COLLEGE STATION -- There likely will be a lot of fallow fields in the North and Central Texas regions this year, according to Texas AgriLife Extension Service reports.
"We are very, very, very wet still at this time," said Rick Maxwell, AgriLife Extension agent in Collin County, northeast of Dallas. "Because of this wet weather we've got very little of our corn in."
Maxwell said very little wheat got planted in Collin and neighboring counties as well. He estimates only about 5 percent of the 30,000 acres of corn that are typically planted went in this year. Wheat is planted in the fall, but only about 30 percent of the usual acreage of wheat was planted last fall.
The planting window for corn closed about March 15 in North Texas. Sorghum is an option some years, but this year, Maxwell expected most Collin County growers will elect to take prevented planting provisions of their crop-insurance policies.
"We're basically a two-crop system here in Collin County - - corn and wheat," Maxwell said. "We're just now getting into the normally wet period of our year. And they think -- at least the ones I've talked too -- it's going to be more of the same."
The situation is a lot better in the Panhandle, where 30 percent or more of Texas corn acres are generally planted, said Dr. Brent Bean, an AgriLife Extension agronomist based in Amarillo.
The planting window opens and closes later in the Panhandle, Bean said, and though corn planting may be a little later than normal this year, he predicted 2010 will be a good corn year.
"We're in very good shape from a moisture standpoint," Bean said. "We're not going to have to be pre-irrigating this year."
Bean said he believes planting will be a little late, perhaps a week on the average, because of the wet weather. Most Panhandle growers strip-till, a soil and moisture conservation method where only a narrow strip that is to be seeded is tilled and fertilized.
Most growers haven't had a chance to either till the strips or fertilize yet, but Bean didn't expect more than a short delay in operations.
"As soon as the soil temperatures get above 50 degrees, they'll be starting to plant," he said.
Bean also noted that because nearly all corn is irrigated in the Panhandle, yields are generally a lot higher than in North and Central Texas, so the 30 percent of acreage generally represents 50 percent of the bushels grown in the state.
The following summaries were compiled by AgriLife Extension district reporters:
CENTRAL: A week-old freeze caused minor damage to vegetable crops. The extent of damage to fruit trees was not yet determined. Most of the region received more rain after the freeze. Pastures began to green up with warmer weather, but grass and small grains needed more sunshine. Farmers were behind in their planting due to the extremely wet weather.
COASTAL BEND: Strong winds caused blowing sand. Corn emerged and was looking very good. Cool nights slowed emergence of cotton and sorghum. Rice farmers began planting. The condition of cattle improved as the supply of grass was sufficient for the first time in more than a year.
EAST: Warmer daytime temperatures helped grasses green up, but growth was slow due to cooler nighttime temperatures. In some areas, soils were still too moist for farmers to get into fields and pastures. Azalea blooming was delayed, and horticulturists expected peak bloom not to come before mid-April. Spring calving continued. Livestock were in fair to good condition with producers still providing some supplemental feed. Feral hogs continued to cause damage to property. Skunks began to be a problem on highways.
FAR WEST: Warmer days and high, gusty winds dried soils. Wildfire danger was high. Farmers were pre-watering irrigated cotton fields. Winter wheat was doing well with some fields close to heading out. Farmers were preparing seed beds, working on irrigation equipment and planting corn. Rangeland plants were emerging. Locoweed crop continued to spring up and bloom.
NORTH: Soil moisture levels ranged from adequate to fully saturated. The weather ranged from snow, followed by temperatures in the 70s, then by rain and thunderstorms. Most fields and pastures were very wet. Because the wet winter, few corn farmers were able to plant. Most corn growers believe it is too late to try and plant and were expected to take advantage of prevented planting provisions in crop-insurance policies and not try to put another crop in such as grain sorghum. There may be only 10 percent or less of the average corn planted this year. The total wheat acreage planted was a lot less also because of the same wet conditions. Livestock were in fair to good condition, but fields were very spongy and producers had to continue heavy supplemental feeding. Hay supplies were running short and in many cases, producers had run completely out and were trying to purchase hay from other areas to finish up the feeding season. Very few producers were able to plant winter annual pastures last fall, so there is little or no spring grazing. In some areas, supplemental feeding slowed a little where there was growth of ryegrass.
