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 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 --------------------------------------------------------------- Average Crop Stage 2008 2007 2003-2007 --------------------------------------------------------------- Percent Corn Planted 85 89 91 Emerged 68 71 73 Silked (Tasseled) 1 6 4 Cotton Planted 27 27 31 Squaring 2 5 4 Peanuts Planted 48 31 33 Rice Planted 99 89 95 Emerged 92 80 90 Sorghum Planted 68 66 59 Headed 6 18 10 Soybeans Planted 89 82 73 Emerged 69 61 29 Sunflowers Planted 14 40 34 Winter Wheat Headed 71 80 83 Harvested 0 1 1 Oats Headed 90 99 85 Harvested 5 2 1 =============================================================== Crop Condition Table - May 11, 2008 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Previous National Previous Week Month-to-Date Year-to-Date 1961-90 Three Months Weather Service (May 5 - 11) (May 1 - 11) (Jan 1 - May 11) Annual (Feb - Apr) Climatic Divisions Accumulation Accumulation Accumulation Normal 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 ========================================================================================================