California Crop Weather report from NASS
Mar 5, 2009 10:40 AM
Here’s the California Crop Weather report from the National Agricultural Statistics Service’s Sacramento, Calif., field office for the week ending March 1.
Field crops
Rains during the week ending March 1 were beneficial to dryland field crops such as wheat and barley; wheat fields looked very good. Winter silage was growing well. Alfalfa was growing slowly. Wet conditions hampered some field activities.
As weather permitted, growers were preparing fields for spring planting. Some fields were treated with herbicides. Irrigation of alfalfa was underway in areas where rains were lacking.
Fruit crops
Early variety nectarines and apricots continued to bloom. Other stone fruit varieties were pushing buds. Pollination was hampered where wet conditions prevailed. Herbicide, fungicide, and bloom spraying continued as weather permitted. Field preparations in vineyards for the new season were mostly complete.
Spring strawberries were growing well. Navel oranges, Moro oranges, Cara Cara Navel oranges, Melo Gold grapefruit, Chandler pummelos, Minneola tangelos, honey mandarins, and lemons were picked as field conditions allowed.
Continued rain throughout the northern two-thirds of the state did not significantly reduce forecasted drought conditions for later in the year.
Nut crops
Almonds were in full bloom, but wet weather hampered pollination. Pre-plant fumigation continued in new almond and walnut orchards. Nut groves were being fertilized in the San Joaquin Valley.
Continued rain throughout the northern two-thirds of the state did not significantly reduce forecasted drought conditions for later in the year.
Vegetable crops
Field preparations for spring planting and harvesting of winter vegetables continued, but were slowed by wet ground. Weather permitting, farmers were preparing ground for planting processing tomatoes.
Harvests of broccoli, lettuce, and cauliflower continued. Among the greenhouse vegetables being harvested were squash, eggplant, and bitter melons. Radicchio harvest continued. Asparagus harvest was underway.
Carrots were planted in some locations. Hot capping of newly planted squash was being done. Herbicides were applied to onion fields. Garlic was fertilized.
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