EAST: Conditions were drying out following relief from rain, with pasture and rangeland conditions from fair to good. Subsoil and topsoil conditions were adequate. Producers were cutting and baling hay as quickly as possible to try and beat the armyworms. There were many reports of armyworm infestations. Hay supplies remained short. Producers continued culling their herds. Livestock were in fair to good condition with some supplemental feeding taking place. Wild pig control was underway in Gregg County.   

            SOUTH PLAINS: Pasture conditions improved following the rainfall received earlier in the month. Dryland cotton was poor but irrigated fields looked fair. Cotton farmers were waiting for bolls to continue opening. The ground was saturated in some areas, and some fields still had standing water. Everything was green and growing in pastures. The wholesale pumpkin harvest began several weeks ago. Early yields on the pumpkin crop varied from producer to producer, with some estimating a 20% drop from last year and others seeing higher yields than last year. Pumpkin harvest for the retail sector started recently. Sorghum was maturing and getting closer to harvest. Cattle were in good condition.

            PANHANDLE: Conditions turned dry over the past week, but soil moisture content remained short to adequate. Rangeland and pastures were in poor to good condition. Cotton yields were expected to be below average in dryland acres, but irrigated cotton was in good to excellent shape. Several irrigated farmers were forced to shut off wells over recent weeks due to a lack of water, but rains helped some. Peanuts were in good condition and nearing maturity. Livestock were in good condition with plenty of grazing. Some producers were planting wheat for grazing. More rainfall will be needed soon to help winter wheat emerge and establish good stands. Some producers were harvesting corn and sorghum silage.

            NORTH: Soil moisture throughout the district was short to adequate with no rain reported. Temperatures reached the mid-90s for the week. Warmer temperatures and wind were starting to dry the topsoil. Summer grasses were still growing well after the rains. Hay production picked up but was expected to slow soon without rain. A few areas should get another cutting of hay. Grasshoppers and sugarcane aphid numbers were high.

            FAR WEST: Temperatures were higher with less cloud cover. The average high and low temperatures were 86 degrees and 65 degrees, respectively. Some isolated showers were received with some areas receiving more than a half inch. Hay grazer emerged and made a good stand but was beginning to show some stress. Hay grazer planted after the rain had not made a good stand and was beginning to die off.  Cotton bolls were opening rapidly and looked great with other fields continuing to bloom. A few fields will be ready to pick within a week or two. Most producers were not in a hurry since modules will have to wait at gins for a larger percentage of the crop to be harvested to minimize gin operation runtime and prevent shutdowns. Producers were preparing for the beginning of pumpkin season. Pecans were doing well. Harvest was nearing and producers were busy preparing orchard floors for shaking trees. Pastures were almost bare again due to overgrazing. Bucks and rams will soon be put out for breeding. Livestock were still being sold due to drought conditions. Heavy rainfall was reported in western rangelands. The Rio Grande River was outside its banks due to heavy runoff from the watershed. Pima and Upland cotton around El Paso looked good. Pecans, alfalfa and hay fields were receiving irrigation.

            WEST CENTRAL: Night temperatures were starting to cool down a little, but all areas needed rain. Stock tank water levels were dropping and many were dry. There was no significant precipitation in the forecast. Overgrazed rangeland was very slow to respond to recent rains with any forage growth except weeds. The outlook for pecans remained light. Hay producers fertilized and were optimistic about getting a decent cutting of hay before first frost. Livestock producers slowed selling off herds.

            SOUTHWEST: Temperatures were near-normal to high as drought conditions persisted. Cotton harvest began. Farmers were preparing to plant cool-season grains, and winter vegetables were being planted in gardens. Recent rain improved pastures, and livestock body conditions were improving.

            SOUTH: Soil moisture was mostly short to adequate, but some western areas reported very short moisture levels. Temperatures were in the mid-90s. Some areas received rainfall, with reports of 0.5-2 inches in some isolated locations. Irrigation of crops remained steady. Humidity levels were relatively high. Cotton harvest wrapped up in some areas and was yet to begin in others. Some producers had already plowed under cotton stalks, while some fields were still blooming. Peanut crop progress continued. Cool-season vegetables were being planted. Early planted strawberries were in the ground while fieldwork continued for others. Hay fields continued to be cut and baled, and hay production was expected to continue until grasses go dormant. Rangeland and pasture conditions continued to improve, and livestock body conditions were as well. Some producers reported good hay production and excellent grazing. Cattle diet supplementation was sparse due to good grazing conditions. Weaned calf prices were up significantly, and sale volumes were lower. Wildlife conditions were improving due to more available water and vegetation. Deer and other wildlife were provided supplemental feed, and conditions improved dramatically for quail. Producers were preparing fields for small grains and legumes, but potential armyworm infestations were a concern. Citrus and sugarcane were being irrigated and some late-planted sesame fields were yet to be harvested.