Writer: Rod Santa Ana III, (956) 968-5581, r-santaana@tamu.edu
Contacts: John Norman, (956) 968-5581, j-norman@tamu.edu
Dr. Jose Amador, (956) 968-5585, j-amador@tamu.edu
WESLACO — The lack of timely rains and adequate irrigation water seriously damaged the Lower Rio Grande Valley’s 2002 cotton crop, according to preliminary figures of this year’s harvest.
John Norman, cotton Integrated Pest Management entomologist at the Texas A&M Agricultural Research and Extension Center at Weslaco, estimates that up to 70 percent of the approximately 200,000 acres of cotton planted here was not harvested due to poor performance for lack of water.
“Because so little of what was planted this year was actually harvested, overall yields were very low, an average of about 200 pounds of lint per acre, or less than half a bale per acre,” Norman said.
Until this year, Valley growers had been able to coax an average of one bale per acre over the past 10 years, or 500 pounds, despite being in a drought for most of the past decade.
“What’s interesting,” said Norman, “is that in those areas that had adequate irrigation water, yields this year were as high as 1,500 pounds per acre, or three bales of lint per acre. And that was Valley-wide, from Cameron to Starr County.”
Norman said the higher yields are likely due to improved cotton varieties and demonstrate the potential Valley growers have to vastly outproduce varieties used in the past.
“The potential of these new varieties produce better than what was produced in one of our best years here, 1988, when we harvested an average of 800 pounds of lint per acre. With today’s varieties, we can almost double that yield, but not without water,” he said.
Heavy rains that fell after the Sept. 1 state deadline to destroy all cotton stalks for insect control have left a deep soil moisture that could bode well for the 2003 Valley cotton crop.
“If we can get a favorable weather pattern that sustains this deep soil moisture into February and March, we may get newly planted seeds to germinate without irrigation. Roots could then grow strong as they reach down into the soil toward the deep water and, with some timely rains in April and May, we have a good chance for an excellent crop next year.”
Boll weevils, though, could pose a problem in next year’s crop. Norman’s last trap counts in October showed boll weevil populations very high, which could mean the boll-chomping insects will survive the winter and get a damaging foothold in the new crop.
“That’s why it’s so important that growers go into their fields as soon as possible to destroy any old cotton stalks where these boll weevils can feed, reproduce and survive into next year,” he said. “But both TDA (Texas Department of Agriculture) and growers are doing an excellent job of assuring compliance with the stalk destruction program.”
A 1980s U.S. Department of Agriculture study showed boll weevils that successfully overwinter in old cotton stalks can spread out over a five mile radius from their original field into the subsequent year’s newly planted crop.
Dr. Jose Amador, director of Texas A&M’s Weslaco center, said the 2002 cotton crop loss only compounds grower woes.
“Anytime you lose 65 percent to 70 percent of your crop, that’s serious,” he said. “But this is especially devastating because it comes at a time when our growers have taken such a hard beating for such a long time now. And the losses show how very important adequate water supplies are to a healthy agricultural industry. We can produce very high yields of very high quality cotton here, but not without adequate water.”
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