Source: USDA'S NASS NC FIELD OFFICE, 10/26/20


SOIL MOISTURE PERCENT 
VS ST A SS
Subsoil Moisture 0 0 87 13
Topsoil Moisture 0 1 84 15
VS= Very Short ST = Short A = Adequate SS = Surplus

DAYS SUITABLE FOR FIELD WORK
This Week Last Week Last Year 5-Year Avg.
6.1             4.6             4.7            5.7 

CROP CONDITION PERCENT
VP P F G EX
Cotton 3 12 32 46 7
Pasture 0 1 22 62 15
Peanuts 1 1 14 73 11
Soybeans 3 7 31 53 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 37 23 25 40
Oats 42 40 32 40
Wheat 20 15 19 21
PHENOLOGICAL:
Cotton Bolls Opening 96 92 99 98
Soybeans Dropping Leaves 84 76 95 91
HARVESTED
Apples 85 77 89 90
Corn for Grain 95 93 96 96
Cotton 19 14 48 36
Hay: Third Cutting 93 91 84 85
Peanuts 33 27 71 56
Sorghum 58 51 68 64
Soybeans 21 18 38 31
Sweet Potato 69 61 79 72
Tobacco: Burley 82 77 75 87

OBSERVATIONS FROM THE FIELD
Fieldwork is progressing slowly due to wet soils. Tobacco is
mostly in, but wet fields are still delaying wheat planting. Some
corn has been harvested, but soybeans are still too wet to
start cutting. Pastures are in good shape. Cool season grasses
are still growing however, the wet soil is delaying winter annual
and new fescue seeding. – GRANVILLE

The week was wet and the ground is soggy from continued rain –
PERSON

Field activities continued due to drier weather. Corn harvest was
completed and farmers planted strawberries. – PAMLICO

Peanuts are close to finishing as relatively dry conditions
remained throughout the week. Rains returned to the area
Saturday night through Sunday. Soil moisture levels are adequate
in most of the county. Farmers have begun field preparations for
wheat production. – BLADEN

Peanut and cotton harvest continued even while rains
hindered rapid progress. – CRAVEN

Corn harvest is complete. Yields ranged from 40-50 bushels to
200-210 bushels per acre. The extreme variability was due to
conditions such as planting dates, soil types, and extremely wet
weather in June followed by excessive heat in July. Soybean
harvest started in earnest as the area experienced drier weather.
Green stem issues are visible in some Group V beans. Farmers
are reporting good yields so far. The shorter days are slowing
growth of warm season grasses, which is affecting pasture
quality. Some farmers are seeding winter rye to offset these
conditions. Strawberry planting is near completion. Heavy
rain Sunday morning will delay wheat planting early in the coming
week. – PENDER

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