Source: USDA'S NASS NC FIELD OFFICE, 3/25/19


SOIL MOISTURE PERCENT
VS ST A SS
Topsoil Moisture 0 1 59 40
Subsoil Moisture 0 0 58 42
VS= Very Short ST = Short A = Adequate SS = Surplus


DAYS SUITABLE FOR FIELD WORK 
This Week Last Week Last Year 5-Year Avg.
4.8 n/a n/a n/a

CROP CONDITION PERCENT 
VP P F G EX
Barley 0 3 34 62 1
Oats 1 7 41 47 4
Pasture 3 16 45 34 2
Wheat 7 13 27 41 12
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. 
N/A 

COUNTY EXTENSION AGENT REPORTS
The week of March 17 was a week of sunshine which had not
been seen in a while. Producers were able to spread fertilizer and
lime and start preparing for the spring seeding of crops. Hay is still
in short supply. Temperatures have been in the upper 20's to low
30's with day time highs into the upper 50's.
Julia Houck – Alleghany/Ashe Farm Service Agency

Light rain and cooler temperatures are slowing the growth of fall
crops, pastures and hayfields.
Janice Nicholson - Rutherford County Extension

Two inches of rain and wet fields, but early in the week some field
work was done.
Gary Cross – Person County Extension

Calving got under way and we had several rain free days. Cool
season grasses began to green. Many farmers started to take
stock of the damage done over the extremely wet winter.
Eddy Labus – Watauga County Extension

Some drier weather for the month was a welcome sight for most
producers. In some areas of the county, soil conditions dried
sufficiently to allow some field preparations. Pastures were
greening up nicely with warmer temperatures. The warmer
weather was of some concern for fruit crops as buds started to
swell and some fruit trees started to put out. A few livestock
producers fertilized hay and pastures at the end of the month.
Stanley Holloway – Yancey County Extension

Soil moisture finally came down to average wet from saturated
this past week. Winter was wet and warm. Temperatures were
near average with frost/freeze in am and near 60 in afternoons.
Good working conditions presently on farms.
Robert Hawk – Swain County Extension

Land conditions have improved significantly. Field operations
have commenced in most areas. Corn growers contemplated
getting started planting corn. Growing conditions for small grains
improved.
Don Nicholson – Agronomist Region 7

Frequent rainfall onto soils still saturated from winter rains
hindered field work. There are many still awaiting lime and
fertilizer application.
Mike Carroll – Craven County Extension

A week of basically dry weather allowed farmers to get herbicides
sprayed to prep for corn planting. Pastures are slowly rebounding
after a long, wet, fall/winter. Hay is still in short supply on many
farms. Blueberry and strawberry farmers had to frost protect their
crops three to four times in the last two weeks.
Mark Seitz/Tim Matthews – Pender County Extension

Wheat was top-dressed and was looking good considering the
wet winter. Tobacco greenhouses started to be clipped for the
first time this week.
Charles Mitchell – Franklin County Extension


For the full report, click here.