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Texas crop, weather...

published: September 17th 2010
source: Texas AgriLife Extension Service

COLLEGE STATION -- The rain and cooler weather brought by Hermine will no doubt offer some relief to heat and drought-stressed crops, according to Texas AgriLife Extension Service personnel.
    In the Rolling Plains, the storm brought rain to drought-stressed cotton on the day of this report, but it was too soon to say exactly how much relief it will give, said Dr. Todd Baughman, AgriLife Extension agronomist based in Vernon.
    "In the Rolling Plains area, the cotton and soybeans had been stressed from heat and dry weather," Baughman said. "We averaged 104 degrees at one of our weather station sites for the entire month of August."
    Only 10 percent of the cotton in the Rolling Plains is irrigated; the rest is dryland, Baughman noted.
    The rain could possibly help some of the later-planted cotton, if there is favorable weather during the fall, he said. But the earlier-planted cotton had already been cut out before the rain.
    Peanuts were doing well where irrigators could keep up, but if they got behind, then yields will definitely be adversely affected, Baughman said.
    Baughman said many companies are working on drought-tolerant peanut varieties, but triple digit heat is hard to deal with.
    "Drought tolerance is definitely important for us, but often times, heat is as big a factor as drought," he said.
    This year's triple-digit summer may become the norm in a few decades, said Dr. John Nielsen-Gammon, Texas A&M University professor and Texas state climatologist.
    "The basic message is that parts of Texas have been running three to four degrees above normal for the past couple of summers," Nielsen-Gammon said. "It turns out those temperatures will be pretty much what's to be expected in 2050 and 2060, according to computer projections of global warming. In fact, we've got a taste of things to come."
    Nielsen-Gammon noted that average temperatures have been rising about one degree per decade since the 1970s.
    Short-range forecasts are harder, Nielson-Gammon said, but because of a strong La Nina current this fall in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, he expected this winter to be warmer and drier than normal.
    AgriLife Extension district reporters compiled the following summaries:
    CENTRAL: Some counties received rain, which raised the chances for another cutting of hay. Aflatoxin was still a problem for corn farmers. Producers were gearing up to plant wheat and cool-season forages. Pecans dropped nuts due to heat stress, scab and black spot. Many producers were defoliating cotton and servicing cotton strippers in preparation for harvest.
    COASTAL BEND: Tropical storm Hermine brought rain and increased soil-moisture levels. The cotton harvest began for some while other were waiting to defoliate. Cotton yields were good, but rainfall may have hurt quality. Hay was plentiful, and pastures were looking better after the rain.
    EAST: Parts of the area received as much as 3 inches of rain. However, much of the region did not receive measurable moisture, and hay harvest totals fell further behind. Relief from triple-digit temperatures came as a cold front pushed through. Army-worms and grasshoppers continued to be a problem. Feral hog activity was up in some counties. Livestock were in fair to good condition.
    FAR WEST: Scattered rains improved soil-moisture levels and rangeland conditions. The fifth cutting of alfalfa was completed. Chiles were growing pods. Pecans were at the gel stage. Cotton bolls were growing, and stinkbug pressure was increasing. Because watermelons were damaged earlier in the year, the harvest was expected to extend into October. Corn and sorghum were still being harvested. Producers were preparing fields for an early planting of wheat.
    NORTH: Soil-moisture levels ranged from very short to adequate. Dry weather continued to plague many producers in the region. Cooler temperatures and spotty showers brought some needed relief and a welcomed break from several days of 100-degree-plus temperatures. Heat and no rain took their toll on crops and pastures. Hay harvest was limited, and some producers had to start to feeding hay. Most of the corn crop has been harvested, with yields below average. Many fields were being cut and rolled into hay, and many farmers were just taking insurance on the crop. The grain sorghum harvest was about 75 percent to 80 percent complete. Yields varied, with average yields on good fields and below average on the poorer fields. Soybean harvest began, but there were no yield reports as yet. Wheat growers were preparing fields for planting. Cotton was in fair to good condition while peanuts were in very poor condition. Feral hogs were on the move again, damaging pastures and hay meadows. Rangeland and pastures were in fair to poor condition.
