Hawaii Weekly Crop Weather Report

Here is the PDF file for the *Hawaii Crop Weather* (crop progress and condition) Report for the week ending *May 27, 2007*

current_hi-052907.pdf

Please visit http://www.nass.usda.gov/hi/ for more information.USDA NASS Hawaii Field Office
1421 South King Street
Honolulu, HI 96814-2512
1-800- 804-9514

Agricultural Highlights

Fruits

Banana
Orchards in eastern sections of the island of Hawaii were in fair to good condition. Mostly dry conditions slowed crop progress as soil moisture was slowly depleted. Spraying was required to minimize Black Leaf Streak damage. Oahu orchards were in fair to good condition. Fields in windward locations were in fair condition maintaining light to moderate harvesting as the Banana Bunchy Top virus continued to keep production down. Leeward and central fields continued to make good progress, but were also slowed by light Banana Bunchy Top virus damage. Irrigation levels remained at moderate to heavy levels during the week due to the dry days. Fruit development and ripening continued to make good progress with the sunny days and warmer temperatures.

Papaya
On the Big Island, depleting soil moisture and sunny days kept orchards in fair condition. Crop progress of younger orchards was slowed by the hot and dry conditions. Spraying was active for insect, disease, and weed control. Orchards on Kauai continued to make fair to good progress during the week. Spraying to contain insect populations continued on a regular schedule and kept infestations manageable.

Vegetables

Head Cabbage
The Big Island?s Waimea crop was in generally good condition. Harvesting of medium size heads was in progress. New plantings made good progress with heavy irrigation. Insect and disease damage was generally light. Weeds were a problem in isolated fields. Maui?s crop continued to progress well despite the warming growing conditions. Overall, the head cabbage crop was in fair to good condition. Insect pressure increased in growing areas and affected lower elevation fields more than the higher elevation fields. Increased irrigation was necessary to minimize stress and allow for continued steady growth. Insect damage was under control in most fields. Planting and harvesting activity was uninterrupted. On Oahu, mealy bugs, Ring Spot virus, and wild pigs were reportedly keeping production lower than anticipated.

Dry Onions
Maui?s crop was in good condition. Weather conditions have been beneficial for the dry onion crop. Growth and development has been good. Average yields have improved mainly due to decreased losses to field defects and increased average bulb size. Active planting and harvesting is expected to continue at a steady rate.

Miscellaneous

Coffee
In the Kona Districts of the Big Island, coffee orchards had berries n the green stage of development. Coffee orchards on Kauai made fair progress with some fields not receiving irrigation due to low reservoir levels. Light passing showers at week?s end provided little or no relief for the parched fields.

Hawaii Crop Weather

Here is the PDF file for the *Hawaii Crop Weather* (crop progress and condition) Report for the week ending *May 21, 2007*

current_hi052207.pdf

Please visit http://www.nass.usda.gov/hi/ for more information.USDA NASS Hawaii Field Office
1421 South King Street
Honolulu, HI 96814-2512
1-800- 804-9514

Agricultural Highlights

Fruits

Banana
Banana orchards in windward sections of Hawaii Island continued to make good progress. Soil moisture was adequate. Sunny and warm conditions benefited fruit and orchard growth. Disease incidences have remained stable. Banana Bunchy Top incidences remain isolated in the Puna and Kona areas. Oahu orchards were in fair to good condition. Fields in windward Oahu were in fair condition with light to moderate harvesting as Banana Bunchy Top virus continued to keep production down. Leeward and central Oahu fields continued to make fair to good progress and were also slowed by Banana Bunchy Top damage. Irrigation levels remained at moderate to heavy levels during the week due to the relatively dry weather. Fruit development and ripening continued to make good progress with the sunny days and warmer temperatures. Kauai?s orchards were in fair to good condition.

Papaya
Orchards in the lower Puna area of the Big Island were in good to fair condition. Light showers helped to provide some soil moisture. However, more showers are needed. In the lower Kapoho area, large orchards had trees that were too tall for commercial harvest. Recently planted orchards made slower progress due to the dry conditions. Spraying for weed and disease control was on-going. Orchards on Kauai continued to make fair to good progress during the week. Spraying to contain insect populations continued on a regular schedule and was keeping infestations manageable.

