Rain Rain

This Friday and Saturday have offered the most widespread rainfall event in the Georgia peanut belt since the drought began.

The weather forecast is now for rain chance to diminish and temps to rise again this week.

Because we have not yet had a tropical event we will need rainfall on a regular basis and temperatures need to moderate at night if we are to reach potential on what we do have planted.

It is my observation that cotton may only have a 60 to 70 percent stand on average across the belt and peanuts maybe as high as 90 percent. There are few perfect stands anywhere.

Peanut Pegging

It is a bit interesting that every state, save Virginia, is barely at or obviously lagging behind the five year pegging average as of the most recent crop progress report.

I am not totally sure what this means and depending on the weather it could be good or bad. What is surprising is that as hot as it has been usually we would expect to be ahead of normal. The drought has had an impact on progress for sure but some effect may be planting date effect.

I would still contend this is the most difficult start to a crop in my 25 years as the Commission's Executive Director.

Rain Rain Come Today

I am not sure I ever remember 6 inch cotton blooming out the top but I saw some Sunday in Crisp County.

While we have had some scattered showers and some locally heavy rains, the vast majority of South Georgia acres are under the Exceptional drought classification.

Our only hope is daily rainfall which has slowed again.

So, rain, rain come today.