Source: USDA'S NASS NC FIELD OFFICE, 6/18/18

SOIL MOISTURE PERCENT
VS ST A SS
Topsoil Moisture 4 26 60 10
Subsoil Moisture 3 17 71 9
VS= Very Short ST = Short A = Adequate SS = Surplus


DAYS SUITABLE FOR FIELD WORK
This Week Last Week Last Year 5-Year Avg.
5.8 6.3 5.3 5.6
CROP CONDITION PERCENT
VP P F G EX
Apples 0 10 23 63 4
Barley 0 1 40 53 6
Corn 4 13 30 46 7
Cotton 7 9 20 58 6
Hay 1 11 46 38 4
Oats 0 2 23 74 1
Pasture 1 4 36 55 4
Peaches 0 10 38 47 5
Peanuts 0 2 33 57 8
Sorghum 0 0 38 58 4
Soybeans 1 4 39 52 4
Sweet Potatoes 0 0 33 65 2
Tobacco: Burley 1 2 53 27 17
Tobacco: Flue-cured 2 6 25 63 4
Wheat 1 3 25 57 14
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:
Cotton 97 92 97 98
Peanuts 97 93 94 97
Sorghum 82 66 88 62
Soybeans 79 68 79 72
Sweet Potatoes 75 60 78 71
Tobacco: Burley 75 57 73 82
PHENOLOGICAL:
Soybean Emerged 66 54 66 61
Corn Silking 23 n/a 31 25
Cotton Squaring 15 9 24 16 
HARVESTED:
Barley 65 37 74 56
Hay: First Cutting 91 83 85 90
Oats 55 35 74 51
Wheat 53 30 60 43

COUNTY EXTENSION AGENT REPORTS

Producers are watching the weather to determine when to plant
soybeans throughout the county. They are assessing the damage
from excessive rain and flooding in some of the fields and
reporting damage to fruits and vegetables that have been planted
in lower lying lands in the county. Livestock producers are
harvesting hay late due to excessive rains which means a lower
quality product. Janice Nicholson – Rutherford County Ext

This past period has been hot with average rainfall of 1"+ for
Jackson and Swain counties. Temperatures in 80s and lows in
60s with one day of 90 F. Last hay fields were cut and baled with
beyond maturity hay baled. Good quantity of hay, but low quality
due to past maturity. Robert Hawk – Swain County Extension

Everyone is trying to take advantage of the dry spell and get
caught up. Lots of haying is continuing and small grain harvest
continues with soybeans going in behind them. Some hit and miss
thunderstorms have some corn looking really good while other
corn fields are curling up from dry weather.
Stephen Bishop – Cleveland SWCD

Crops are getting ready to enter a stress period. Tobacco once
again has not developed an extension root system. There has
been some Granville Wilt showing up and some TSWV. The small
grain crop left in the field is losing quality each day. If sporadic
rains continue the corn crop may be a good crop this year.
Charles Mitchell – Franklin County Extension

Raspberries are being harvested. First crop of blackberries will be
ready in two weeks. Strawberry season is finished and was cut
short by surplus rainfall. Half the tomato crop has been planted.
Produce in general is about two weeks behind schedule.
Karen Blaedow - Henderson County Extension

Crops are slowly improving but have a long road ahead. Wheat
that has been harvested is low test weight. Tobacco continues to
struggle uneven and behind, pastures are in fair shape. Hay
crops short and with many stems. Due to rain corn is uneven and
behind wet spots will create yield loss. Soybeans okay a few
acres replanted. Gary Cross – Person County Extension

It has been a good productive week in the fields for parts of the
county. Some parts of the county still very wet while others could
use a little rain. Soybeans and sweet potatoes being planted.
Some peanuts are still being planted due to the rain delays.
Blake Sandlin - Duplin County Extension

Scattered rainfall continues to delay field work in a timely manner.
Distribution of rainfall varies with some receiving less than 1.0
inch of rainfall while others in excess of 4.0 inches. Thus, all crop
growth varies greatly within the county.
Mike Carroll – Craven County Extension

Field conditions improved some during the week but scattered
showers and thunderstorms continue to pop up keeping fields too
wet for fertilizer, weed control and harvest (wheat). Some aerial
application of fertilizer was being done to salvage crops GSI
Southern highbush blueberry harvest is nearing an end but
harvest of Rabbit-eye cultivars will begin soon and go through
mid to late July. Mark Seitz/Tim Matthews – Pender County Ext

Much needed rain fell across the county ranging from 0.8-7".
Corn crop looks really good going into pollination. Wheat harvest
was delayed early in the week but now continues with good yields
being reported. Good soil moisture will allow soybean planting to
continue this week following wheat.
Mac Malloy – Robeson County Extension

For the full report, click here.