Texas Crop Weather Issue: TX-CW1908 Released: May 5, 2008 For the week of: April 28 - May 4, 2008 Cooperating Agencies: Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Texas Department of Agriculture, National Weather Service Agricultural Summary: Dry weather with high winds continued across much of the state. Rainfall up to an inch in some areas was observed in East Texas, South Texas, and some of South Central Texas. The rest of the state received little to no rainfall. Some wheat and oats were grazed out due to the dry conditions. Cotton planting was underway in most areas of the Plains. Corn planting continued in the Northern High Plains, while corn was emerging in the Northern Low Plains. Sorghum planting continued in parts of the Plains, while Sorghum planting neared completion in South Texas. Peaches, blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries all made progress in North East Texas. Monitoring of pecan nut case bearer continued in the Edwards Plateau, the Blacklands, and South Central Texas. Top soil moisture was mostly short to adequate across the state. Supplemental feeding of livestock continued in the Plains regions due to the dry pastures and ranges. Field Crops Report Small Grains: Some wheat and oats were grazed out due to the dry conditions. Wheat was mostly headed out in Cross Timbers and the Blacklands. Wheat condition was mostly poor to fair statewide. Oat condition was mostly fair to good statewide. Cotton: Cotton land continued to be prepared and pre-watered in anticipation of the upcoming plantings in the Plains. Corn: Corn planting continued in the Northern High Plains, while corn was emerging in the Northern Low Plains. Corn condition was mostly fair to good statewide. Sorghum: Sorghum planting continued in the some of the Plains, and Sorghum planting continued to come to a close in South Texas. Sorghum condition was mostly fair to good statewide. Soybeans: Soybean condition was mostly fair to good statewide. Rice: Rice condition was mostly fair to good statewide. Fruit, Vegetable and Specialty Crop Report Peaches, blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries all made progress in North East Texas. Green bean harvest began in South Texas, and onion harvest continued in the Lower Valley. Pecans: Monitoring of pecan nut case bearer continued in the Edwards Plateau, the Blacklands, and South Central Texas. Livestock, Pasture and Range Report Supplemental feeding of livestock continued in the Plains regions due to the dry pastures and ranges. Range and pasture condition was mostly fair to good statewide. Crop Progress Table - May 4, 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Average Crop Stage 2008 2007 2003-2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Percent Corn Planted 72 79 83 Emerged 60 67 67 Silked (Tasseled) 0 1 1 Cotton Planted 24 24 25 Peanuts Planted 15 7 10 Rice Planted 98 83 91 Emerged 90 71 82 Sorghum Planted 66 63 56 Headed 1 6 3 Soybeans Planted 81 76 70 Emerged 48 48 23 Sunflowers Planted 13 39 28 Winter Wheat Headed 56 64 68 Oats Headed 86 95 82 Harvested 1 1 0 ==================================================================== Crop Condition Table - May 4, 2008 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Excellent Good Fair Poor Very Poor Index 1/ Crop ------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------- Percent 2008 2007 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Corn 8 48 34 7 3 74 77 Rice 2 28 66 4 0 68 77 Sorghum 3 35 40 17 5 63 89 Soybeans 3 61 35 1 0 79 78 Wheat 4 16 31 24 25 45 81 Oats 7 44 28 10 11 67 67 Range & Pasture 5 29 36 19 11 -- -- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 - May 4, 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 70 59 42 17 3 1 0 6 60 30 3 42 6 62 40 Short 29 36 42 32 23 6 3 34 27 41 54 40 27 33 33 Adequate 1 5 16 51 73 91 81 56 13 29 43 18 47 5 27 Surplus 0 0 0 0 1 2 16 4 0 0 0 0 20 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 28 - May 4) (April 1 - 30) (Jan 1 - May 4) Annual (Jan - Mar) Climatic Divisions Accumulation Accumulation Accumulation Normal Percent of Normal -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- High Plains 0.00 0.56 0.90 18.87 16 Low Rolling Plains 0.00 1.93 3.33 23.78 43 North Central Texas 0.00 3.19 9.23 34.00 91 East Texas 0.18 2.83 12.92 45.69 93 Trans-Pecos 0.00 0.03 0.35 12.96 27 Edwards Plateau 0.02 1.22 3.54 24.01 65 South Central Texas 0.16 1.81 5.85 34.48 63 Upper Coast 0.04 2.05 11.11 47.63 101 South Texas 0.32 0.97 2.35 23.49 34 Lower Valley 0.32 1.22 3.47 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 ==============================================================================================================