Source: USDA'S NASS NC FIELD OFFICE, 10/15/19

SOIL MOISTURE PERCENT 
VS ST A SS
Subsoil Moisture 10 58 32 0
Topsoil Moisture 33 40 27 0
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              6.8              4.5             4.8 
CROP CONDITION PERCENT
VP P F G EX
Cotton 5 21 28 37 9
Pasture 27 30 29 12 2
Peanuts 1 3 31 50 15
Soybeans 6 17 29 36 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.
PLANTED
Oats 10 N/A 24 16
PHENOLOGICAL:
Cotton Bolls Opening 97 94 95 92
Soybeans Dropping Leaves 87 73 79 70
HARVESTED:
Apples 85 83 84 81
Corn for Grain 93 91 91 90
Cotton Harvested 29 16 16 14
Hay: Third Cutting 80 77 74 76
Peanuts Threshed 48 33 30 27
Sorghum for Grain 56 45 38 42
Soybeans 25 17 16 15
Sweet Potatoes 70 59 47 50
Tobacco: Flue-cured 96 93 94 92
Tobacco: Burley 67 63 73 76

COUNTY EXTENSION AGENT REPORTS

Got some much needed rain, still very dry.
Steve Dillion – Agronomist Region 14

Some rain early in the week was a welcome sight; however,
precipitation levels were relatively light with most areas of the
county receiving less than .5". Pastures are declining rapidly due
to the lack of rain and warmer than normal temps. Most livestock
producers have begun to supplement with some hay. Vegetable
crop harvest is winding down.
Stanley Holloway – Yancey County Extension

Weather was warm with above normal temperatures and rainfall
was light with only a trace to .25" for the period. Both top and subsoil are still dry!
Robert Hawk – Jackson/Swain County Extension

Franklin County is extremely dry currently. We did receive .25-.5
inches of rain on October 13th. The tobacco crop is out of the
field. The soybean crop is dropping leaves, but yield potential has
been cut due to drought. The planting of small grains is being
delayed due to lack of rain. Hay fields are dry since being cut and
are in much need of rain. Vegetable crops have been impacted
due to late heat and lack of water also.
Charles Mitchell – Franklin/Halifax/Nash County Extension

Wheat planting started during the week. Rainfall over the
weekend should help it get established. Hopefully it will also help
pastures. Tobacco harvest is wrapping up, with growers reporting
they should be finished with harvest in another week. Even
though we received some rainfall, more is needed. Hay supplies
are very short. Farmers are starting to bale corn stalks after corn
is harvested for grain. Soybean harvest started during the week.
Paul Westfall – Granville County Extension

Extremely dry crops continue to get worse. Soybean seed size
small, tobacco loosing oil not curing the best. Hay and pasture
fields dried up hay being utilized many weeks earlier than normal.
Late corn is better than early corn because of some rain earlier.
Gary Cross – Person County Extension

Dry weather continues with soybean harvest slowing waiting for
later planted beans to dry down.
Daniel Simpson – Pamlico County Extension

Lack of rainfall and favorable weather affording great harvest
conditions for cotton and peanut crops but preventing planting of
pastures or wheat.
Mike Carroll – Carteret/Craven County Extension

Drought conditions continue to worsen.
Randy Wood – Scotland County Extension

For the full report, click here.