Contact: Edith A. Chenault, (979) 845-2886,e-chenault1@tamu.edu
COLLEGE STATION — Some wheat producers across the state are waiting to play extra innings as their harvests are experiencing “rain delays,” the Texas Agricultural Extension Service reports.
Dr. Travis Miller, Extension agronomist in College Station, said wheat producers in his area should be finished with their harvest by now, but recent rains have kept them out of the fields.
“We have had more rain than normal and cool temperatures and other conditions that are not favorable to the wheat harvest,” Miller said.
He added that the area has had about 180 percent of its normal moisture for the last three months, which makes harvesting difficult.
“Wheat producers like warm, dry situations so that the grain dries,” Miller said.
He said there is a window of time in which harvesting can be done. This is after the morning dew dries and before the evening dew sets in.
“As the dew comes in to the fields at night, we have to stop harvesting because it is too moist,” he said.
“In the Plains, they have had cool, damp conditions that only allow them to harvest a little bit during the day,” Miller said.
With the poor harvesting weather, it has been a struggle for the producers to get their wheat out of the fields, he said.
“They have no idea when they’ll be finished harvesting,” Miller said. “The South Plains is pretty much finished right now, but the North Plains have more to do.”
He added that the delay in harvesting has a higher effect on quality than on yields.
“If you get the bad weather after harvest, the straw tends to lay down and you have trouble picking it up,” Miller said. “Wheat laying on moist ground tends to sprout and that lowers the quality of the wheat as far as milling and baking is concerned.”
He said he has not heard any reports on sprouting, but if the wheat lays down too long, the main concern is whether it is going to be high-quality.
Miller said prices have moved up a little bit, but are still low.
“Kansas and Oklahoma are having trouble harvesting wheat as well, so prices have moved up a little bit,” he said.
Miller added that prices are below what they were this time last year and last year’s were below the previous year.
In the Rolling Plains, Galen Chandler, district Extension director in Vernon, said hot, dry and windy conditions were reported across the area this past week and most counties could use more rainfall.
“The cotton crop is processing well with warmer temperatures,” he said. “Most older cotton is in the second week of squaring, but some will begin blooming next week.”
Chandler said fleahoppers and boll weevils are moving into squaring cotton in some fields, bollworm activity has increased.
“All counties reporting grasshopper damage in all crops,” he said, “and some spraying for control is taking place.”
Chandler added that the peanut crop is doing well, although weed control is a problem.
“The earlier planted peanuts are pegging right now and irrigation is in full swing,” he said.
Chandler said range and pasture conditions have been good, but they are declining with hot, dry and windy conditions.
“Overall, the conditions are good compared to this time last year,” he said.
Chandler added that hay baling is in full swing across the entire area.
“All hay producers have been trying to get hay cut and baled in between frequent rain showers,” he said.
Cattle body conditions remain good compared to the drought situations last year, Chandler said.
“Calves are gaining well on pastures and most stockers have been shipped to feedlots.”
In South Texas, Terry Lockamy, district Extension director in Weslaco, said most crops are at the mature stage and are suffering from too much moisture.
“Farmers are having trouble getting in the fields to harvest grain and defoliate cotton,” Lockamy said.
He said there is some damage to the corn crop due to the continued rainfall, but some harvesting has begun.
“Most cotton has open bolls and most sorghum has been harvested,” Lockamy said.
The following specific livestock, crop and weather conditions were reported by district Extension directors:
PANHANDLE: soil moisture is short to adequate. Early corn beginning to tassel. Sorghum mostly planted; some greenbug problems. Wheat harvest almost complete. Cotton squaring; fleahoppers a problem. Onions, potatoes being harvested. Cattle doing well.
SOUTH PLAINS: soil moisture is adequate. Pastures, ranges in good condition. Wheat in good condition; harvest winding down. Cotton doing well. Boll weevil applications continue. Corn in good condition; nearing tassel. Sorghum, soybeans doing well.
ROLLING PLAINS: soil moisture is short to adequate. Cotton crop progressing well; bollworm activity has increased. Peanut crop doing well; weeds a problem. Pasture conditions good, but declining rapidly. Hay baling in full swing. Cattle in good condition.
NORTH TEXAS: soil moisture is short to adequate. Wheat harvest almost complete. Most cotton squaring. Grasshoppers becoming a problem. Webworms noted. Hay baling continues. Livestock doing well; prices steady. Flies are a problem. Vegetables being harvested.
EAST TEXAS: soil moisture is adequate. Cattle conditions excellent; markets stable. Cotton squaring. Sorghum headed. Vegetable yields very good. Peaches down in quantity and quality. Pecans progressing well. Maximum hay production due to rain.
FAR WEST TEXAS: soil moisture short to adequate. Rains beneficial to cotton; insect activity increasing. Wheat harvest is complete. Cattle look good; market strong. Pastures still green; more rainfall is needed. Onions being harvested. Cantaloupe season has begun.
WEST CENTRAL TEXAS: soil moisture is very short to adequate. Cotton growing well. Early planted sorghum maturing. Oat fields being plowed for fall planting. Irrigation of peanuts has begun. Wheat harvest generally complete. Livestock doing well. Peach harvest continues.
CENTRAL TEXAS: soil moisture is short. Pastures doing very well. Hay activity continuing. Grasshoppers continue to be a problem. Cattle in very good condition. Cow prices strong. Wide range of yields in corn; some fields have poor pollination.
SOUTHEAST TEXAS: soil moisture is short to surplus. Corn beginning to turn over. Sorghum harvest beginning. Rice crop looks good; some reports of disease. Pastures doing well; quality not the best. Pecan scab a problem. Drier weather letting producers back in fields.
SOUTHWEST TEXAS: soil moisture is adequate. Rain has slowed the corn and sorghum harvests; harvest expected to resume soon. Cotton, ranges will be able to make full use of the moisture. Markets for commodities are very low.
COASTAL BEND: soil moisture is adequate to surplus. Some open bolls appearing in cotton. Cotton root and boll rot beginning to occur. Sorghum being harvested. Cattle in excellent condition. Rice crop looks good. Dry weather would be beneficial to all crops.
SOUTH TEXAS: soil moisture is short to adequate. Farmers cannot get into fields to harvest grains and defoliate cotton due to rain. Some corn harvesting has begun. Most cotton has open bolls. Sugarcane doing very well. Pastures look very healthy due to rain.
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