Global Crop Watch

Global Crop Watch Summary - September 12, 2003 - Showers fell across the northern and central growing regions of Russia, providing soil moisture for up-coming winter grain planting, but delaying harvest.  In the south and the New Lands, dry and warm weather favored harvest progress.  In southern Europe, milder and wetter weather provided moisture for next season's crops.  After several wet weeks, eastern Australia's wheat growing area was dry.  Heavy rain continued across the North China Plain, which will affect maturing cotton. And hot and dry weather settled in across the U.S. Corn Belt.

 China - Cumulative rainfall for the first 10 days of September, 2003.  This map was taken from the FAS-PECAD Crop Explorer web site, available to the public at www.fas.usda.gov/pecad.  Wet conditions continued across the North China Plain and showers continued across Manchuria.  A tropical storm also brought very heavy rainfall to southern China. 

China - Percent of Normal Rainfall for the first 10 days of September 2003.  This map also come from the FAS-PECAD Crop Explorer site.  Note that more than 200 percent of normal rain fell across the North China Plain.  This heavy rain likely hurt cotton which bolls have opened.  Also, there have been reports of Flooding along the Yellow River and its tributaries. 

Mexico - 7 Day Cumulative Rainfall Map for the Period Ending September 10, 2003.  This map was produced by NOAA's Climate Prediction Center and shows the widespread rain that fell across Mexico this week.  The rainfall benefited summer crops, especially in the western and central Corn Belt.

United States -  7 Day Cumulative Precipitation Map for the Period Ending September 10, 2003.   This map is provided by NOAA's Climate Prediction Center.  The summer monsoon provided much needed moisture across the southwest  including the "Four Corner States".  Flash Flooding occurred in southwest Colorado and northwest New Mexico.  Beneficial rain also fell across the Pacific Northwest, eastern Nebraska and South Dakota.  The western Corn Belt was again hot and dry this week.

United States - Drought Monitor - September 9, 2003.   This map is provided by USDA/NOAA's Joint Ag. Weather Facility. While this map is very similar to last week's drought map, there was a slight improvement in moisture from northern Texas and Oklahoma to Kansas and Missouri.  These states were the major area hurt by hot and dry weather during July and August.  Moisture now would improve conditions for rangeland and pastures as well as winter wheat establishment.

NOAA 16 Satellite Image of Idaho & Montana.    This September 3, 2003 satellite image shows smoke from wildfires across western Montana and central Idaho.  This fires have been burning for more than one month.  Potatoes and other summer crops are still in the vegetative state across southern Idaho and central Washington.  Wheat and other small grain harvest is nearing completion.