PANHANDLE: The northwest portion of the region received another 6 to 8 inches of wet snow, bringing their winter total to 40 to 45 inches. Soil moisture levels in most of the region were better than in previous years. Some field work was done on wheat that dried out some. Only light insect activity was reported. Some cattle were removed from wheat fields and placed on other grazing fields and pastures. Rangeland cool-season grasses emerged, and it was expected that warmer grasses should coming out of dormancy soon. Until then, most producers were still feeding from hay stocks, which were becoming very low. Cattle were generally in good condition.
ROLLING PLAINS: Though spring officially arrived, temperatures dropped to 30 degrees and storm systems brought snow, rain and high winds. Later in the reporting period, days were sunny and temperatures rose to about 70 degrees. With high soil moisture and the warmer days, winter wheat and grasses really began to green up and grow. Livestock were in good to excellent condition and required less supplemental feeding. The warmer weather dried fields out, and farmers were beginning to plow, put out fertilizer and kill winter weeds. The spring calving season was coming to an end, and cattle were in good shape considering the harsh winter. Most trees were blooming.
SOUTH: Cool nights and warm days continued to be the rule. Most of the region had adequate soil moisture levels. Most corn and sorghum have been planted and emerged. Farmers were beginning to plant forage sorghum for hay, and in the northern part of the region some wheat and oat fields began to head. In the eastern part of the district, growers were planting at a steady pace, and early planted grain and sorghum began to emerge. Also in the eastern counties, grass growth slowed due to cooler-than-normal soil temperatures. In the western counties, cold weather delayed the planting of sorghum, cotton, corn and sesame. Growers completed the spinach harvest and continued with the harvesting of cabbage. Irrigators applied water to onion, corn and sorghum crops. In the southern counties, spring vegetable crops were progressing well, and the onion harvest was ongoing. In most areas, good forage growth meant the condition of livestock improved. In the western counties, beef producers continued with some supplemental feeding. Soil moisture levels in those counties were dropping, and stock tank water supplies were running low.
SOUTH PLAINS: The region had windy days with highs in the 60s and lows in the 30s. Soil moisture was adequate. Producers were applying chemicals and listing seedbeds. Wheat was in fair to good condition and continuing to mature. Pastures and rangeland were in fair to good condition. Cattle were in mostly good condition.
SOUTHEAST: Rangeland conditions improved but grass growth was still slowed by cold weather. The cold front also slowed planting activity.
SOUTHWEST: March rain has slowed in comparison to the substantially increased rate since September, but the year-to-date accumulation remained at about 1.5 times average. The region greened up, and the mild, cool, open weather accelerated spring growth. Bluebonnets, Indian paintbrushes, redbud trees and many other woody plants were blooming. Forage availability improved significantly, but less-palatable winter weeds were using up soil moisture. Ranchers have increased stocking rates. Corn and sorghum fields had good stands despite a mid-March frost which caused some leaf damage. Frost or cold injury to potatoes and onions also appeared to be minor. The spinach harvest was winding down. The harvesting of cabbage, broccoli and carrot crops continued. Wheat, oats and late-planted cabbage made excellent progress. Cotton, cantaloupe, watermelon and cucumber planting was expected to begin soon. Pecans trees were leafing out and blooming was expected to begin soon.
WEST CENTRAL: Daytime temperatures continued to rise. High winds accompanied scattered showers in a few areas. Soil moisture levels remained very good in most areas. Small grains continued to improve with good conditions. No damage from the late freeze was reported. Winter wheat showed a small amount of strip rust and leaf rust, and producers were monitoring fields but not treating. Rangeland and pasture conditions also continued to improve. Producers began to decrease supplemental feeding of livestock as grazing improved. Fruit trees began to bloom.
Source : Texas Agrilife Extension