CALARSS Information Sheet
Table of Contents
1. The Basics2. Crop Report Terms
3. Contact Information
The Basics
Reliable information is needed at local, state, regional and national levels to monitor crop and livestock conditions. The need for this information is especially useful because of the many challenges, private and governmental, facing farmers. In times of disaster, heat, cold, flood or drought, this data can be used to help secure disaster assistance for farmers from a fickle and bureaucratically demanding government. The US government Weekly Crop Weather Report typically begins the first week of April and ends the last week of November.
CALARSS is available year-round, on most modern devices with a web browser, including desktops, laptops, smartphones and tablets. The surveys on CALARSS are tailored to your area and the time of year. New surveys will be released every Friday morning. Reports are updated constantly as people finish their surveys for a given week, and thus may change as the week goes on. As such, every Friday the previous week's results will be finalized. You can view any week by choosing a specific section in the Reports tab. You can also view data from previous years, just the current year, or our data from all of time.
We respect your privacy! Your password is stored securely on our servers, and if you choose to delete your account, all of your information, including survey responses, will be purged from our records forever.
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Crop Report Terms
Days Suitable for Fieldwork: Reporters should consider the activities appropriate for the time of year and which are currently ongoing. During the planting season a day may be rated "not suitable" if soils are either too wet or too dry, or bad weather kept equipment out of fields whatever the soil condition.
Soil Moisture: The following guidelines are helpful in determining topsoil moisture and subsoil moisture (top-soil defined as the top 6 inches).
- Very Short: Soil moisture supplies are significantly less than what is required for normal plant development. Growth has been stopped or nearly so, and plants are showing visible signs of moisture stress. Under these conditions, plants will quickly suffer permanent damage.
- Short: Soil is dry. Seed germination and/or normal crop growth and development are impacted.
- Adequate: Soil is typically moist. Seed germination and/or normal crop growth and development would be close to usual levels.
- Surplus: Soil is wet. Fields may be soft and/or muddy and will generally be unable to absorb additional moisture. Ponding might be noticeable. Young developing crops may be yellowing from excess moisture.
Crop Progress: Percents are one of the best way to indicate the progress of field activities or crop development. Crop planting and harvest progress covers intended (total) acres not the current acres. For example, if half of the planned total current year soybean acreage is planted, a value of 50 percent is entered. If weather conditions impact/change plans, a 100 percent is used when planting for that crop stops. Usually, a field is considered to be in a particular stage when 50 percent or more of the plants have reached or exceeded that stage.
Crop Condition: The following definitions should be used when evaluating crop condition:
- Very Poor: For row crops, there is a significantly high degree of loss to yield potential, complete crop failure. Pastures provide very little or no feed considering the time of year. Supplemental feeding is required to maintain livestock condition.
- Poor: For row crops, there is an elevated percentage of loss of yield potential which can be caused by excess soil moisture, drought, disease, etc. Pastures are providing only marginal feed for the current time of year. Some supplemental feeding is required to maintain livestock condition.
- Fair: For row crops, there is less than normal/usual crop development. Yield loss is a possibility but the extent is unknown. Pastures are providing just enough feed but are still less than normal for the time of year.
- Good: Row crop yield prospects are normal or above. Moisture levels are adequate with only light disease and insect damage. Pastures are providing adequate feed supplies for the time of year.
- Excellent: Row crop yield prospects are above normal and crops are experiencing little or no stress. Pastures are supplying plentiful feed above what is normally expected at the time of year.
Corn Phenological Stages:
- Emerged: Plants are visible.
- Silking: The emergence of silk like strands from the end of ears. This usually occurs about 10 days after the tassel first begins to emerge from the sheath or 2-4 days after the tassel is emerged.
- Dough: Normally half of the kernels are showing dent with some thick or dough-like substance in all kernels.
- Dent: Occurs when all kernels are fully dented and the ear is firm and solid. There is no milk present in most kernels.
- Mature: Plant is considered safe from frost. Corn is about ready to harvest with shucks opening and there is no green foliage present.
- Harvested: Report for harvested grain only. Silage is reported separately.
Soybean Phenological Stages:
- Emerged: Plants are visible.
- Blooming: A plant should be considered as blooming as soon as one bloom appears.
- Setting Pods: Pods are developing on the lower nodes with some blooming still occurring on the upper nodes.
- Dropping Leaves: The bottom of the plant are yellow and dropping, while leaves at the very top may still be green. Leaves are 30-50 percent yellow.
- Harvested: Report for harvested for grain only.
Wheat Phenological Stages:
- Emerged: Plants are visible.
- Jointed: One or more nodes is/are visible.
- Headed: The head is present, visible, and fully emerged.
- Harvested: Report for harvested for grain only.
Hay and Other Roughage Supplies:
- Very Short: Producers do not have the supplies to last the remainder of the feeding season and are able to obtain additional supplies.
- Short: Producers may not have the supplies needed to last the remainder of the feeding season and anticipate trouble obtaining supplies.
- Adequate: Producers have enough hay to last the remainder of the feeding season, or will have no problem obtaining the supplies needed.
- Surplus: Producers have more than enough hay on hand to last the remainder of the feeding season.
Contact Information
Contact us by phone at 717-731-8804 or by email at apeterlin@wxanalyst.com.
You can also check out our company's homepage at https://www.wxanalyst.com.