Source: USDA'S NASS NC FIELD OFFICE, 3/28/16
DAYS SUITABLE FOR FIELD WORK This Week Last Week Last Year 5-Year Avg. 5.8 N/A 2.4 N/A SOIL MOISTURE PERCENT
VS ST A SS
Topsoil Moisture 0 10 71 19
Subsoil Moisture 0 9 71 20
VS= Very Short ST = Short A = Adequate SS = Surplus
CROP CONDITION PERCENT
VP P F G EX
Barley 0 5 30 59 6
Oats 1 8 31 56 4
Pasture 3 8 40 40 9
Wheat 5 14 31 42 8
VP = Very Poor P = Poor F = Fair G = Good EX = Excellent
COUNTY EXTENSION AGENT REPORTS Cattlemen finished putting out fertilizer on cool season pastures and hay fields. Winter annuals and buttercups are a big problem. They are being sprayed with 2-4-D. The short pastures and warm-wet fall/winter were perfect growing conditions to make for a bumper crop this spring.
Seth Nagy – Caldwell County Extension
The month of March has been relatively warm and dry. Average high temps for the month have been in the mid 60's with average lows in the mid 30's. Very little precipitation was received for the month and producers have taken advantage of the dryer soil conditions for plowing and field preparation for planting in the coming months. Grasses in pastures and hay fields is greening up and beginning to grow. Most livestock producers are currently fertilizing pastures.
Stanley Holloway - Yancey County Extension
Land preparation made good progress this week. Strawberry crop is advancing quickly with indications of an earlier harvest than last year.
Mike Wilder – Agronomist Region 6
Rain over weekend, but most tobacco land was bedded already, strawberries are looking good (lots of blooms)
John Ivey - Guilford County Extension Weather conditions have improved to allow improvement of crop conditions. Tobacco growers have been able to fumigate the majority of tobacco land over the past two weeks. Tobacco greenhouses are looking very good.
Don Nicholson – Agronomist Region 7
Some very early corn planted. Approximately 1% of the crop.
Cathy Herring – Central Crops Research Station
Recent drier weather has allowed field work and corn planting to take place. Wheat is beginning to grow well. Tobacco transplants are doing well.
Daniel Simpson – Pamlico County Extension
Getting very dry throughout the county.
Donna Teasley – Burke County Extension
Still, lots of fertilizer being spread and burn down for corn is underway. We've gone about three to four week without a good soaking rain, so pastures and small grains haven't really taken advantage of the fertilizer that was spread earlier. Dry weather and warm temperatures seem to have fruit crops running ahead of schedule. It won't be long till the u-pick strawberry operations open.
Stephen Bishop – Cleveland SWCD
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