California Ag Network

Tag: California Crop/Weather Report

  • USDA California Crop/Weather Report

    Sacramento, Calif., (June 26, 2017) – Another hot and dry week occurred across the State. Rainfall was limited to Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, which brought very light isolated showers to parts of the Sierras, dropping less than a tenth of an inch of rain; and again on Sunday, which had some light showers across the far northern part of the State as a Pacific moisture surge entered southern Oregon. These areas along the northern tier received about a tenth of an inch of rain, with an isolated quarter of an inch in places.

    Temperatures accelerated snowmelt in the mountains, with the snowline retreating to over 9,000 feet in elevation. Above this altitude, extensive snowfields in a band about 30 to 40 miles wide still existed between Tahoe and Sequoia National Forest. Snowdepths in these areas were two to four feet, approaching five feet in areas. Mt. Whitney and Mt. Shasta remained snow-covered at their peaks.

    Temperature highs were in the 60s to 70s along the coast, 70s to 90s in the mountains, 100s to 110s in the valley, and 100s to 120s in the desert. The temperature lows were in the 40s to 60s in the mountains, 50s to 60s along the coast, 60s to 70s in the valley, and 70s to 90s in the desert.

    Alfalfa fields were making excellent progress. Corn and sorghum for silage continued being planted, cultivated, and irrigated. The corn silage crop was in various stages, from newly planted to already producing tassels. Cotton continued to be irrigated, cultivated, and was growing well.

    Peaches, nectarines, apricots, and plums continued to be harvested. Grapevines continued to have leaves removed to allow for improved air circulation and light around the developing bunches to improve color. Late Navel orange harvest was completed. Valencia orange harvest continued. Regreening has become more common due to the higher temperatures. Ruby Red grapefruit were harvested.

    Walnut, almond, and pistachio orchards were irrigated. Mechanical and chemical weed control continued in nut orchards. In Sutter and Yuba Counties, walnut growers applied sunburn preventive materials.

    In Tulare County certified producers were picking tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and peppers for sale at the local Farmers’ Markets. Italian squash, eggplant, and cucumbers continued to be harvested. Blueberry and strawberry harvests slowed down and were expected to come to a close with this week’s hot weather. Sweet corn harvest began with a few roadside stands opening and sales at the local Farmers’ markets. Carrot harvest had slowed down. Extreme hot weather had sunburned some tomatoes. In Fresno County, carrots continued to be irrigated. Weeding of lettuce seed fields continued. Roughly one-third of the onion harvest had been completed. Onion seed was drying out. In Monterey County, celery harvest began and was picking up. In Imperial County, spring melons and sweet corn were harvested. Many farmers were finished with melon harvest and were plowing fields.   In Colusa, Sacramento, Solano, and Yolo Counties, tomato crops were progressing, even though the recent heat wave slowed crop development.

    Hot temperatures contributed to the drying out of non-irrigated grasses and forbs. Non-irrigated rangeland was reported to be in good to very poor condition depending on elevation, aspect and soil moisture. The extended period of extreme temperatures and dry winds prompted Red Flag fire warnings across much of the state. Early fire season rangeland fires were impacting the western states, including Idaho and Oregon. California has had more acres burned this year since January 1st than the comparable period last year. Cattle continued to be moved to higher elevation range. Sheep grazed on retired pasture and dormant alfalfa. Bees were active in melon and vegetable fields.

     

  • USDA California Crop/Weather Report

    Sacramento, Calif., (June 20, 2017) – A departing upper-level trough early in the week left cooler air across parts of the State with a few lingering showers on Monday. Rainfall was mostly limited to Monday across the far northeastern corner of the State near Alturas, which received just over half an inch of rain on Monday.  A few isolated sprinkles moistened parts of the central and northern Sierras on Monday, as well. This quickly gave way to a building mid-level ridge over the southwestern United States, which brought dry air and hot conditions to much of the State.

    Temperatures rose dramatically last week, with very hot temperatures across nearly all parts of the State except perhaps the coastal northern areas. Very warm temperatures helped accelerate snowmelt in the mountains. Both Mt. Whitney in the south and Mt. Shasta in the north were still snowcapped on their peaks, with Mt. Shasta expected to remain so for some time. Snowcover elsewhere is now limited to a band about 40 miles wide between Tahoe and the Sequoia National Forest, at elevations above 8,000 feet. There was still eight feet of snowcover at these locations, with the area just north of Yosemite still estimated at six feet of snowcover.

