Kentucky Crop Stable as Soils Dry up

Source from:  tfq.itsmyiq.com Aug 21, 2007 08/22/2007

The tobacco crop for the Bluegrass State is generally in good condition as the soil moisture falls by the week. The National Agricultural Statistics Service in Lexington reported August 20 that topsoil moisture was rated at 89 percent either in short or very short condition as harvesting continued. Only 11 percent of the topsoil moisture was rated adequate. Subsoil moisture was equally tough, with 89 percent in either short or very short. Tobacco crops were rated at 58 percent good or excellent and 26 percent rated fair, with slight disease problems showing up in small areas. While dry conditions are not hurting the crop in the field, it is creating curing problems in the housed tobacco. Cutting is behind last year's crop, with 19 percent cut. dark tobacco is at 15 percent cut. Enditem