Texas crop, weather
Too early to assess extent of hail damage to cotton
"There was an area, more or less a triangle-shaped area from Ropesville up to north of Levelland and on down to Brownfield (west of Lubbock) that received some damage," said Randy Boman, AgriLife Extension cotton agronomist, Lubbock. "I'm sure it would be good for the dryland cotton, but the hail unfortunately affected some of the irrigated stands in that particular area."
Boman said there were also reports of hail near Muleshoe in Parmer County (northwest of Lubbock), but that reports of the number of acres damaged were still pending.
"But its my understanding that there was some irrigated cotton that was hailed out up there," he said.
Boman said hail can cause a lot of defoliation, but that a young crop can often recover. "Typically, this time of year what I try to do is encourage producers to keep those plants if they've got pretty healthy root systems and adequate density and distribution of plants," Boman said. "Stands can get damaged by these weather events, or perhaps even major wind events, but it will be a little while before we can sort all that out and make some kind of determination."
Boman has coauthored "Making Replant Decisions in Cotton." The guide can be found online at http://lubbock.tamu.edu/cotton/pdf/makingreplantdecisions07.pdf or at an AgriLife Extension county office. A directory of AgriLife Extension county offices can be found at http://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/county/.
The biggest issue, at least for dryland cotton, remains lack of moisture, Boman said.
"These thunderstorms are just popping up and really not giving us a good region-wide rainfall," he said. The hail also likely damaged Texas High Plains corn, Boman said. "Corn can typically handle somewhat more hail than seedling cotton," he said. "It can get ragged up pretty badly and still come back and produce."
The following summaries were compiled by AgriLife Extension district reporters: CENTRAL: Despite some rain, the region was mostly dry. Most counties did not received enough moisture to fill stock water tanks or replenish creeks. Producers were finishing small grain silage and hay. Wheat yields were varied. Corn needed moisture for it to completely fill out. Cattle were holding up well and were in good condition.
COASTAL BEND: Some of the crops responded to a recent rainfall, but the drought continued. In the southern portion of the region about 93 percent of cotton acres were already classified as "failed acres" by crop insurance adjusters. But rains caused the "failed" cotton to emerge, and it must now be destroyed. Some sesame was being planted in these fields. Livestock producers were able to reduce supplemental feeding due to the quick vegetative growth. Pastures and rangeland needed more time and moisture for recovery.
EAST: Rain fell over most of the area, but some counties need more. Hay was harvested throughout the region. The harvesting of blackberries, blueberries and vegetables was ongoing. Feral hog activity remained a problem in some counties. Reports of horn flies increased. Livestock were in good to excellent condition.
FAR WEST: Some counties reported 1-2 inches of rain. Glasscock County (east of Midland) received up to 8 inches of rain. Farmers attempted to plant crops despite the wet conditions, while ranchers prayed for more rain. Fall-planted onions were bulbing and expect to be ready for harvest in two weeks. Chile was at the 10 percent leaf stage. Cotton planting continued in fields that were dry enough. In some instances, growers were replanting hailed-out or baked-in cotton. About 1,200 acres of irrigated cotton were hailed out in Marion County. The wheat harvest continued. Pastures greened up from the recent rains.
NORTH: Normal weather returned, and soil moisture was mostly in the adequate range. Producers began harvesting wheat, but yields varied widely. Yields seem to be about average on fields that were not freeze-damaged. Corn began to show signs of water stress, but seemed to be responding to sunshine and warmer, dryer conditions. Producers were baling early season hay about two to three weeks late. The second cutting was expected not to be so late. Lower-lying hay fields remained wet, and the cooler temperatures reduced the yields. Cutbacks on fertilizer last year also lowered hay yields. Soybeans and sorghum were in fair to good condition. Growers were harvesting oats, and were nearly finished planting cotton. Rice was in fair condition. Cattle were in good condition. Pasture and rangeland were in fair to good condition.
PANHANDLE: The region looked better thanks to thunderstorms, but more moisture was needed. Hail was reported in a few areas. Wheat varied from fair to excellent, but yields were expected to be down significantly because of drought and late freezes. Corn was off to a good start thanks to the rain. Cotton needed more heat units for good growth. Cattle were in fair to good condition.
ROLLING PLAINS: Days were warm with late afternoon rains in most of the region. Total accumulation ranged from 0.5 inch to more than 2 inches. The southern part of the region still needed enough rain to fill stock tanks. The rains were expected to be enough for producers to finish planting and maintain crops for awhile. What little cotton was already planted looked excellent. Pastures were green and in excellent condition. Livestock were doing well thanks to the improvement in pastures. The wheat harvest progressed quickly, but as expected, yields were low.
SOUTH: Soil moisture was short, except in the eastern counties where it was adequate. Late-season crops were planted in the eastern counties, probably sunflowers and sesame. Livestock producers in the northern counties reported good cattle body-condition scores as a result of improved forages. In the western counties, onions were being harvested and quality was good. The cabbage harvest was expected to end soon. Irrigated cotton and corn crops were doing well with warmer days. Watermelons and cantaloupes were doing well. Irrigated grain sorghum crops began to show color. Range and pastures improved throughout the region.
SOUTH PLAINS: From a trace to 2 inches of rain fell. Temperatures ranged from warm to hot during the day with cool nights and early mornings. Soil moisture was short to adequate. Producers strove to get the remainder of the cotton fields planted by the crop insurance deadlines. Wheat harvesting began in some areas. Sorghum was in good condition, responding well to the warm weather. Pumpkin planting continued. Pastures and ranges improved where there was substantial rainfall. Livestock were in good condition with continued supplemental feeding.
SOUTHEAST: Many hay fields were cut. Some Bermuda grass hay fields were due for the second cutting. Some areas received as much as 1 inch of rain, but crops remained stressed in many counties. Pastures were beginning to get short.
SOUTHWEST: Sporadic rain showers came to about 10 percent of the region, but most of the area remained very dry. The last nine-month period was the third-driest period on record, drier than the same period in 1956 and 2006. Municipal water systems continued to ration water. Though the region looked green, forage was in short supply. Pastures, rangeland and dryland crops made almost no progress. Heavily irrigated crops made excellent headway. Irrigated corn was passing through the silking and blister stages. Irrigated sorghum headed out. The cabbage, onion, potato, green bean and sweet corn harvests were ongoing.
WEST CENTRAL: Hot, humid temperatures prevailed. Scattered showers were reported in most areas. Soil moisture levels rose. Cotton planting was in full swing with a good outlook. Other row crops were doing well thanks to recent rains. Producers were cutting and baling hay. Rangeland and pastures continue to improve. However, stock tanks were low and needed more rain.
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