is not marketable.
Zachary Taylor – Lee County Extension

Still waiting to see the after effects of the hurricane. Cotton crop
received major damage. Damage to soybeans is still
undetermined. Sweet potatoes and peanuts are still up in the air
depending on surface water drainage.
Randy Wood – Scotland County Extension

Hurricane Florence ruin the most of the remaining tobacco crop.
Some soybeans were prematurely defoliated. Damage remains
unknown. Corn crop was blown down making harvesting difficult.
Cotton was at a bad stage with over 30 percent damaged.
Tim Britton – Johnston County Extension

Hurricane Florence has destroyed all of the tobacco left in the
fields, any left in the fields is not worth trying to harvest. The
sweet potato and peanut crops have suffered some damage,
rotting some portion of the tubers and seed sprouting in the
ground, respectively, but it remains to be seen what the extent of
the damage will be. Cotton that was open at the time of the storm
was blown/strung out and there is some amount of seed sprouting
in the bolls. Don Nicholson – Agronomist Region 7

For the full report, click here.