Here is the PDF file for the *Hawaii Crop Weather* (crop progress and condition) Report for the week ending *March 25, 2007*
Please visit http://www.nass.usda.gov/hi/ for more information.
USDA NASS Hawaii Field Office
1421 South King Street
Honolulu, HI 96814-2512
Agricultural Highlights
Banana
Orchards in eastern sections of Hawaii Island were in good to fair condition. Young plants were making good progress. Soil moisture was adequate. Regular spraying was minimizing disease and insect damage. Oahu orchards were in fair to good condition. Fields in windward Oahu made fair to good progress with light to moderate harvesting. Leeward and central Oahu fields remained in fair to good condition. Irrigation levels were at moderate levels during the week. Fruit development and ripening continued to improve during the week with the favorable weather conditions. On Kauai, orchards were in fair to good condition. Harvesting was expected to continue light to moderate for on island market.
Papaya
Light showers and sunny days benefited orchard growth in the lower Puna areas of the Big Island. Routine spraying has minimized disease damage. Field activities such as weeding, leaf trimming, fertilizing, and harvesting were active. Fruit quality and yields were fair. Young plantings made steady progress. Orchards on Kauai made fair to good progress during the week. Pickings remained at light to very light levels from many older fields. Spraying to contain insects and diseases were slowed in areas where the winds were too blustery.
Head Cabbage
The Big Island?s Waimea crop was in good to fair condition. Weeds were a problem in isolated Puukapu and Lalamilo fields. Head quality was generally good. New plantings made steady progress. Maui?s head cabbage crop made good progress. Weather conditions enabled continued growth and uniform development. Insect pressure was present, but has been generally kept under control. Damage has been minimal for most fields. Overall, the head cabbage crop was in fair condition. New fields on Oahu were in good condition with fields in active harvest. Insect infestation remained under control and head quality was good.
Dry Onions
On Maui, some maturing fields were producing larger bulbs compared to previous harvests. Young fields have benefited from the increasing day length and are expected to do well with the changing weather conditions. Overall, the dry onion crop was generally in fair condition.
Sweet Corn
The Big Island crop was in good to fair condition. Soil moisture was adequate and sunny periods benefited crop growth. Harvesting was active. On Oahu, harvesting was active with the continued sunny, dry, and warmer weather allowing the plants to make good progress in central Oahu fields. Windward fields made fair to good progress. The drier weather also allowed more active field preparation and planting to occur.
Cucumbers
New plantings on Oahu made good to fair progress during the week as the winds slowed crop progress and caused some damage to fruits in exposed fields. Flower and fruit set was fair during the week.
Coffee
Light coffee flowering was observed in the Holualoa district of the Big Island. Coffee fields on Kauai continued to make good progress with good flowering from the last rains.
Ginger Root
Field preparation and planting continue to take place in eastern areas of Hawaii Island. Conditions were good for planting activities. Harvesting was light.