For the week of Aug. 17 to Aug. 23, most of the state reported from trace amounts up to three inches of rain during the past week. Producers in the Gulf Coast and East Texas were tracking tropical storms as they brewed in the Gulf.
Row Crops: Corn harvest was completed in most of the state while harvest continued to progress in areas of the Northern High Plains and South Central Texas. Corn producers in the Blacklands had begun to plow fields for next year. Cotton harvest continued in the Coastal Bend and the Upper Coast, and was underway in areas of South Central Texas and South Texas. Dryland cotton showed signs of drought stress in areas of the Blacklands, South East Texas, and the Southern High Plains.
In some areas of the Low Plains, drought conditions led to some cotton crop failures. Farmers in the Lower Valley continued to evaluate the damage from Hurricane Hanna last month, and some producers are reporting total crop losses.
Sorghum harvest was underway in areas of the Blacklands and the Edwards Plateau, meanwhile other areas of the state will begin soon. Rice and soybean harvest continued in areas of the Upper Coast. Peanuts continued to improve in areas of the Southern High Plains and South Texas.
Fruit, Vegetable and Specialty Crops: Pecan orchards continued to progress where irrigation occurred in areas of the Southern High Plains and South Texas. Pecan producers in areas of the Cross Timbers assessed orchard damage caused by extreme winds. Meanwhile, pecan trees in South Central Texas had begun losing fruit due to dry conditions. Melon harvest continued in areas of South Texas and North East Texas.
Livestock, Range and Pasture: Supplemental feeding continued in the Northern High Plains, South Central Texas and South Texas due to dry conditions. Stock ponds levels in the Blacklands have dropped markedly. Feral hogs continued to be a problem for areas of East Texas. Pasture and range condition were mostly rated fair to poor.
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tx-cw-08-23-2020