Vegetables

Head Cabbage
The Big Island?s Waimea crop was in generally good to fair condition. Medium-sized heads were harvested. Hot and dry conditions required heavy irrigation. Insect and disease damage was generally light. The Maui head cabbage crop continued to make steady progress. Warmer growing conditions have increased crop growth and development, but it has also encouraged increased insect pressure in the major growing areas. Borders of fields were drying out and insects and wildlife were feeding on irrigated fields. So far, losses have been kept to a minimum, but it may become increasingly more difficult to control with the warmer months approaching. Overall, Maui?s head cabbage crop was in fair condition. On Oahu, new plants were in good condition. Insect infestations were at light levels and mostly under control.

Sweet Corn
The Big Island?s young crop made steady progress. Sunny days and adequate soil moisture benefited crop growth. On Oahu, beneficial weather conditions allowed plants to make good progress and boost market supplies from central Oahu fields. Windward fields made good progress during the week and are expected to continue with moderate harvesting.

Dry Onions
Maui?s dry onion crop continued to benefit from the current weather conditions. The long days and warm temperatures encouraged good growth and development especially for maturing fields. Yields were good and are expected to be steady for several weeks. The lack of rainfall has reduced the occurrence of quality defects in the field. Developing fields were showing good steady progress. Overall, the dry onion crop was in fair to good condition.

Miscellaneous

Ginger Root
Plantings in the eastern sections of the island of Hawaii made steady progress. Sunny and warm days benefited crop growth. Light showers provided just enough moisture to sustain growth.

Hawaii Weekly Crop Weather Report

Here is the PDF file for the *Hawaii Crop Weather* (crop progress and condition) Report for the week ending *May 13, 2007*

current_hi-0515a07.pdf

Please visit http://www.nass.usda.gov/hi/ for more information.USDA NASS Hawaii Field Office
1421 South King Street
Honolulu, HI 96814-2512
1-800- 804-9514

Agricultural Highlights

Fruits

Banana
Big Island orchards in eastern sections were in generally good condition. Sunny days and adequate soil moisture benefited fruit and orchard development. Younger stalks made good progress. Oahu orchards were in fair to good condition. Fields in windward areas were in fair condition as Banana Bunchy Top virus continued to keep production down. Leeward and central Oahu fields continued to make fair to good progress also hindered by Banana Bunchy Top virus damage. Irrigation levels remained at moderate to heavy levels during the week due to the windy and dry weather. Fruit development and ripening continued to make good progress with the sunny days and warmer temperatures. Kauai?s orchards were in fair to good condition.

Papaya
Favorable weather conditions are beneficial for orchard progress in the lower Puna area of the Big Island. Orchards in the Kapoho and Pohoiki area were in generally good condition. Spraying was ongoing for weed and disease control. Orchards on Kauai continued to make fair to good progress during the week. Spraying to contain insect populations continued on a regular schedule.

Vegetables

Chinese Cabbage
The Big Island?s Waimea crop made good progress with heavy irrigation. Insect and disease damage was generally light due to timely spraying. The crop was in generally good condition.

Head Cabbage
On the island of Hawaii, fields in Waimea were in good to fair condition. The quality of the harvested heads was fair due to weeds and warmer temperatures. Insect and disease damage was generally light. New plantings made good progress with heavy irrigation. On Maui, the head cabbage crop continued to show good growth and development during the week. Warm growing conditions in the Upcountry area allowed for the average head size to increase and development within the fields to be more uniform. However, the warm weather was also conducive for increasing insect populations. Increased irrigation was necessary for most fields, especially in the lower elevation areas. The clear weather has allowed for normal field activities to occur. Overall, the head cabbage crop was in fair to good condition. Central area fields on Oahu were in mostly good condition. Insect infestation was at light levels and mostly under control.

Sweet Corn
Adequate soil moisture and sunny days favored growth in east Hawaii fields. Overall crop conditions ranged from fair to good. Beneficial weather conditions allowed plants to make good progress in central Oahu fields. Ear worm infestation was light and under control. Windward fields made good progress during the week. Semi-head (Manoa) Lettuce Planting and harvesting remained steady on Oahu. Light to moderate insect infestation and damage to plants continued to lower yields. Spraying to control insects was active.

Dry Onions
Maui?s crop continued to show good growth and development during the week. Fields, at the various stages of development, benefited from this weeks? weather. Newly transplanted fields may have been stressed due the warm sunny days. Maturing fields showed good growth over the passed couple of weeks. Good yields are expected mainly due to increased bulb size and decreased occurrence quality defects. Overall, Maui?s dry onion crop was in good condition.

Miscellaneous

Ginger Root
Crop progress is good on the Big Island. Adequate soil moisture and sunny days benefited young ginger growth in East Hawaii fields.

