Crop Progress in the Southeast
ALABAMA: Weather conditions across the state were ideal for fieldwork with plenty of days suitable for fall harvesting activities. Cotton picking ramped up. Some producers continued to note quality issues in cotton bolls due to wet conditions from early October. Third cuttings of hay began to wrap up. Peanuts were dug and harvested but are still tracking behind previous years. Soybean harvest is in full swing. Some areas noted that soybeans were denied at the elevator due to rot. Livestock and Pastures remained in mostly good condition throughout the state.
Florida: The citrus crop progressed as normal, with oranges tennis ball to baseball size and grapefruit larger than softball size. Field reports indicated color break beginning in grapefruit groves as well as in early orange and early tangerine groves. Farm operations included spraying pesticides and nutritional formulas, fertilizing, applying herbicide, pollinating, and general grove maintenance. Irrigation was being run in all areas. A variety of fruits and vegetables were planted and marketed last week. Cotton bolls continued opening and cotton harvest picked up. Peanuts dug and harvested also progressed well.
Georgia: Cotton picking began to ramp up. Some hay fields were noted to have completed a fourth cutting, although most producers struggled to finish three due to the summer’s heavy rainfall and armyworm pressure. Peanut fields continued to be dug and sunny weather allowed for peanuts to dry out for harvest. Yields and grades in peanuts were noted to have been good. Soybeans continued to progress behind previous years, but the harvest was underway. Livestock and pastures remained in generally good condition throughout the state. Cooler temperatures helped minimize heat stress in livestock, although cattle in north Georgia continue to be monitored for Asian Longhorned ticks.
