Texas Crop And Weather Report : Rye Seed Shortage May Call For Revised Winter Pasture Strategy

By Robert Burns

Rye seed shortage may call for revised winter pasture strategy

A shortage of small grain rye seed may require many East and Central Texas producers to rethink their winter pasture plan, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agronomist.

“The shortage is primarily of varieties we are more familiar with here in East Texas, such as Elbon and Maton,” said Dr. Vanessa Corriher-Olson, AgriLife Extension forage specialist at Overton.

Much of the seed production for those varieties comes out of Oklahoma, Corriher-Olson said. Because of the drought, as well as late freezes this year, a lot of seed production was lost.

“Producers need to be aware of this when they go to their retailer,” she said. “Those varieties may not be available, may be in shorter supply or may be more expensive.”


There may also be unfamiliar varieties of rye grain seed available, but Corriher-Olson warned producers should be careful of their choices as the seed may have been grown in more northern states and not be very productive under East and Central Texas conditions — or may not be adapted at all.

A good place to begin is the website for the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Overton, she said. Go to at http://overton.tamu.edu and click on “Pastures, Forages & Soils” and then select “Ryegrass & Small Grains.”

Producers wanting advice on a particular variety may also contact her at 903-834-6191 or VACorriher@ag.tamu.edu, Corriher-Olson said.

There are also options to small grain rye for winter pasture, she noted. Those options include annual ryegrass, oats and wheat.

“Ryegrass is a very viable option, though it will be more dependent upon soil acidity, requiring at least a pH of 6,” she said. “It will also have later production, and be more of an early spring forage than a winter pasture option.”

Oats and wheat also are more sensitive to soil pH. Oats may not be cold tolerant enough for northeast Texas conditions. For advice on these options, Corriher-Olson recommended producers first contact the AgriLife Extension agent in their county. A contact list may be found at http://counties.agrilife.org/.

More information on the current Texas drought and wildfire alerts can be found on the AgriLife Extension Agricultural Drought Task Force website at http://agrilife.tamu.edu/drought/.

AgriLife Extension district reporters compiled the following summaries:

Central: Most counties reported good soil moisture, as well as rangeland and pasture conditions. Nearly all reported crops and livestock in good condition. Hot and dry conditions continued. Most dryland cotton was a loss, but irrigated cotton looked good. Fieldwork and harvesting of crops continued, with high yields across the region. Grain elevators were full or filling up, which delayed the completion of the corn harvest. The first cotton was harvested and ginned earlier this week. Creeks were flowing and stock tank water levels were adequate, which helped keep livestock in good condition. Pastures continued to look good, despite a little drought stress in some areas, and some producers were taking a third hay cutting. Sugarcane aphids continued to be an issue in Sudan grass hayfields.

Coastal Bend: Despite a few scattered showers, soil moisture remained short. The dry conditions allowed producers to harvest crops and cut more hay. The cotton harvest was completed in the more southern counties, but just beginning in the northern part of the region. As they finished harvesting, growers were shredding stalks and plowing fields to destroy any volunteer or regrowth cotton. Cotton yields varied widely, from fair to near-record levels. As rice farmers were finishing their harvest, they were baling rice hay. The red grape harvest was completed with fantastic yields reported. Beef producers were increasing supplement hay feeding to cattle.

East: Conditions were hot and dry. Soil moisture and forage quality decreased. Pastures were beginning to dry out. Most counties reported subsoil and topsoil moisture as short, with a few counties reporting topsoil moisture as very short. Producers continued to bale hay. Grasshopper and armyworm infestations continued to be a problem for many producers. Protein levels in forages dropped due to earlier abundant rains, which required many producers to supplement cattle with protein. San Augustine County reported pastures were being grazed down due to lack of growth. Stock ponds remained in good shape. The grain sorghum harvest was completed, with yields of 5,500 pounds per acre reported. The corn harvest was also completed, with yields of about 160 bushels per acre. Early planted cotton looked great, while late-planted cotton was struggling. Insect pressure on cotton was low. Livestock remained in good condition. Vegetable production slowed. The Harrison County Farmers Market had its last official sale day until next spring. Feral hogs were active.

Far West: Hot, dry conditions continued for most of the region. Ector County was the exception, receiving from 2 to 3 inches of rain. Pasture and rangeland continued to be in very poor to poor condition. Subsoil and topsoil moisture was short to very short. Corn and cotton were in fair to good condition. Grain sorghum was mostly mature. All sunflowers were harvested.

North: Topsoil moisture was mostly short to adequate. Light rains across the region brought less than 0.5 inch of moisture. Temperatures rose to the mid- to high-90s, which dried up reserve soil moisture. The generally dry weather allowed the corn and sorghum harvests to continue. Summer pasture grazing was becoming very short. Without substantial rain soon, producers may have to start feeding hay. In Kaufman County, the hay harvest continued. Overall, cattle were in good condition. Grasshoppers continued to be a problem. Sugarcane aphids were still attacking sorghum Sudan hay. Feral hog activity remained high.