Hawaii Weekly Crop Weather Report

Here is the PDF file for the *Hawaii Crop Weather* (crop progress and condition) Report for the week ending *May 6, 2007*

current_hi-051507.pdf

Please visit http://www.nass.usda.gov/hi/ for more information.USDA NASS Hawaii Field Office
1421 South King Street
Honolulu, HI 96814-2512
1-800- 804-9514

Agricultural Highlights

Fruits

Banana
Growing conditions are near ideal for orchards in the eastside of Hawaii Island. Light winds, sunny days, and adequate soil moisture provided good conditions for orchard progress. Spraying needed to be increased as higher disease incidences were observed. New plantings in the Pepeekeo area made steady growth. Oahu orchards were in fair to good condition. Fields in windward Oahu were in fair condition with light to moderate harvesting as the Banana Bunchy Top virus continued to hamper production. Leeward and central Oahu fields made fair to good progress. Irrigation remained at moderate to heavy levels during the week due to the windy and dry weather conditions. Fruit development and ripening continued to improve with the sunny days and warmer temperatures. Orchards on Kauai were in fair to good condition.

Papaya
Good soil moisture and sunny days helped boost orchard progress in the lower Puna area. Orchards in the Kapoho, Opihikao, and Pohoiki showed good flower and fruit set. Mature orchards have full fruit columns with medium-sized fruits. Orchards in the Kalapana area were in fair condition. Spraying was required to minimize disease damage. Orchards on Kauai made fair to good progress during the week. Spraying to contain insect populations continued on a regular schedule.

Vegetables

Chinese Cabbage
Plantings in the Waimea area of the Big Island made rapid progress. Weeds were a problem is some fields. Disease incidence was noticed on the wrapper leaves. Insect damage was light. Heavy irrigation was required as conditions have been mostly sunny and dry. New plantings made steady progress.

Head Cabbage
The Big Island?s Waimea crop was in good to fair condition. Insect and disease damage was generally light. Harvest of good quality, medium-size heads was in progress. New plantings made good progress with heavy irrigation. Maui?s head cabbage crop continued to make fair to good progress. Warm growing conditions required close monitoring of the fields for timely spraying due to increased insect pressure. Warmer temperatures also required increased irrigation for most fields, especially those in the lower elevation areas. Crop quality was good, and damage from insects continued to be low. Overall, the head cabbage crop was in mostly fair condition with some fields in good condition. On Oahu, insect infestations were at light levels. New plantings were in good condition.

Sweet Corn
Newly-planted fields in windward areas of the Island of Hawaii made good progress. Soil moisture was adequate, and crop was in fair to good condition. Weather conditions allowed central Oahu fields to make good progress. Light worm infestations were mostly under control. Windward fields made good progress during the week. Semi-head (Manoa) Lettuce Planting and harvesting on Oahu remained steady. Light to moderate insect infestation and damage to plants continued to slow crop progress and lower yields. Spraying to control insects was active. Most plantings on Kauai made good progress with the sunny and dry weather conditions.

Dry Onions
Weather conditions benefited Maui?s crop. Warm temperatures were good for the growth and development of the crop in all stages. Conditions have not been too hot, and the periodic brisk winds were good for air circulation within the fields. Insect pressure was low. Developing fields were in good condition. Bulbs were showing good size. Young fields were also developing well and showing vigorous growth. Overall, the dry onion crop was in good condition.

Miscellaneous

Ginger Root
On the Big Island, newly planted seeds were sprouting. Adequate soil moisture and sunny periods aided crop progress. Late planting continued in isolated areas. ?

Hawaii Weekly Crop Weather Report

Here is the PDF file for the *Hawaii Crop Weather* (crop progress and condition) Report for the week ending April 29, 2007

current_hi-050107.pdf

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

Fruits

Banana
Soil moisture in windward areas of the Big Island was high and the crop was in generally good condition. Mostly sunny days, following wet weather early in the week, were beneficial for fruit development and orchard condition.

Banana
Bunchy Top virus incidences remain isolated in the Puna and Kona areas. Oahu banana orchards were in fair to good condition. Fields in windward areas were in fair condition. Banana Bunchy Top virus continued to adversely affect production. Leeward and central Oahu fields made fair to good progress. Rouging and spraying for insect infestation was stepped up and has helped slow Banana Bunchy Top infections in the area. Irrigation levels were at moderate to heavy levels due to the windy and dry weather. Fruit development and ripening continued to improve due to mostly sunny skies and the longer daylight hours.

Papaya
Orchards on Hawaii Island were in fair to good condition. Showers increased soil moisture to satisfactory levels in most orchards. Active flowering occurred in most fields. Orchards on Kauai made fair to good progress during the week. Spraying to contain insects was on a regular schedule.