    Temperature highs were in the 50s to 60s along the coast, 60s to 80s in the mountains, 90s to 100s in the valley, and 90s to 110s in the desert. The temperature lows were in the 40s to 50s in the mountains, 50s to 60s along the coast, 50s to 70s in the valley, and 60s to 80s in the desert.

    Silage corn planting was completed. Fields were being prepared and planted with summer beans, Sudan grass, and silage sorghum. Wheat harvest for grain was approaching completion. Small grains such as oats and barley were being cut and baled, or harvested for grain. Alfalfa fields were making excellent progress and being irrigated, cut, and baled. Corn planting continued and earlier planted fields were growing well, with some developing tassels. Cotton was being irrigated and growing well.

    Peaches, nectarines, apricots, and plums continue to be harvested. Some orchard floors were lined with reflective plastic to improve color prior to harvest. Grapevines continued to have leaves removed to allow for improved air circulation and light around the developing bunches to improve color. Kiwi fruit were thinned. Cherry harvest was wrapping up for the season. Navel orange harvest was nearly complete. Valencia orange harvest continued.  Grapefruit harvest was drawing to a close. Old citrus trees were being pulled to make way for new citrus varieties. Since bloom was complete for seedless tangerines, removal of the protective netting began.

    Weed control in almond orchards was ongoing. Pistachio, walnut, and almond orchards were irrigated and fertilized. Mechanical and chemical weed control operations continued in nut orchards.

    In Colusa County, row crops such as tomatoes were growing at a fast pace.  In San Joaquin County, tomatoes and sweet corn were growing well.  Summer vegetables were harvested and offered for sale at local Farmer’s markets.  Field ground preparation and planting of crops continued.  In Fresno County, tomatoes were kept fresh by continual irrigation.  Red onions, carrots, and peppers were harvested.  Onions for seed were irrigated.  In Tulare County, summer vegetables were harvested and shipped domestically.  Italian squash, peppers, and cucumbers were harvested.  Eggplant and tomatoes continued to grow and mature.  In Imperial County, spring melons and sweet corn were harvested.  Some growers reported exceptional yields.  Dehydrated onions were harvested and shipped out of the valley for processing.  Large insect activity was reported in onion fields.

    As the summer heat dries out the grasses and forbs, range and dryland pasture forage quality began to deteriorate. Foothill range and valley dryland pasture was in fair to very poor condition. Some cattle were moved to higher elevation range. Sheep grazed on retired pasture and dormant alfalfa. Bees were active in vegetable fields.

  • USDA California Crop/Weather Report

    Sacramento, Calif., (June 6, 2017) – Last week started with warm temperatures, followed by cooler temperatures as a surge of Pacific moisture brought light rain to many areas in the State. Dry and warm conditions were felt during the weekend.

    Precipitation fell in parts of the state on Monday through Wednesday, with Thursday through Sunday seeing no measurable rainfall. The heaviest rains fell over the northern valley and windward slopes of the Sierras north of Kings Canyon, where areas received around one inch of rainfall. All other parts of the valley received up to half an inch. Additional isolated showers and thunderstorms just inland from the San Diego area dropped up to half an inch on Wednesday. No new snowfall occurred last week. Snowcover was limited to the highest peaks of the southern Sierras, including Whitney, where one to two feet of snowcover still existed. The most extensive snowpacks continued to lie above 7,500 feet in the central Sierras, where one to three feet of snowcover still existed. The northern mountains were devoid of snowcover except for the peak of Shasta, which had up to six feet of snowcover.

    Temperature highs were in the 60s to 70s along the coast, 60s to 80s in the mountains, 80s to 90s in the valley, and 80s to 110s in the desert. The temperature lows were in the 30s to 50s in the mountains, 40s to 50s along the coast, 50s to 60s in the valley, and 60s to 80s in the desert.

