The latest California Crop Weather report from the National Agricultural Statistics Service’s Sacramento, Calif., Field Office:

Weather

The early part of the week of May 14 featured above normal temperatures for California’s interior valleys as weak high pressure began to move eastward out of the state.

During the mid to latter part of the period, a weak low pressure pattern sat stagnant over California producing a cooling trend.

On Tuesday, below normal temperatures occurred in the delta region of the Sacramento and the San Joaquin valleys and the coast as the low pressure increased the marine flow from the San Francisco Bay area. The extremities of the valley remained at just below normal.

From Wednesday through Sunday, California temperatures remained cool for this time of the year with the most deviation on Saturday. A few weather disturbances passed to the north and east of California leaving most of the state dry.

A few light showers fell across the interior northern mountains and northeast plateau.

Field crops

Rice planting was nearly completed and fields received fertilizer and herbicide treatments. Sunflower, corn, and bean planting continued.

The third cutting of alfalfa is underway in most areas. Wheat harvest continued. Oat and wheat hay was baled.

Cotton continued to progress although at a slower pace than recent years. Lygus treatments continued in southern SJV cotton fields.

Fruit crops

The picking of Valencia oranges continued normally in the SJV as the Navel orange harvest moved toward conclusion. The lemon harvest was ongoing along the coast.

SJV strawberry, blueberry, and blackberry harvests were ongoing. The apricot harvest began in the Central Valley as thinning in peach orchards, and herbicide applications in prune orchards were done.

Fruit orchards were irrigated across California and showed good development overall, but continued behind normal development due to earlier weather conditions.

Nut crops

Almond orchards showed strong development as insect presence remained subdued. Herbicide applications were made in walnut and almond orchards. Fertilizers were applied in pistachio orchards along with ongoing irrigation.

Vegetable crops

Vegetable field work and herbicide treatments continued in the Sacramento Valley. SJV bell pepper, cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon, and tomato fields were planted. The parsley and squash harvests were underway.

In the southern SJV, sweet corn was planted. Broccoli and cauliflower matured. Processing tomatoes were weeded and irrigated. The progress has been delayed by the unusually cool weather.

Dehydrated onions were weeded and irrigated. Carrots were in excellent condition. Spring crops of onions and garlic did well.

Beets, cabbage, cauliflower, the choys, chards and kales, cucumbers, daikon, fava and green beans, herbs, mustard greens, gailon, lettuce, spinach, green and red onions, squash, sweet peas, sugar snap peas, greenhouse tomatoes, and turnips were harvested in Fresno County.