    PANHANDLE: The region was hot and dry -- average for the region this time of the year. Soil-moisture levels varied from short to surplus with most reporting adequate. Corn, cotton and sorghum were rated mostly fair to good. Wheat planting continued. Rangeland and pastures were mostly in fair condition. Cattle were in good condition.
    ROLLING PLAINS: Scattered showers helped replenish soil-moisture levels. Producers began sowing wheat and oats after the rain. Overall, wheat producers were reported as being more optimistic than they were in June about putting the crop in. However, a number of producers were thinking about grazing wheat out instead of harvesting it for grain after last year's disappointing market. Hay fields perked up after the showers, and many growers were expecting a least one more cutting. Cotton was in better shape thanks to the rains, but the crop needed warmer temperatures to finish maturing. Growers were harvesting grain sorghum. Peanuts were nearly ready for harvest, and producers were expecting a good crop. Cattle on pasture were in good condition.
    SOUTH: Prior to tropical storm Hermine's arrival, hot and dry weather continued, with temperatures above 100 degrees and only a few scattered showers. Soil-moisture levels were adequate in the eastern and southern parts of the region, short in the western part and very short in the northern part of the region. Rangeland and pastures were suffering from the lack of rainfall but were still in good to fair condition. There was concern about high risk of wildfires as grasses were drying out rapidly. In the northern parts of the region, the corn harvesting was wrapped up, the cotton harvesting began in the few acres planted this year, and peanuts were developing. In the eastern part of the region, cotton maturity lagged with most of the crop unharvested and cotton stalk destruction deadlines extended because of the delay. In the western part of the region, the corn and sorghum harvests were completed, the cotton harvest was delayed due to scattered showers, and producers were preparing land for fall crops. In the southern part of the region, the cotton harvest wound down, sugarcane planting was under way and hay harvesting continued. Most farmers in that area made preparations for fall planting, but those in areas that flooded after Hurricane Alex will not be able to do so this year.
    SOUTH PLAINS: Hot conditions were the norm, with temperatures mostly in the mid 90s, but dropped to the upper 70s and lower 80s late in the reporting period. Precipitation ranged from a trace accumulation to 1.5 inches. Soil moisture was short to adequate. Corn was in good condition, starting to turn color, and the harvest was expected to be in full swing within a few days. However, rain from tropical storm Hermine was expected to delay the corn harvest. Cotton was in good condition with bolls opening. Pastures and rangeland were in fair to good condition with rain needed in most locations. Livestock were mostly in good condition.
    SOUTHEAST: Condi-tions were dry during the reporting period for some counties, while others had frequent rains. Livestock remained in good condition. Brazoria County, for example, had rain every day, which stopped hay harvesting. Armyworm activity was moderate, but numbers of the moth form of the pest were reported at high levels.
    SOUTHWEST: Rem-nants of tropical storm Hermine soaked San Antonio and counties to the east, with the more western parts of the region receiving less moisture. The rains came at the right time for early planted small grains and increased the prospects for cool-season forages. The cotton harvest was in full swing before the rains, with excellent yields and quality reported. The corn and sorghum harvests were completed. The harvesting of sesame and peanuts gained momentum. The sweet corn harvest was ongoing, and green beans were making good progress except where whiteflies invaded fields. The pecan harvest was expected to begin near the end of September.
    WEST CENTRAL: Temperatures were a little cooler, and many counties reported rain showers. Cotton continued to mature. Producers were preparing fields for fall planting. Some grain sorghum was being harvested, and growers continued cutting and baling hay. Rangeland and pasture conditions improved where there was rain. Most hay producers expected to have an adequate hay supply this year. Armyworms invaded pastures in many areas, and producers were applying insecticides. Livestock remained in fair to good condition. Pecan orchards were in better than average condition, and growers were heavily irrigating.