Texas Crop Weather Issue: TX-CW3709 Released: September 14, 2009 For the week of: September 7 - 13, 2009 Cooperating Agencies: Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Texas Department of Agriculture, National Weather Service Agricultural Summary: Showers swept through the central part of the state, observing up to 10 inches of rainfall. The rest of the state received a trace to 5 inches of rainfall. Producers continued to plant wheat as cotton matured in the Northern High Plains. Land preparation for wheat planting progressed well due to the recent rainfall, dry-land cotton was opening and peanuts continued to mature in the Southern High Plains. Wheat planting continued in the Northern Low Plains where moisture was available. Corn harvest neared completion in the Blacklands and was active in the Edwards Plateau. In the Trans-Pecos, chilies were turning red and pecan nuts matured as the splitting of the shuck and separation of nut from shuck took place. Cotton harvest continued in southern areas of the state. Producers prepared seed beds for irrigated cabbage, spinach, and onion planting in South Texas. Supplemental feeding of livestock was active in localized areas of the state. Range and pastures progressed well due to the recent rainfall across most of the state, however, the southern part of the state continued to be in need of moisture. Top soil moisture was mostly short to adequate across the state. Field Crops Report Small Grains: Producers continued to plant wheat in the Northern High Plains. Land preparation for wheat planting progressed well due to the recent rainfall in the Southern High Plains. Wheat planting continued in the Northern Low Plains where moisture was available and was active in the Cross Timbers. In the Coastal Bend and South Texas, planting conditions improved due to the recent rainfall. Cotton: In the Northern Plains, cotton was in need of more heat units to continue maturing. Dry-land cotton was opening in the Southern High Plains. Cotton progressed well in areas of recent rainfall in the Southern Low Plains. Cotton harvest continued in southern areas of the state. Cotton condition was mostly fair to good statewide. Corn: In the Northern High Plains, corn silage harvest began for feed yards. Corn harvest neared completion in the Blacklands and was active in the Edwards Plateau. Corn condition was mostly fair to good statewide. Sorghum: Sorghum progressed well in parts of the Northern High Plains receiving rainfall. Grain sorghum harvest was active in the Northern Low Plains. Grain sorghum harvest slowed down as producers waited for fields to dry out in the Blacklands. Sorghum condition was mostly very poor to fair statewide. Peanuts: Peanuts continued to mature in the Southern High Plains. Producers have begun to dig dry land Spanish peanuts in the Northern Low Plains. Peanuts progressed well in South Texas as producers prepared for harvest. 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. Producers prepared seed beds for irrigated cabbage, spinach, and onion planting in South Texas. Chilies were turning red in the Trans-Pecos. Vegetable and sugarcane planting was active in the Lower Valley. Pecan: In the Trans-Pecos, pecan nuts matured. Producers continued to monitor the pecan weevil in the Edwards Plateau. Livestock, Range and Pasture Report Supplemental feeding of livestock was active in localized areas of the state. Stock tank levels in some areas of the state were replenished due to the recent rainfall. Livestock herd liquidation continued in localized parts of the state due to hay being in short supply. Armyworms caused hay meadows to suffer in East Texas. Range and pastures progressed well due to the recent rainfall across most of the state, however, the southern part of the state continued to be in need of moisture. Range and pasture condition was mostly very poor to fair statewide. Crop Progress Table - September 13, 2009 ---------------------------------------------------------- Percent Crop Stage --------------------------- 2009 2008 Avg 2004-2008 ---------------------------------------------------------- Corn Dough 100 99 100 Dent 95 94 97 Mature 78 67 79 Harvested 68 64 66 Cotton Setting Bolls 95 98 99 Bolls Opening 30 22 30 Harvested 13 14 15 Rice Harvested 90 91 93 Sorghum Headed 97 96 97 Coloring 75 75 77 Mature 66 67 67 Harvested 64 66 64 Soybeans Dropping Leaves 66 84 46 Harvested 48 58 59 Sunflowers Planted 90 100 100 Harvested 9 3 23 Winter Wheat Planted 16 7 16 ========================================================== Crop Condition Table - September 13, 2009 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Percent Index 1/ Crop ------------------------------------------ ----------- Excellent Good Fair Poor Very Poor 2009 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Corn 6 31 24 14 25 54 59 Cotton 10 30 30 14 16 60 63 Peanuts 17 59 23 1 0 86 78 Rice 10 30 39 9 12 64 80 Sorghum 3 20 38 16 23 49 67 Soybeans 5 25 36 25 9 56 57 Range & Pasture 2 18 28 24 28 - - -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 13, 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 10 22 13 23 24 1 32 34 33 48 38 34 18 46 Short 47 51 31 31 35 25 35 29 42 32 34 24 51 35 6 Adequate 50 37 45 50 41 36 62 34 24 25 18 28 12 46 48 Surplus 1 2 2 6 1 15 2 5 0 10 0 10 3 1 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/ (September 7-13) (Sep 1 - 13) (Jan 1 - Sep 13) (1971 - 2000) (Jun - Aug) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- High Plains 0.65 0.85 12.62 19.64 104 Low Rolling Plains 2.09 2.46 15.69 24.51 97 North Central Texas 3.76 4.18 21.84 35.23 79 East Texas 2.15 2.48 26.18 48.08 73 Trans-Pecos 0.64 0.71 7.28 13.19 84 Edwards Plateau 1.90 2.15 12.66 24.73 54 South Central Texas 3.12 3.54 10.99 36.21 18 Upper Coast 2.13 2.98 19.13 50.31 39 South Texas 2.46 3.11 7.34 24.08 13 Lower Valley 1.95 2.30 6.86 25.43 29 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 ===========================================================================================================