Texas Crop Weather Issue: TX-CW3609 Released: September 8, 2009 For the week of: August 31 - September 6, 2009 Agricultural Summary: Most areas of the state observed 0.1 to 3.0 inches of moisture. In the Northern High Plains, producers were planting wheat and corn progressed well. Land preparation was underway for wheat planting, early planted sorghum was drying out, and peanuts and sunflowers continued to mature in the Southern High Plains. Wheat planting began and drought conditions caused stress on cotton in the Northern Low Plains. Wheat planting continued in the Cross Timbers. Cotton harvest on matured varieties had begun and corn harvest neared completion in the Blacklands. Cotton harvest continued in the southern areas of the state. Corn harvest continued in the Edwards Plateau. Pecan nuts were in the gel stage in the Trans-Pecos. Supplemental feeding of hay to livestock continued in localized areas of the state and producers were looking for hay to buy before winter. Range and pastures were in need of rainfall in the Northern part of the state while improving in South East Texas due to cooler temperatures and recent rainfall. Top soil moisture was mostly very short to short across the state. Field Crops Report Small Grains: Producers were planting wheat in the Northern High Plains. Land preparation was underway for wheat planting in the Southern High Plains. Wheat planting began in the Northern Low Plains while planting continued in the Cross Timbers. Producers were in need of moisture to begin wheat planting in the Edwards Plateau and South Central Texas. Cotton: In the High Plains, cotton harvest was active. Dry-land cotton progressed well due to the recent rainfall in the Southern High Plains. Drought conditions caused stress on cotton in the Northern Low Plains. Harvest on matured varieties had begun in the Blacklands. Cotton harvest continued in southern areas of the state. Cotton condition was mostly fair to good statewide. Corn: In the Northern High Plains, corn progressed well and insect activity was light. Corn harvest neared completion in the Blacklands while continuing in the Edwards Plateau. Corn condition was mostly fair to good statewide. Sorghum: Sorghum in parts of the Northern High Plains suffered due to the late rainfall and insect activity. Early planted sorghum was drying out in the Southern High Plains. Grain sorghum harvest neared completion in the Blacklands. Sorghum condition was mostly very poor to fair statewide. Peanuts: Peanuts continued to mature in the Southern High Plains. Peanuts progressed well in the Southern Low Plains and South Texas while irrigation was active. 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 continued to mature in the Southern High Plains. Sesame and sunflowers slowly matured in the Coastal Bend as harvest neared. Producers prepared seed beds for cabbage, spinach, onions, and carrot planting in South Texas. Pecan: Pecan trees suffered in North East Texas due to walnut caterpillars and web worms. Pecan nuts were in the gel stage in the Trans-Pecos. Producers continued to monitor the pecan weevil in the Edwards Plateau. Livestock, Range and Pasture Report Supplemental feeding of hay to livestock continued in localized areas of the state and producers were looking for hay to buy before winter. Stock tank levels across the state continued to fall. Livestock herd liquidation continued in localized parts of the state due to hay being in short supply. Hay fields were being cut and baled across the state. Range and pastures were in need of rainfall in the Northern part of the state and improved in South East Texas due to cooler temperatures and recent rainfall. Rangeland and pastures suffered in the Edwards Plateau and South Texas due to drought conditions. Range and pasture condition was mostly very poor to fair statewide. Crop Progress Table - September 6, 2009 ---------------------------------------------------------- Percent Crop Stage --------------------------- 2009 2008 Avg 2004-2008 ---------------------------------------------------------- Corn Dough 99 98 99 Dent 91 90 95 Mature 71 66 74 Harvested 67 63 61 Cotton Squaring 100 100 100 Setting Bolls 90 94 97 Bolls Opening 22 21 25 Harvested 12 13 14 Rice Headed 100 100 100 Harvested 87 89 88 Sorghum Headed 96 92 95 Coloring 72 72 72 Mature 65 65 64 Harvested 63 64 61 Soybeans Setting Pods 100 100 56 Dropping Leaves 56 81 40 Harvested 35 37 46 Sunflowers Planted 89 100 100 Harvested 8 2 20 Winter Wheat Planted 4 0 8 ========================================================== Crop Condition Table - September 6, 2009 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Percent Index 1/ Crop ------------------------------------------ ----------- Excellent Good Fair Poor Very Poor 2009 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Corn 6 31 24 14 25 54 59 Cotton 10 29 30 17 14 60 63 Peanuts 18 61 21 0 0 87 81 Rice 10 30 39 9 12 64 72 Sorghum 3 20 38 16 23 49 67 Soybeans 6 30 37 19 8 61 54 Range & Pasture 3 19 26 20 32 -- -- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 - September 6, 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 2 18 26 37 29 33 0 42 32 53 87 95 60 66 20 Short 32 59 50 44 46 45 29 29 43 38 12 5 21 21 80 Adequate 65 22 24 17 25 22 69 25 25 9 1 0 14 13 0 Surplus 1 1 0 2 0 0 2 4 0 0 0 0 5 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/ (Aug 31 - Sep 6) (Aug 1 - 31) (Jan 1 - Sep 6) (1971 - 2000) (May - Jul) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- High Plains 0.20 1.85 11.97 19.64 94 Low Rolling Plains 0.37 0.97 13.60 24.51 97 North Central Texas 0.42 1.16 18.08 35.23 76 East Texas 0.33 2.15 24.03 48.08 70 Trans-Pecos 0.07 0.93 6.64 13.19 103 Edwards Plateau 0.25 0.67 10.76 24.73 60 South Central Texas 0.42 0.71 7.87 36.21 23 Upper Coast 0.87 2.08 17.00 50.31 31 South Texas 0.70 0.43 4.88 24.08 32 Lower Valley 0.63 0.78 4.91 25.43 41 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 ===========================================================================================================