Texas Crop Progress and Condition

Texas Crop Weather

Issue: TX-CW2008
Released: May 12, 2008
For the week of: May 5 - 11, 2008

Cooperating Agencies:
   Texas AgriLife Extension Service,
   Texas Department of Agriculture,
   National Weather Service

Maps:
Agricultural District Map

Agricultural Summary: Showers swept through much of the Plains region mid-week bringing up to 3.5 to 4.0 inches of rain. The eastern part of the state observed up to 2.0 inches of rain. Wheat and oats benefitted from the recent moisture. Some producers began cotton planting in the Panhandle, while others waited for the fields to dry. Corn benefitted from the recent rainfall in the High Plains. Sorghum began heading in the Upper Coast and the Coastal Bend. Soybeans showed improvement from the recent rains in the Upper Coast. Cabbage, onions, green beans, and potatoes continued to be harvested in South Texas and the Lower Valley. Pecan producers began spraying for case bearers in both the Edwards Plateau and South Central Texas. Top soil moisture was mostly short to adequate across the state. Supplemental feeding of livestock slowed as pastures improved with the recent rains.

Field Crops Report

Small Grains: Wheat started to turn in the Low Plains, Cross Timbers, and the Blacklands. Wheat and oats benefitted from the recent moisture. Wheat condition was mostly poor to fair statewide. Oat condition was mostly fair to good statewide.

Cotton: Some producers began cotton planting in the Panhandle, while others waited for the fields to dry. Irrigation took place in South Texas and the Lower Valley due to very little or no rainfall.

Corn: Corn benefitted from the recent rainfall in the High Plains. Corn condition was mostly fair to good statewide.

Sorghum: Sorghum began heading in the Upper Coast and the Coastal Bend. Sorghum condition was mostly fair to good statewide.

Soybeans: Soybeans showed improvement from the recent rains in the Upper Coast. Soybean condition was mostly fair to good statewide.

Rice: Rice condition was mostly fair to good statewide.

Fruit, Vegetable and Specialty Crop Report

Cabbage, onions, green beans, and potatoes continued to be harvested in South Texas and the Lower Valley. Peaches, blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries all made progress in North East Texas.

Pecans: Pecan producers began spraying for case bearers in both the Edwards Plateau and South Central Texas.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report

Supplemental feeding of livestock slowed as pastures improved with recent rains. Range and pasture condition was mostly fair to good statewide.

Crop Progress Table - May 11, 2008
Crop	Stage	2008	2007	Average 2003-2007
Crop	Stage	Percent
Corn	Planted	85	89	91
	Emerged	68	71	73
	Silked (Tasseled)	1	6	4
Cotton	Planted	27	27	31
Cotton	Squaring	2	5	4
Peanuts	Planted	48	31	33
Rice	Planted	99	89	95
Rice	Emerged	92	80	90
Sorghum	Planted	68	66	59
Sorghum	Headed	6	18	10
Soybeans	Planted	89	82	73
Soybeans	Emerged	69	61	29
Sunflowers	Planted	14	40	34
Winter Wheat	Headed	71	80	83
Winter Wheat	Harvested	0	1	1
Oats	Headed	90	99	85
Oats	Harvested	5	2	1

Crop Condition Table - May 11, 2008
Crop	Excellent	Good	Fair	Poor	Very Poor	Index ^1/
Crop	Percent					2008	2007
Corn	9	45	36	8	2	74	80
Rice	4	49	43	4	0	75	68
Sorghum	3	42	36	14	5	66	87
Soybeans	5	51	41	3	0	77	77
Wheat	4	18	32	23	23	47	84
Oats	7	45	31	9	8	69	71
Range & Pasture	6	36	33	16	9	--	--
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 11, 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
Condition	Percent of Acreage
Very Short	31	34	1	21	1	1	0	3	62	29	14	48	6	40	53
Short	37	20	24	21	9	7	4	28	25	43	51	40	20	49	32
Adequate	31	42	58	55	80	88	77	53	13	28	35	12	74	11	15
Surplus	1	4	17	3	10	4	19	16	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/}
National Weather Service Climatic Divisions	Previous Week (May 5 - 11) Accumulation	Month-to-Date (May 1 - 11) Accumulation	Year-to-Date (Jan 1 - May 11) Accumulation	1961-90 Annual Normal	Previous Three Months (Feb - Apr) Percent of Normal
High Plains	1.32	1.32	2.22	18.87	33
Low Rolling Plains	1.28	1.28	4.61	23.78	77
North Central Texas	0.78	0.78	10.01	34.00	108
East Texas	0.80	0.98	13.72	45.69	95
Trans-Pecos	0.12	0.12	0.47	12.96	14
Edwards Plateau	0.28	0.30	3.82	24.01	75
South Central Texas	0.13	0.29	5.98	34.48	65
Upper Coast	0.78	0.82	11.89	47.63	78
South Texas	0.35	0.67	2.70	23.49	39
Lower Valley	0.00	0.32	3.47	25.34	46
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