Texas Crop Weather Issue: TX-CW3009 Released: July 27, 2009 For the week of: July 20 - 26, 2009 Cooperating Agencies: Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Texas Department of Agriculture, National Weather Service Agricultural Summary: The southern part of the state received little to no rainfall while scattered showers brought up to 3 inches of rainfall across the rest of the state. In the Northern High Plains, wheat field preparation took place, grain sorghum headed out, and sunflowers were in full bloom. Irrigated cotton was blooming and corn matured in the Southern High Plains. Grain sorghum heads were turning color in the Blacklands. In the Trans-Pecos, cotton squaring continued, chilies were in full bloom, and pecan nut development continued. Drought conditions in South East Texas and the Upper Coast has caused the corn crop to suffer. Peanut pegging was active in the Northern Low Plains and South Texas. Supplemental feeding of livestock continued in localized parts of the state. Recent rainfall improved range and pasture conditions in the northern part of the state while conditions continued to decline in the southern part of the state and were in need of moisture. Top soil moisture was mostly very short to short across the state. Field Crops Report Small Grains: Wheat field preparation took place in the Northern Plains. Oat condition was mostly very poor to fair statewide. Cotton: In the Northern High Plains, cotton progressed well due to the recent rainfall and warm temperatures. Irrigated cotton was blooming in the Southern High Plains. Cotton progressed well in the Northern Low Plains while insect and weed spraying continued. Cotton was in need of moisture to supplement fertilizer applications in the Southern Low Plains. In the Trans-Pecos, cotton squaring continued and Southwestern Cotton Rust was treated. In the Edwards Plateau and South Texas, cotton progressed well under heavy irrigation. Cotton condition was mostly fair to good statewide. Corn: Corn progressed well in the High Plains due to cooler temperatures. Corn is in the dough stage in the Southern High Plains. Drought conditions in South East Texas and the Upper Coast has caused the corn crop to suffer. Corn condition was mostly fair to good statewide. Sorghum: In the Northern High Plains, grain sorghum headed out and irrigation was active. Head worms caused stress on sorghum in the Southern High Plains. Grain sorghum heads were turning in the Blacklands. In parts of South Central Texas, recent rainfall improved harvest conditions. Sorghum condition was mostly fair to good. Peanuts: The crop progressed well in the Southern Low Plains. Pegging was active in the Northern Low Plains and 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 Northern High Plains. Chilies were in full bloom in the Trans-Pecos. 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. Stock tank levels were very low in the southern part of the state and in need of rain. Livestock herd liquidation continued across the state. Recent rainfall improved range and pasture conditions in the northern part of the state while conditions continued to decline in the southern part of the state and were in need of moisture. Range and pasture condition was mostly very poor to fair statewide. Crop Progress Table - July 26, 2009 ------------------------------------------------------- Percent Crop Stage --------------------------- 2009 2008 Avg 2004-2008 ------------------------------------------------------- Corn Silked 92 89 92 Dough 65 64 68 Dent 58 60 60 Mature 51 50 45 Cotton Squaring 84 79 82 Setting Bolls 36 39 40 Bolls Opening 10 15 10 Peanuts Pegging 85 80 78 Rice Headed 89 67 78 Sorghum Headed 68 66 70 Coloring 62 59 58 Mature 54 50 47 Harvested 34 39 33 Soybeans Blooming 88 91 51 Setting Pods 72 77 26 Sunflowers Planted 83 72 94 Winter Wheat Harvested 98 100 99 ======================================================= Crop Condition Table - July 26, 2009 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Percent Index 1/ Crop ------------------------------------------ ----------- Excellent Good Fair Poor Very Poor 2009 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Corn 5 27 28 15 25 52 59 Cotton 8 25 34 17 16 57 57 Peanuts 16 59 24 1 0 85 74 Rice 19 41 30 7 3 78 80 Sorghum 2 24 32 16 26 48 64 Soybeans 0 23 43 21 13 52 52 Oats 0 12 19 18 51 29 - Range & Pasture 1 14 27 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 26, 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 4 20 13 51 37 6 55 23 46 84 97 67 87 63 Short 40 22 40 33 28 50 32 28 39 39 15 3 20 13 23 Adequate 37 65 36 50 21 13 62 15 38 14 1 0 9 0 14 Surplus 2 9 4 4 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 4 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 20 - 26) (July 1 - 26) (Jan 1 - Jul 26) (1971 - 2000) (Apr - Jun) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- High Plains 1.09 2.34 8.84 19.64 81 Low Rolling Plains 0.36 1.70 10.40 24.51 83 North Central Texas 0.40 1.52 14.64 35.23 76 East Texas 0.71 2.27 19.44 48.08 72 Trans-Pecos 0.47 1.05 5.06 13.19 102 Edwards Plateau 0.45 1.13 9.19 24.73 69 South Central Texas 0.01 0.35 6.53 36.21 36 Upper Coast 0.40 2.00 13.69 50.31 58 South Texas 0.00 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 ===========================================================================================================