Dry conditions have impacted cattle producers attempting to plant winter annual forages and peanut growers trying to dig dryland fields. According to the Georgia Crop Progress and Condition report released today, peanuts that were dug were 71% compared to the 5-year average of 83%. Thirty-nine percent of the cotton crop has been harvested compared to the 5-year average of 37%.
The US Drought Monitor this past week shows over 70% of the state of Georgia is not experiencing drought conditions. On a national level, the U.S. saw a huge expansion of drought for the third week in a row. Most of the degradation took place in the eastern Plains, Midwest, and South. The East Coast and Hawaii worsened too. As of October 22, 2024, 41.89% of the U.S. and Puerto Rico and 49.97% of the lower 48 states are in drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. This is going to impact planting small grain cover crops and winter annual forages.
I have received a few questions about submitting local reports for the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM). How can I get involved?
What to contribute your observations to the USDM process? Here are some ways.
- Talk to your state climatologist — Find the current list at the American Association of State Climatologists website at www.stateclimate.org.
- Submit CMOR reports — Use the Condition Monitoring Observer Report system to provide information about how drought is affecting your area. Your report will appear immediately on an interactive map. Reports won’t directly change an area’s classification on the USDM, but your observation will help Drought Monitor authors and others interpret complex data and identify areas that may need more attention.
- Become a CoCoRaHS observer – Submit drought reports along with daily precipitation observations. Learn more at www.cocorahs.org.
- Email — Emails sent to droughtmonitor@unl.edu inform the USDM authors.
Rainfall totals from the UGA Weather Network at the Sunbelt Expo location. From September 28 to October 27, 2024, 0.01 inches of rain were recorded. Rainfall totals during this same period ranged from 1.42 to 2.37 inches from 2021 to 2023.
What about irrigating my peanuts? In the All About the Pod” podcast, Wes Porter suggested that irrigated peanut growers keep watering. He suggests applying around 0.5 inch per week. This is calculated by using ET values and multiplying this value by the crop coefficient for peanut. The late-season coefficient for peanuts is 0.6. The ET value from the Moultrie location of the UGA Weather Netweek was 0.83 inches for the period of October 21-27, 2024.
Is it too dry to take soil samples? I had this question a couple of times this past week. I asked this question to Dr. Lessl, Director of the Agricultural and Environmental Services Lab in Athens. The moisture status of the soil will not impact the results because the samples have to dry before analysis can be conducted.
What is the defoliation recipe for this week? Dr. Camp Hand, UGA Cotton Agronmist, suggests that “If spraying Monday, would go with 12 oz/acre Def/Folex along with 4 oz/acre Dropp and prep (up to 42 oz/acre) to open bolls if necessary. After Monday we can back off the Folex – 10 oz/acre would be a good rate, maybe could even back down to 8 if it’s getting above 85 degrees. Dropp is doing the heavy lifting with regrowth control and juvenile leaves in the top of the plant. I like 4 oz/acre in most situations, but you can go up to 6.4 oz/acre in a single app and 9.6 oz/acre/year. Some of the PPO chemistries (ET, Aim, Reviton) do a good job on juvenile growth as well but do not prevent regrowth.”
Dr. Yangxuan Li, UGA Cotton Economist,
The Long Term Economic Struggles of Southern Cotton Farmers
Monday, October 28, 2024
Southern agriculture faces unique challenges, with limited crops that are both suitable and competitive in the region. Cotton, one of the major row crops in the Southern United States, has historically been favored for its drought resistance, making it well-suited to the region’s soil and weather conditions. Cotton is grown from Virginia to California across the southern U.S. In 2024, the U.S. is projected to produce 14.5 million bales of cotton. While market prices are expected to be around $0.66 per pound (USDA WASDE), the value of cotton production is approximately $4.6 billion nationwide, underscoring its essential role in the Southern region. READ MORE.
Pam Knox, UGA Weather Network Director
Why hurricane insurance is not paying for many producers’ claims
Over the past couple of months I have received many questions about weather-related crop insurance and why the counties designated by the RMA do not match what they have experienced in their area. Producers are frustrated when they experience weather that they think clearly meets the requirements for the insurance and yet they are not considered as affected counties by the RMA. My goal in this article is to explain the wording of the crop insurance and what datasets are used to determine whether or not a county is eligible for an insurance payment. I am not here to blame RMA, NOAA, or any other group for the determinations, just tell you about the insurance wording and the datasets and what they do and do not show. I believe that everyone wants to make sure the appropriate producers are getting paid in the quickest way possible, but the way the insurance policy is written limits who will get payments. READ MORE
I know it has been really dry in October. I had an irrigated hay producer ask me about how late a bermudagrass hay field can be harvested and not impact the stand next year.
One of the worst things that one can do to a bermudagrass hayfield is to cut it about 3-4 weeks before frost. If cut at this time, the bermudagrass will mobilize carbohydrate and N reserves and attempt to grow back. After 3-4 weeks of early fall growth, it will have used up most of its reserves. Ordinarily, it would begin to build back its reserves in storage. But if it gets nipped back by frost, it won’t have the opportunity to replenish its bank account. This makes the plant weak going into the winter, more susceptible to cold injury, and less vigorous the following spring. As a result, one should try to schedule their last cutting of bermudagrass to occur a week or so immediately before or after the first frost. Since the bermudagrass won’t be growing back at that point, this will ensure that carbohydrate and N reserves in the plant are at their maximum going into the winter.
Cover Crop Demonstration!
Last week, I had the opportunity to assist with a cover crop demonstration utilizing a drone to seed a cover crop at two different timings: before cotton defoliation and after defoliation. Cover crop treatments included rye, rye + crimson clover, and rye + clover + vetch, and were compared to a grower standard. There will be more information about this project in the future.
Have a great week and if you have questions please let me know.
Jeremy M. Kichler
Colquitt County Extension Coordinator
The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension does not endorse or guarantee the performance of any products mentioned in this update.