Crop Production Expected to be Up from 2007
HARRISBURG -- Based on May 1 conditions, Pennsylvania's 2008 production of winter wheat is expected to be 23 percent above 2007. Final total tobacco production figures for 2007 were up 6 percent from 2006. May 1 hay stocks are estimated to be down 4 percent from a year ago, according to the Pennsylvania office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

USDA To Survey Farmers’ Planted Crop Acreage
HARRISBURG -- How many acres of corn did farmers plant this growing season? Which percentage of those acres was planted to biotech varieties? Will actual planted acreage be above or below farmers’ reported planting intentions? These are just a couple of the critical questions the Pennsylvania Field Office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will be asking more than 2300 producers statewide as part of the June Agricultural Survey.

Corn Planting is Up Slightly
By Jeff Mulhollum, PSU Ag Science News
UNIVERSITY PARK -- Farmers across the country are expected to plant 8 percent fewer acres in corn this year than last, but Pennsylvania farmers will plant 1 percent more corn than last year, according to a crops expert in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

Plants Text Message Farmers When Thirsty
By Don Comis, ARS Public Affairs Specialist
BELTSVILLE, MD -- Beginning this crop season, farmers will be able to receive text messages on their cell phones from their plants saying whether they are thirsty or not. Accent Engineering, Inc., of Lubbock, Tex., developed the SmartCropTM automated drought monitoring system based on a patent held by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS). They are offering it for sale in time for this growing season.

Dauphin County Farm Receives REAP Tax Credits for No-till Planting Equipment
HARRISBURG -- Governor Edward G. Rendell proclaimed Soil and Water Conservation Week April 27-May 4 to recognize the efforts of farmers doing their part to conserve soil and water resources with improved management practices.

Resources

Calculated Soil Moisture
Courtesy of NOAA

Calculated Soil Moisture Anomaly
Courtesy of NOAA

Drought Severity Index
Courtesy of NOAA