Source: USDA'S NASS NC FIELD OFFICE, 10/22/18

SOIL MOISTURE PERCENT 
VS ST A SS
Topsoil Moisture 0 4 83 13
Subsoil Moisture 0 10 75 15
VS= Very Short ST = Short A = Adequate SS = Surplus

DAYS SUITABLE FOR FIELD WORK 
This Week Last Week Last Year 5-Year Avg.
5.1    4.5     6.6      6.3 

CROP CONDITION PERCENT
VP P F G EX
Cotton 5 26 38 29 2
Pasture 1 6 37 55 1
Peanuts 3 8 53 28 8
Sorghum 4 8 42 44 2
Soybeans 6 14 35 39 6
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:
Barley 24 10 34 36
Oats 31 25 46 35
Winter Wheat 10 N/A 23 16
PHENOLOGICAL:
Soybeans Dropping Leaves 91 80 86 80
HARVESTED:
Apples 89 85 88 86
Corn for Grain 93 91 95 94
Cotton 30 17 29 21
Hay: Third Cutting 78 75 88 79
Peanuts 47 31 56 46
Sorghum 50 39 88 53
Soybeans 23 17 33 20
Sweet Potatoes 61 48 75 65
Tobacco: Burley 83 74 85 88
Tobacco: Flue-cured 97 94 97 97

COUNTY EXTENSION AGENT REPORTS
Person county experienced a week of dry weather this allowed for
crop harvest wheat planting to continue.
Gary Cross – Person County Extension

Some additional soybean acres were harvested this week. Yields
remain poor as a result of severe wetness all season.
Daniel Simpson – Pamlico County Extension

Harvest continues where dry field conditions allow with variable
yields. Land being prepared for small grain planting.
Mac Malloy – Robeson County Extension

First Frost and Freeze to the river valleys of Jackson and Swain
Counties on October 21 & 22 with temperatures near 30-32 F
each morning. Therefore growing season is over officially. Rainfall
was near .50", which is near normal for the period. Soil moisture is
"Average WET." Apples are harvested and Sorghum production
continues. Hay harvest has ended.
Robert Hawk – Swain County Extension

Near normal weather conditions for the week with some scattered
light precipitation. Precipitation levels were variable across the
county and ranged from nearly 1" in the northern portions of the
county to around .25" in most areas. Temperatures cooled
considerably later in the week with most areas of the county
receiving the first frost as lows dipped into the lower 30's. There
were some reports of snow flurries in the higher elevations as
well. Most crop harvesting has been completed, except for corn
for grain.
Stanley Holloway – Yancey County Extension

Cool weather finally arrived late in the week. Soybean harvest
has been slow with quality varying significantly by site and
maturity group. Pastures and hay availability are the major
concerns in Pender County today. At least four major hay
suppliers in the region have lost nearly 11,000 round bales of hay
in Florence.
Mark Seitz/Tim Mathews – Pender County Extension

For the full report, click here.