Source: USDA'S NASS NC FIELD OFFICE, 8/15/16

SOIL MOISTURE PERCENT

VS ST A SS 

Topsoil Moisture 4 22 65 9
Subsoil Moisture 2 17 72 9
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               5.8                 6.5           5.5 

CROP CONDITION PERCENT

VP P F G EX 

Apple 11 12 41 35 1 

Corn 2 7 25 50 16 

Cotton 3 8 24 57 8 

Hay 1 10 38 46 5 

Pasture 3 12 36 44 5 

Peanut 1 3 14 68 14 

Sorghum 1 4 22 67 6 

Sweet Potato 0 0 21 74 5

Tobacco: Flue Cured 2 6 22 61 9 

Tobacco: Burley 0 0 20 74 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
PHENOLOGICAL:
Corn – Dough 97 93 93 93  
Corn – Dented 87 75 77 78  
Corn – Mature 42 25 38 41
Cotton – Setting Bolls 89 83 87 91  
Soybean – Blooming 84 76 78 75  
Soybean – Setting Pods 64 47 53 46  
Soybean 1 5 27 52 15
HARVESTED:  
Apple 22 20 23 19  
Corn for Silage 40 22 33 32  
Hay 2nd Cutting 82 72 63 71
Hay 3rd Cutting 12 n/a n/a 14
Peaches 73 66 73 80
Tobacco: Flue Cured 39 28 29 32

COUNTY EXTENSION AGENT REPORTS

Recent rainfall has helped with the abnormally dry conditions, but rain is still needed. Producers are topping tobacco.
Julia Houck - Ashe - Alleghany County Extension

All of the county received rainfall this week helping to ease the effects of a very dry and hot July.
Eddy Labus – Watauga County Extension 

Another week of scattered thunderstorms and rain showers brought adequate to excessive rainfall in some parts of the county. The northern part of the county however still remains quite dry. Rainfall amounts for the week ranged from nearly 4.5" in the southern parts of the county to less than 0.4" in the northern part. Pastures continue to improve somewhat and vegetable harvest is in full swing. Powdery mildew is becoming problematic for cucurbit growers. 
Stanley Holloway – Yancey County Extension 

Rain and heat have continued. Disease showing up in soybeans. Tobacco is stressed and what few leaves did not get burnt by Target Spot are under stress.
Gary Cross – Person County Extension 

Hot, humid weather is taking a toll on crops. Target spot and other diseases are having a negative impact on the tobacco crop. Harvest is still going strong. Soybeans are blooming, and later plantings have shown good growth in recent weeks. Pastures and hay fields are not growing unless there is crabgrass, Dallisgrass, or Johnsongrass in the fields. Fields will start getting dry in these weather conditions.
Paul Westfall - Granville County Extension

Even though Caswell County had 3 to 6 inches of rainfall last week, the hot weather has begun to deplete the soil moisture again. Tobacco growers start delivering their crop to the buying stations this week. Fall planting of cool season vegetable crops are beginning. Army worms are beginning to show up in some hay and soybean fields.
Joey Knight – Caswell County Extension 

Regular showers over the past two weeks have improved most crops. Sorghum is heading satisfactorily now, though not uniformly due to drought stress in the boot stage of earliest planted crop. Corn earworm pressure is moderate to high.
Taylor Williams – Moore County Extension 

Drier weather at the end of the week will aid in starting corn harvest. Tobacco continues to be pulled, while soybeans are looking very good. Turf continues to move well when weather permits.
Daniel Simpson – Pamlico County Extension 

Corn crop looks very good overall. Seeing disease finally invade tobacco fields, growers are harvesting to try and capture tobacco before holdability in varieties goes away. Many cotton and soybean growers were spraying for loopers and corn earworm last week.
Roy Thagard – Green County Extension 

Dry weather continues to limit yield potential in soybeans. Corn harvest began last week for many farmers across Pender County.
Mark Seitz – Pender County Extension 

For the full report, click here.