Texas Crop Weather Issue: TX-CW2909 Released: July 20, 2009 For the week of: July 13 - 19, 2009 Cooperating Agencies: Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Texas Department of Agriculture, National Weather Service Agricultural Summary: The Plains, East Texas, and the Upper Coast received up to 3 inches of rainfall while the rest of the state observed trace amounts of moisture. Sorghum suffered from insects and lack of moisture, chilies were in full bloom, and heat caused stress on fall wheat preparation in the Cross Timbers. In the High Plains, cotton heat units progressed well and recent moisture improved sorghum conditions. Grain sorghum continued to head out and cotton progressed well in the Northern Low Plains. In South Texas, cotton boll setting continued and peanut pegging was active. Supplemental feeding of livestock continued in localized parts of the state. Range and pasture conditions continued to suffer across the state and were in need of moisture. Top soil moisture was mostly very short to short across the state. Field Crop Report Small Grains: Heat caused stress on fall wheat preparation in the Cross Timbers. Statewide, wheat condition was mostly very poor to fair and oat condition was mostly very poor to fair. Cotton: In the Northern High Plains, heat units progressed well. Cotton began to bloom in the Southern Low Plains and responded well to the recent rain. Cotton progressed well in the Northern Low Plains and insect and weed spraying was active. Dryland cotton producers were in need of rain in the Southern Low Plains. In South Texas, cotton boll setting continued and progressed well under heavy irrigation. Cotton condition was mostly fair to good statewide. Corn: Tasseling progressed well in the High Plains due to cooler temperatures. Heat caused stress on the crop in the Edwards Plateau. Corn condition was mostly fair to good statewide. Sorghum: In the High Plains, recent moisture improved crop conditions. Grain sorghum continued to head out in the Northern Low Plains and the Blacklands. Sorghum in the Cross Timbers suffered from insects and lack of moisture. Hot, dry conditions accelerated the drying process in the southern part of the state. Sorghum condition was mostly fair to good. Peanuts: The crop progressed well in the Southern Low Plains. Peanut pegging was active in South Texas. Peanut condition was mostly fair to good statewide. Rice: Rice condition was mostly fair to good statewide. Soybeans: Soybean condition was mostly fair to good statewide. Fruit, Vegetable and Specialty Crop Report Sunflowers were in full bloom in the Southern High Plains. Peach harvest neared completion in the Cross Timbers. Chilies were in full bloom in the Trans-Pecos, however, heat caused stress on the crop. Pecan: Pecans progressed well in the Northern Low Plains and the Blacklands. Pecan nut development continued in the Trans-Pecos. Livestock, Range and Pasture Report Supplemental feeding of livestock continued in localized parts of the state. Hay baling continued, however, the crop suffered due to hot, dry conditions across the state. Stock tank levels were low in the central and southern part of the state while cattle culling continued. Range and pasture conditions continued to suffer across the state and were in need of moisture. Range and pasture condition was mostly very poor to fair statewide. Crop Progress Table - July 19, 2009 ------------------------------------------------------ Percent Crop Stage --------------------------- 2009 2008 Avg 2004-2008 ------------------------------------------------------ Corn Silked 85 77 84 Dough 64 60 61 Dent 56 56 54 Mature 37 42 33 Cotton Squaring 80 63 72 Setting Bolls 22 25 26 Bolls Opening 3 11 7 Peanuts Pegging 65 74 67 Rice Headed 79 66 71 Sorghum Planted 100 100 100 Headed 61 61 66 Coloring 55 55 55 Mature 32 46 41 Harvested 23 32 27 Soybeans Planted 100 100 100 Emerged 83 84 - Blooming 35 59 - Sunflowers Planted 82 72 94 Winter Wheat Harvested 97 100 98 Oats Harvested 100 100 98 ====================================================== Crop Condition Table - July 19, 2009 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Percent Index 1/ Crop ------------------------------------------ ----------- Excellent Good Fair Poor Very Poor 2009 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Corn 4 33 28 16 19 56 55 Cotton 8 26 37 18 11 59 58 Peanuts 20 47 32 1 0 84 74 Rice 15 41 26 12 6 72 79 Sorghum 3 29 38 15 15 57 62 Soybeans 0 26 45 21 8 56 63 Wheat 1 10 24 21 44 32 56 Oats 0 12 19 18 51 29 54 Range & Pasture 1 13 28 24 34 - - -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 - July 19, 2009 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Percent of Acreage by District * 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 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Very Short 21 14 20 24 53 29 17 92 37 48 82 97 69 82 0 Short 49 52 49 19 34 53 53 8 36 40 17 3 19 17 80 Adequate 27 31 30 53 13 18 30 0 27 11 1 0 9 1 20 Surplus 3 3 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 0 0 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * 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: 96; South Texas: 10-N; Lower Valley: 10-S. =================================================================================================== Weather Information Table 1/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Previous National Previous Week Month-to-Date Year-to-Date Annual Three Months Weather Service Accumulation Accumulation Accumulation Normal Percent of Normal Climatic Divisions 2/ (July 13 - 19) (July 1 - 19) (Jan 1 - Jul 19) (1971 - 2000) (Apr - Jun) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- High Plains 0.67 1.25 7.75 19.64 81 Low Rolling Plains 0.46 1.34 10.04 24.51 83 North Central Texas 0.35 1.12 14.24 35.23 76 East Texas 0.85 1.56 18.73 48.08 72 Trans-Pecos 0.09 0.58 4.59 13.19 102 Edwards Plateau 0.15 0.68 8.74 24.73 69 South Central Texas 0.10 0.34 6.52 36.21 36 Upper Coast 1.03 1.60 13.29 50.31 58 South Texas 0.04 0.18 3.66 24.08 36 Lower Valley 0.00 0.22 3.78 25.43 39 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 weather information, please visit the following web sites: www.srh.noaa.gov/rfcshare/precip_analysis_new.php and www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html ===========================================================================================================