    Alfalfa fields were making excellent progress being cut, dried, and baled. Corn planting continued with earlier planted fields growing well. Corn fields were being injected with nitrogen to promote growth. Cotton was emerging and being irrigated.

    Peaches, nectarines, and apricots were being exported to foreign markets. Summer pruning of stone fruit orchards began. Both mechanical and chemical weed control continued in orchards. Orchard floors continued to be lined with reflective plastic to improve color prior to harvest. Grape vines continued to have leaves removed to allow for improved air circulation and light around the developing bunches to improve color. Cherry harvest continued, while the peak of cherry season has passed. Valencia oranges continued to be harvested and exported. Grapefruit harvest was finishing up, with Star Ruby grapefruit being exported to foreign markets. Old citrus trees were being pulled to make way for new citrus varieties. Seedless tangerines continued to be netted. Olives were still blooming.

    New orchards of almonds continued to be planted or ground prepped. Pistachio, walnut and almond orchards were irrigated and fertilized. Last year’s stored almonds and pistachios continued to be exported to foreign market places. Some orchard floors were sprayed with herbicides and fungicides.

    In San Joaquin County, processing tomatoes were growing well. Summer vegetables were harvested and offered for sale at local Farmers’ markets. The asparagus harvest was over. In Monterey County, the price for lettuce and other commodities had improved from the previous week. Production and weather were good. In San Mateo County Brussels sprouts were planted and the fields were fumigated. Fava beans and peas were harvested. In Fresno County, tomatoes were cultivated. Carrots, broccoli, and spring lettuce were harvested. Onions were irrigated and prepared for harvest. In Tulare County, summer vegetables were harvested and shipped domestically. Melons were irrigated and cantaloupes were picked. Zucchini was harvested.

    Foothill range and valley dryland pasture forage quality was primarily in fair to good condition. Drying out of grasses continued in the Sierra foothills. Sheep grazed on retired pasture and dormant alfalfa. Bees were active in vegetable fields.

  • USDA California Crop/Weather Report

    Sacramento, Calif., (May 31, 2017) – Last week brought an upper-level ridge over the area leading to hot and mostly dry conditions. During the week, only a few locations received any measurable precipitation, Santa Rosa reported 0.03 inches on Thursday. For the weekend, a weakening of the ridge led to cooling statewide and a few more sprinkles across the northern third of the State.

    The southern Sierras were now devoid of snowcover below 9,000 feet. The central Sierras still had about two to four feet of snowcover above 7,500 feet elevation. In the northern mountains, snowcover was largely limited to the peak of Shasta, where upwards of six to eight feet of snow. A few of the higher peaks in the northwestern mountains as well as the northern Sierras also had some remnant snowcover.

    Temperature highs were in the 60s to 70s along the coast, 60s to 80s in the mountains, 90s to100s in the valley, and 90s to 110s in the desert. The temperature lows were in the 20s to 50s in the mountains, 40s to 60s in the desert, and 50s to 60s in the valley and along the coast.

    Winter wheat was chopped for silage, and some was dried, as harvest was approaching completion. Harvested fields were being disced and planted to silage or other forage crops. Alfalfa fields were making excellent progress; and being cut, dried, and baled. Corn planting continued, and earlier planted fields were growing well. Corn fields were being injected with nitrogen to promote growth. Cotton was emerging at various stages of growth, and being irrigated.

    Apricots, plums, early peaches, and nectarines were harvested. Cherry harvest was in full swing with good yields reported. Grapes were developing well with the favorable weather. Some grape leaves were removed to promote air circulation and light access to developing bunches. Thinning of immature stone fruit continued. New fruit tree orchards and vineyards were irrigated. Pomegranate and olive bloom continued. Mechanical and chemical weed control continued in orchards. Late Navel orange harvest was finishing up for the season. Valencia orange harvest continued. Old citrus orchards were pulled to make space for new citrus plantings.

    Almond nut development was progressing well. Pistachio, walnut, and almond orchards were irrigated and fertilized. Mite control sprays were applied in mite impacted walnut groves. Some orchard floors were sprayed with herbicides and fungicides.

