Georgia peanut, cotton yield estimates increased
Sep 14, 2007 6:27 PM
Georgia had well above normal temperatures for most of August, according to the USDA, NASS, Georgia Field Office. The dry June and July gave way to more frequent showers during August.
Based on a survey of growers contacted around Sept. 1, crop yields for peanuts, cotton and corn all showed slight increases from the previous month.
Tobacco yield remained the same as last month, while soybeans showed a slight decrease.
Disease problems have been minimal most of the year. Condition of most crops has generally been fair to good most of the growing season. Irrigation has been very active this summer, as dry conditions prevailed.
Peanuts
Peanut production in Georgia is forecast at 1.51 billion pounds, compared with last year's 1.58 billion pounds. Planted and harvested acres are up slightly from last month. Planted acres are at 530,000 and harvested acres at 520,000.
Yields across Georgia’s peanut belt are expected to average 2,900 pounds per acre, one hundred pounds more than last month and 150 pounds more than last year. Growers were just beginning to dig peanuts by the first of September.
Spraying for insects and diseases continued throughout the month. As of Sept. 10, 54 percent of the peanut crop was rated good to excellent, 31 percent was rated fair, and 15 percent was rated poor to very poor.
Cotton
Georgia's 2007 cotton crop is forecast to average 808 pounds of lint per harvested acre, 16 pounds more than last month, but 10 pounds per acre less than last year. Planted acreage at 1,040,000 acres is 10,000 acres lower than the August estimate and 360,000 acres less than 2006. Acreage expected to be harvested this fall is estimated at 1,010,000 acres, up 10,000 acres from last month, but 360,000 acres less than last year.
Production is estimated at 1.7 million bales, 27 percent less than last year’s 2.33 million bales.
As of Sept. 10, 45 percent of the cotton crop was rated good to excellent, 35 percent was rated fair, and 20 percent was rated poor to very poor.
Tobacco
Tobacco yields for 2007 are expected to average 2,100 pounds per acre, the same as last month, and 330 pounds more than last year. Acreage harvested is expected to be 20,000 acres, 3,000 acres more than last year. This puts potential production at 42.0 million pounds for the year 2007, 40 percent more than in 2006. As of Sept. 10, 83 percent of the crop had been harvested, about a week behind normal.
Corn
Corn yield for 2007 is expected to average 120 bushels per harvested acre, 5 bushels above last month, and 8 bushels per acre more last year. Georgia's total corn production is expected to total 57.6 million bushels from 480,000 acres harvested for grain. Production is up 229 percent more than last year.
The dry summer caused irrigating to be very active. The corn for grain harvest is near normal with 68 percent of the crop harvested by Sept. 10. This harvest progress compares with 70 percent for the 5-year average.
Soybeans
Soybean yields in Georgia are forecast at 29 bushels per harvested acre, one bushel less than last month. Production is forecast at 5.95 million bushels, up significantly from the 3.50 million bushels last year. Harvested acres are estimated at 205,000, the same as last month, but up 65,000 acres from last year's 140,000 acres.
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