Source: USDA'S NASS NC FIELD OFFICE, 8/25/14

GENERAL: Days suitable for field work 5.6. Topsoil moisture 2% very short, 9% short, 77% adequate and 12% surplus. Subsoil moisture 1% very short, 12% short, 80% adequate and 7% surplus. The state continues to experience widespread showers with many areas receiving well over 1.0 of precipitation for the week. However, average temperatures jumped above normal with areas reporting 4 to 5 degrees above normal. Reported data for the week shows soybeans setting pods at 69%, slightly above the 5 year average. Cotton setting bolls is almost complete at 96%. Reports for corn showed dough reported at 94%, dented at 86%, mature at 55% and harvested just getting started at 10%. The second cutting of hay showed 84% with 3rd cutting reported at 39%, peaches harvested at 82% and flue-cured tobacco harvest progressing well at 41%.  

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Extension Agent Reports

Tobacco harvest is still running pretty slow due to wet field conditions and the fact that the plants are still pretty green. More farmers started harvest this week, but wet fields have kept the pace pretty slow. Folks are already starting to worry about being finished with harvest before frost. Soybeans and cotton are doing well. Cotton looks as good at this point in the growing season as it ever has since our growers added some cotton to the rotation 5 or 6 years ago. Pastures are doing well, and there has been some hay harvested, mostly summer annuals. An alternative storage method for haylage and for dry hay was demonstrated at the Butner Beef Field Day. Round bales were wrapped into a long tube for storage. Wrapping allows wet hay to ferment into "baleage" and keep dry hay from having spoilage loss. Use of unmanned aerial vehicles to monitor crops was also demonstrated, along with several other topics. Paul Westfall - Granville County Extension  

Crop conditions continue to improve in Region 9 with recent rainfalls. Tobacco harvest continues and most producers have started on second cropping. With the late crop, disease issues are beginning to show up in many fields. Soybeans look good for the most part, but some areas have experienced some pod loss along the mid stalk. Peach harvest is almost complete and the season has been good. Cotton is looking good with good boll retention in most areas. Colby Lambert – Region 9 Agronomist  
Recent rains have most crops in good condition with some improvement in hay crops. The tobacco crop in some parts of the region look are very good in both yield and quality, however some areas have had too much rain and the crop is fading quickly, putting a lot of pressure on curing space. Don Nicholson – Region 7 Agronomist  

Rainfall abundant to excessive for eastern side of region, generally adequate to some areas still in need over western corner of region. High temperatures over the past week in lower 90s F, short periods of crop stress in west on sandy soils relieved by scattered showers and storms. General relief from heavy rains over the weekend in west, excessive rain for east. Tim Hall – Region 4 Agronomist  

Rains have delayed or limited some field activities this week. Tobacco is ripening and many growers are concerned about available barn capacity. Wet conditions have stressed tobacco in some fields with plants yellowing and wilting as Granville wilt sets in. Sweet potato harvest started this week with good yields being reported. Brian Parrish – Harnett County Extension

CROP PROGRESS PERCENT – WITH COMPARISONS  
This Week Last Week  Last Year 5-Year Avg  
PHENOLOGICAL:      
Soybeans % Setting Pods 69 54 52 67  
Corn % Dough 94 91 99 98  
Corn % Dented 86 78 92 92  
Corn % Mature 55 37 68 69  
Cotton % Setting Bolls 96 93 94 98  

HARVESTED:      
Apples 38 35 22 23  
Corn for Grain 10 n/a n/a 12  
Corn for Silage 39 27 39 62  
Hay 2nd cutting 84 80 59 83  
Hay 3rd cutting 39 29 20 22  
Peaches 82 78 82 88  
Tobacco: Burley 15 n/a 56 37  
Tobacco: Flue-cured 41 36 59 45  

   
CROP CONDITION PERCENT  
VP P F G E X  
Apples 3 5 28 61 3  
Corn 4 11 24 44 17  
Cotton 0 3 23 60 14  
Hay 0 5 26 59 10  
Pasture  1 10 36 45 8  
Peanuts 0 2 16 65 17  
Sorghum 0 2 30 54 14  
Soybeans 1 3 25 56 15  
Sweet Potatoes 0 1 14 68 17  
Tobacco: Flue-cured 1 5 23 54 17  
Tobacco: Burley 1 1 32 40 26        
VP = Very Poor  P = Poor  F = Fair  G = Good   EX = Excellent    

   
SOIL MOISTURE PERCENT  
VS ST A SS  
Topsoil Moisture 2 9 77 12  
Subsoil Moisture 1 12 80 7        
VS= Very Short   ST = Short   A = Adequate   SS = Surplus