    In Colusa County, the organic asparagus harvest ended.  Processing tomatoes were growing rapidly due to good weather.   In Yolo County, the snap pea harvest finished.  There was more blight than usual due to the high humidity and continued wet weather, but yields were above normal due to good bloom set and excellent growing conditions.  Organic fresh market tomatoes were staked and treated with copper for fungus.  In Stanislaus County, planting was finished for most processing tomatoes. Production was strong with transitions from first planting to second.  The weather was typical for the Salinas Valley with warm days and cool nights.  In Fresno County, herbicide was applied to carrots and onions.  Tomatoes were cultivated and weeded.   Broccoli for seed was cut and prepared for harvest.   In Tulare County, summer vegetables continued to grow and the fields were prepared for harvest.  Early planted melons were picked and shipped domestically.  Zucchini was harvested.  In Imperial County, melons and sweet corn were harvested and sold locally.

    Foothill rangeland and valley dryland pasture forage quality was primarily in fair to good condition. Drying out of grasses continued in the foothills of the southern Sierras. Sheep grazed on retired pasture and dormant alfalfa. Bees were active in melon and vegetable fields.

     

  • USDA California Crop/Weather Report

    Sacramento, Calif., (May 9, 2017) – A broad ridging pattern over the western United States brought dry and hot weather to the State during the first two thirds of the week. Then a pattern shift over the weekend brought cooler temperatures and precipitation to parts of the State.

    A few isolated showers were limited to the Los Angeles basin and the far northern mountains near Mt. Shasta with low amounts of precipitation. Saturday saw more widespread rains in a band from the Los Angeles basin northward through the southern valley into the central and northern Sierras. The heaviest precipitation on Saturday exceeded one inch and fell in the Sierras near Lake Tahoe, with most other areas north and south along the band limited to a quarter inch of precipitation. On Sunday, light scattered precipitation fell on the central/southern Sierras, southern valley, and southward to the San Diego area. Warm temperatures resulted in substantial snowmelt in the mountains during the week, with only about six inches of snow cover remaining at the 6,500 foot elevation level in the southern Sierras. Upwards of four feet still exist over 6,500 feet in the central Sierras, with over eight feet in the northern mountains over 5,500 feet.

    Temperature highs were in the 60s to 80s in the mountains, 70s to 80s along the coast, 80s to 90s in the valley, and 80s to 100s in the desert. The temperature lows were in the 30s to 50s in the mountains, 50s to 60s in the valley and along the coast, and 50s to 70s in the desert.

    Winter wheat was chopped for silage. Alfalfa fields were making excellent progress; some were being cut and baled with the drier weather. Dryland oats were being windrowed and baled. Some irrigated oats were being cut and dried. Corn continued to be planted, and earlier planted fields were growing well. Warm and sunny weather allowed resumption of field work and planting throughout most of the state.

    The cherry harvest started. Some early apricots were harvested. The late navel orange harvest was nearly completed. The accelerated harvest of Valencia oranges continued. Grapefruit were harvested. Seedless tangerines were netted to prevent cross pollination by bees during the bloom. Olive trees were blooming.

    Walnut, almond, and pistachio orchards were irrigated and fertilized. Some orchard floors were sprayed with herbicides and fungicides were applied as needed. Some reports that the almond nut set was good.

    In San Joaquin County, asparagus was harvested and packed. Processing tomatoes and sweet corn were planted. Farmer’s Market vegetables were harvested and offered for sale. In Monterey County, the quick start to the overdue season has slowed with volumes and prices evening out. Production was in full swing with most commodities going to harvest and in replant for the next round. In Fresno County, processing tomatoes were at various stages from planting to having fruit. The fields which had established good stands were receiving irrigation and fertilizer. Peppers were planted. Herbicide and fertilizer were applied to onion for seed. In Tulare County, early planted summer vegetables continued to grow. New fields were prepared for planting of additional summer vegetables. Cucumber, zucchini, eggplant, and melons were planted. Early planted summer squash was harvested. In Imperial County, sweet corn, onions, melons, and watermelons were harvested.

    Foothill rangeland and valley dryland pasture forage quality was in fair to excellent condition. The amount of supplemental feeding of livestock continued to decline response to the favorable range conditions. Sheep grazed on retired pasture and dormant alfalfa. Bees continued to be moved out of state as and some were staged near unplanted melon and vegetable fields.