Texas Crop Weather Issue: TX-CW1808 Released: April 28, 2008 For the week of: April 21 - 27, 2008 Cooperating Agencies: Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Texas Department of Agriculture, National Weather Service Agricultural Summary: Showers swept across much of the state. North East Texas, the Blacklands, and much of South Texas along the coast received up to 1.5 to about 3.0 inches of rain. The panhandle and the Trans-Pecos regions received very little to no rain. The recent rains helped small grains to continue to improve. Cotton planting in the southern regions of the state and land preparation in the Plains both continued. Corn planting was in full swing in the Northern High Plains. Sorghum planting neared completion in South Texas, and planting continued in the Southern Low Plains and the Cross Timbers. Rice planting continued in South Central Texas and the Upper coast. Potato, cabbage, and onion harvest continued in South Texas and the Lower Valley. Pecan trees began to leaf out in the Blacklands and the Southern High Plains, while the trees were flowering in the Trans-Pecos, Edwards Plateau, and South Central Texas. Top soil moisture was mostly short to adequate statewide. Supplemental feeding of livestock continued in areas of very poor to poor range and pasture. Field Crops Report Small Grains: The recent rains helped small grains to continue to improve. Wheat continued to head across much of the state. Wheat condition was mostly poor to fair statewide. Oat condition was mostly fair to good statewide. Cotton: Cotton planting in the southern regions of the state and land preparation in the Plains both continued. Corn: Corn planting was in full swing in the Northern High Plains. Corn planting neared completion or was complete in some areas in South Central Texas. Corn condition was mostly fair to good statewide. Sorghum: Sorghum planting neared completion in South Texas, and planting continued in the Southern Low Plains and the Cross Timbers. Sorghum condition was mostly fair to good statewide. Soybeans: Soybean condition was mostly fair to good statewide. Rice: Rice planting continued in South Central Texas and the Upper coast. Rice condition was mostly fair to good statewide. Fruit, Vegetable and Specialty Crop Report Potato, cabbage, and onion harvest continued in South Texas and the Lower Valley. Pecans: Pecan trees began to leaf out in the Blacklands and the Southern High Plains, while the trees were flowering in the Trans-Pecos, Edwards Plateau, and South Central Texas. Livestock, Pasture and Range Report Supplemental feeding of livestock continued in areas of very poor to poor range and pasture. Range and pasture Condition was mostly fair to good statewide. Crop Progress Table - April 27, 2008 --------------------------------------------------------- Average Crop Stage 2008 2007 2003-2007 --------------------------------------------------------- Percent Corn Planted 66 69 73 Emerged 57 66 63 Cotton Planted 21 18 21 Rice Planted 96 76 85 Emerged 83 56 72 Sorghum Planted 65 61 54 Soybeans Planted 67 68 64 Emerged 17 33 15 Sunflowers Planted 12 32 22 Winter Wheat Headed 38 53 48 Oats Headed 78 83 73 ========================================================= Crop Condition Table - April 27, 2008 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Excellent Good Fair Poor Very Poor Index 1/ Crop ------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------- Percent 2008 2007 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Corn 2 30 54 12 2 70 69 Rice 2 49 49 0 0 76 78 Sorghum 1 33 42 15 9 60 87 Soybeans 1 66 31 2 0 80 77 Wheat 4 14 34 25 23 45 81 Oats 7 39 26 13 15 62 68 Range & Pasture 5 28 36 19 12 -- -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ The formula for the condition index is I = (5V + 25P + 60F + 90G + 110E)/100 where i = crop condition index and V, P, F, G, E = percentage of crop rated very poor, poor, fair, good, excellent. ========================================================================================================== Top Soil Moisture by District - April 27, 2008* ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Condition 1-N 1-S 2-N 2-S 3 4 5-N 5-S 6 7 8-N 8-S 9 10-N 10-S ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Percent of Acreage Very Short 60 55 17 13 0 4 0 1 65 30 10 85 7 59 40 Short 33 38 51 24 11 11 4 30 21 51 46 15 43 37 33 Adequate 7 7 32 55 81 49 70 56 14 19 44 0 50 4 27 Surplus 0 0 0 8 8 36 26 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * High Plains: 1-N, 1-S; Low Rolling Plains: 2-N, 2-S; North Central Plains: 3, 4; East Texas: 5-N, 5-S. Trans-Pecos: 6; Edwards Plateau: 7; South Central Texas: 8-N, 8-S; Upper Coast: 9; South Texas: 10-N; Lower Valley: 10-S. ================================================================================================================= Weather Information Table 1/ 2/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Previous National Previous Week Month-to-Date Year-to-Date 1961-90 Three Months Weather Service (April 21 - 27) (April 1 - 27) (Jan 1 - Apr 27) Annual (Jan - Mar) Climatic Divisions Accumulation Accumulation Accumulation Normal Percent of Normal ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- High Plains 0.12 0.56 0.90 18.87 16 Low Rolling Plains 0.62 1.93 3.33 23.78 43 North Central Texas 1.27 3.19 9.23 34.00 91 East Texas 0.45 2.83 12.74 45.69 93 Trans-Pecos 0.03 0.03 0.35 12.96 27 Edwards Plateau 0.69 1.22 3.52 24.01 65 South Central Texas 1.24 1.81 5.69 34.48 63 Upper Coast 1.23 2.05 11.07 47.63 101 South Texas 0.78 0.97 2.03 23.49 34 Lower Valley 1.14 1.22 3.15 25.34 54 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Average of all stations reporting precipitation data. 2/ High Plains: 1-N, 1-S; Low Rolling Plains: 2-N, 2-S; North Central Texas: 3, 4; East Texas: 5-N, 5-S. Trans-Pecos: 6; Edwards Plateau: 7; South Central Texas: 8-N, 8-S; Upper Coast: 9; South Texas: 10-N; Lower Valley: 10-S. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For more information, please visit the following web sites: www.srh.noaa.gov/rfcshare/precip_analysis_new.php and www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html =============================================================================================================