Vegetables

Chinese Cabbage
The Big Island?s Waimea crop continued to make steady progress. Planting was very active in selected fields. Irrigation was necessary due to dry and windy conditions. Excessive weeds were noticed in many fields. Quality of harvested heads was fair to good.

Head Cabbage
The Big Island?s Waimea crop was in generally good condition. Light insect damage was noticed on outer leaves. Irrigation kept crop progress normal. Crop progress in the Volcano area was slow due to wet conditions. On Oahu, increasing diamond back moth infestation was stemmed with increasing control measures. New plantings were in good to fair condition.

Sweet Corn
Planting and field prep were ongoing in the windward side of the Big Island. Frequent showers and warm temperatures boosted growth. Overall, the crop was making good progress with younger plantings making steady progress. Central Oahu fields made good progress having benefited from sunny skies, dry conditions, and warmer temperatures during the week. Light worm infestation was mostly under control. Windward area fields also made good progress.

Cucumbers
Harvesting is expected to pickup on Oahu fields as new plantings come into active harvest. Wind damage and scarring of fruits were light in exposed areas. Irrigation levels were heavy due to the dry weather.

Dry Onions
On Maui, growth and development of plantings have been very good. Fields, at all stages of development, were in good condition. Maturing fields are expected to have good yields and quality. Average bulb size is also anticipated to increase. Younger, newly-planted, fields also faired well during the week.

HAWAII CROP WEATHER

Here is the PDF file for the *Hawaii Crop Weather* (crop progress and condition) Report for the week ending *April 1, 2007*

current_hi040107.pdf

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

Fruits
Banana

Orchards in eastern sections of Hawaii Island had adequate moisture. Spraying was required to minimize disease damage. Banana Bunchy Top virus damage was still localized in the Puna and Kona areas. Oahu orchards were in good to fair condition. Fields in windward Oahu made fair progress with light to moderate harvesting. Leeward and central Oahu fields remained in fair to good condition. Irrigation was at moderate to heavy levels. Fruit development and ripening continued to improve during the week with the favorable weather conditions. Kauai?s orchards were in fair to good condition.
Papaya
Papaya orchards in the lower Puna area of the Big Island were in fair to good condition. Spraying for disease and weed control was active during the week. Young papaya fields in the lower Kapoho area made steady progress. Fruit quality and yields were improving. Orchards on Kauai made fair to good progress during the week. Spraying to contain insect infestation and disease infestation remained slow in rainy areas.
Vegetables
Chinese Cabbage
The Big Island?s crop was making good progress with heavy irrigation. Light disease incidence was noticed on the wrapper leaves. Head quality and yields were generally good. New plantings made good growth.
Head Cabbage
On Hawaii Island, the Waimea crop made good progress with irrigation. Selective spraying was minimizing insect and disease damage. New plantings increased in the Lalamilo area and were making good progress. Maui?s crop was reported to be showing steady increased growth due to the warming conditions and longer day length. Rainfall received a couple of week ago increased the overall ground moisture and some producers may reduce irrigation for the week. Some areas reported that the increase moisture has increased incidences of rot. While there has been some loss due to the rot, overall production is not expected to be significantly affected. Overall the crop was in generally fair condition. On Oahu, new plants were in good condition. Insect infestation remained light to moderate.
Sweet Corn
Sunny, dry, and warm weather allowed plants to make good progress in central Oahu fields. Windward fields made fair to good progress, slightly slowed with the overcast skies and intermittent rains. Big Island plantings had adequate oil moisture and the crop was making steady progress. Overall, the crop condition was in fair condition.
Cucumbers
New plantings on Oahu made good progress during the week as the warmer and sunnier weather conditions were favorable for most fields located in the central part of the island. Flower and fruit set was good during the week.
Semi-head (Manoa) Lettuce
The dry weather and higher temperatures have caused an increase in insect infestation and light damage to Oahu?s Manoa lettuce crop. Spraying to control insects was active.
Dry Onions
The crop on Maui benefited from this week?s sunny weather and in generally fair condition. Average bulb size was larger, although there were some losses due to quality defects in development as a result of cooler conditions during the previous months. Overall, producers are expecting increased improvement in the condition of the dry onion crop. Yields are expected to increase and losses from defects are expected to decrease as growing conditions continue to improve.
Miscellaneous
Ginger Root

Most growers have finished harvest for the season. Planting and field preparation for next season?s crop was active in east Hawaii sections.