Texas Crop Weather

Issue:  TX-CW2009
Released:  May 18, 2009
For the week of:  May 11 - 17, 2009

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

Maps:
   Agricultural District Map

Agricultural Summary:  Showers swept through most of the state bringing up to 6 inches of rain.  Freeze damaged wheat and oats across the state were being baled for hay.  Wheat harvest has begun in the Edwards Plateau.  In the High Plains, cotton planting was in full swing.  Cotton producers have begun planting in the Edwards Plateau.  Corn planting in the Northern High Plains was near completion.  Sorghum was being planted in the Northern High Plains.  In the Southern High Plains, peanut planting was in full-swing.  Peaches received cover sprays in North East Texas.  Fall planted onions were bulbing in the Trans-Pecos.  Pecans progressed well in the Blacklands.  Range and pasture conditions improved across the state due to the recent rainfall and warmer temperatures.  Supplemental feeding of livestock continued in parts of the state.  Top soil moisture was mostly very short to adequate across the state.

Field Crops Report

Small Grains:  Producers continued to irrigate wheat in the High Plains.  Wheat continued to mature rapidly in the Low Plains due to hot, dry, and windy weather.  Freeze damaged wheat and oats across the state were being baled for hay.  Harvest has begun in the Edwards Plateau.  Harvest of wheat and oats continued in South Texas.  Statewide, wheat condition was mostly very poor to poor and oat condition was mostly very poor to fair.

Cotton:  In the High Plains, planting was in full swing.  Planting continued on irrigated fields in the Northern Low Plains while producers were in need of additional rainfall to begin planting on non-irrigated land.  Some cotton was being re-planted in the Blacklands.  Producers have begun planting in the Edwards Plateau.  Irrigated cotton progressed well in South Texas.

Corn:  Corn planting in the Northern High Plains was near completion.  Recent rainfall has improved growing conditions in the Blacklands.  Irrigated corn in South Central Texas progressed well.  Corn tasseling was near completion in South Texas.  Corn condition was mostly fair to good statewide.

Sorghum:  Sorghum was being planted in the Northern High Plains.  Irrigated sorghum in South Central Texas progressed well.  In South Texas, sorghum was browning and in need of rain.  Sorghum condition was mostly very poor to fair statewide.

Peanuts:  In the Southern High Plains, planting was in full-swing.  Planting was ready to begin in South Texas.

Rice:  Rice condition was mostly fair to good statewide.

Soybeans:  Soybean condition was mostly fair to good statewide.

Fruit, Vegetable and Specialty Crop Report

Potatoes progressed well in the Southern High Plains.  The peach crop suffered from freeze damage in the Cross Timbers.  Peaches received cover sprays in North East Texas.  Fall planted onions were bulbing in the Trans-Pecos.  Cabbage harvest continued this past week in South Texas while producers harvested green beans, potatoes and onions.  Watermelon harvest continued in the Lower Valley.

Pecan:  Pecans progressed well in the Blacklands.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report

Supplemental feeding of livestock continued in parts of the state.  Fly populations on cattle were increasing in the Cross Timbers and North East Texas.  In some areas of the Edwards Plateau, ranchers completed shearing sheep and were preparing to work goats.  Range and pasture conditions improved across the state due to the recent rainfall and warmer temperatures.  Range and pasture condition was mostly fair to good statewide.