Source: USDA'S NASS NC FIELD OFFICE, 9/11/16
 

SOIL MOISTURE PERCENT

VS ST A SS 

Topsoil Moisture 5 23 61 11
Subsoil Moisture 2 27 58 13
VS= Very Short ST = Short A = Adequate SS = Surplus 

DAYS SUITABLE FOR FIELD WORK
This Week Last Week Last Year 5-Year Avg.
6.6               5.2                 5.3            5.4 

CROP CONDITION PERCENT

VP P F G EX 

Apple 11 12 41 35 1 

Cotton 4 9 32 49 6 

Hay 2 7 46 39 6 

Pasture 4 17 42 32 5 

Peanut 0 4 16 67 13 

Soybean 1 7 28 51 13 

Sorghum 2 4 24 65 5 

Sweet Potato 0 4 27 65 4 

Tobacco: Burley 0 1 20 74 5 

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 – Mature 94 91 90 93  
Cotton – Bolls Opening 40 31 55 47  
Soybean – Setting Pods 95 91 92 91  
Soybean – Dropping Leaves 18 11 21 12  
HARVESTED:
Apple 57 46 47 45
Corn for Grain 66 50 53 51  
Corn for Silage 90 81 71 80  
Hay 2nd Cutting 95 92 83 89  
Hay 3rd Cutting 56 48 40 41
Peaches 92 87 95 95
Sorghum for Grain 25 12 n/a n/a
Sweet Potato 15 n/a 10 13
Tobacco: Flue Cured 73 64 60 67
Tobacco: Burley 34 28 38 57

COUNTY EXTENSION AGENT REPORTS

Recent rains from Tropical Storm Hermine improved crop conditions temporarily, but conditions were so dry that more rain is direly needed now. Leaf diseases are negatively affecting the tobacco crop. Don Nicholson – Agronomist Region 7 

Hay producers took advantage of the dry weather to harvest a thin second cutting. Most are reporting only a 25%-30% crop and a number of livestock producers are either buying additional hay or reducing animal numbers. The burley tobacco producers have about 50% of the crop cut at this point.
Stanley Holloway – Yancey County Extension 

Not much rain off the hurricane. Corn harvest has started and yields are looking pretty good. Tobacco is still being cut and cured and brought to buyers. Soybeans are struggling filling pods due to no rain. Gary Cross – Person County Extension 

Rutherford County is extremely hot and dry. Some areas of the county have had brief showers but the majority is dry. Producers are getting up their second cutting of hay but it is amounting to half of what they got the first cutting.
Janice Nicholson – Rutherford County Extension 

We are getting dry. River and stream levels have dropped. Corn and pumpkin harvest is going well.
Julia Houck – Ashe-Alleghany County Extension

Wet field conditions following tropical storm delay corn harvest for some growers. Tobacco is coming to a close and soybeans are beginning to drop leaves. Some growers have finished corn harvest and are waiting for soybeans.
Daniel Simpson – Pamlico County Extension 

The storm last week provided much needed rain to parts of the county.
Cathy Herring – Central Crops Station 

Tobacco crop has matured earlier than normal this year and is not holding well. Farmers are stripping tobacco fields and this is putting pressure on limited barn space available. It is looking like tobacco harvest will be finished by or before end of September. Sweet potato harvest is well underway with good yields being reported.
Brian Parrish – Harnett County Extension 

Tropical storm Hermine dropped 6" to 10" of rain across Pender County last week. Dry soils helped absorb much of this rain. Rain slowed corn harvest 2-3 days but gave soybeans and pastures a much needed drink of water. Corn yields are pushing close to 200 bushels per acre in many places. 
Mark Seitz – Pender County Extension 

Getting really dry again in Burke County. No rain in last couple of weeks. Donna Teasley – Burke County Extension 

For the full report, click here.