Farms.com Home   News

Texas Crop, Weather Report


COLLEGE STATION -- The flooding may be over, but it seems like it's raining weeds down in Texas, according to reports from Texas AgriLife Extension Service personnel.

A combination of factors from a wet winter to lower fertility rates on improved pastures are behind the extra-heavy flush of weeds this year, they say.

In the eastern half of the state, spring was typified by large outbreaks of henbit, chickweed and Texas groundsel, all winter annuals, said Dr. Vanessa Corriher, AgriLife Extension forage specialist based at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Overton.

As soil temperatures rise, Corriher said she expects to see more dove weed, blackberry or dewberry, thistles and nettle.

The wet winter and spring had an effect on weed growth, but a bigger cause of the flush of weeds is more likely the reduced fertilizer rates applied by producers, Corriher said. Higher fertilizer prices and the sluggish economy have forced producers to cutback on fertilizer.

Which is unfortunate, she said, for with lower fertility, improved pastures such as Bermuda grass and coastal Bermuda can't compete with weeds.

In the western part of the state it's a different story, said Jesse Schneider, AgriLife Extension agent in Presidio County, south of Fort Davis in Far West Texas. There the sections are so large, 50 to 200 hundred sections (a section is 640 acres) that applying fertilizer and herbicides is out of the question.

"We've had such a wet winter. In the last few years, we're weedier than we've been in the past," Schneider said. "We have a lot of locoweed, a lot of vetch and a lot of peavine."

Schneider said in her area it's because the winter was wet, which brought on the early cool-season weeds. Then it turned dry which prevented the native grasses from growing and competing with the weeds. Lately, she said, the issues on rangeland have been toxic weeds such as locoweed and perennial broomweed.

Everything that grazes, goats and cattle, are hunting for anything green, she said.

"As soon as that green came out on the broomweed, of course they went right to it, and we've had some stillbirths in boer goats (as a result)," she said.

The following summaries were compiled by AgriLife Extension district reporters:

CENTRAL: Wheat was growing rapidly, and some fields had heavy infestations of stripe rust. Warm, windy weather began to dry soils. Winter grasses were growing fast,using a lot of the soil moisture reserves. Corn growers finished planting or switched to grain sorghum. Cotton growers were planting and applying fertilizer.

COASTAL BEND: Growers continued to plant cotton, grain sorghum and sesame and apply fertilizer. High winds dried out planting beds. Rice began to emerge. Minimal amounts of hay were harvested. Forages improved in response to warmer temperatures.

EAST: As much as 1 inch of rain fell across the region, greening up pastures, but more was needed to jumpstart summer-grass growth. Planting operations were on the rise. Livestock were in fair to good condition with producers continuing to supply some supplemental feed. Feral hog damage decreased but remained a problem.

FAR WEST: The weather was very windy with no precipitation. Fall-planted onions were at the 6th leaf stage, with good top growth. Growers were planting cotton and chiles. Alfalfa came out of dormancy and is halfway to the first cutting. Pecans were leafing out. Locoweed was in full bloom, and infestations of perennial pea vine were prevalent as well. There have been reports of some stillbirths in goats due to consumption of greening broomweed.

ROLLING PLAINS: Despite high winds drying out topsoils, the region was greening up. Wildfires were on the rise because of high winds, but pastures looked good as grasses began to come on strong. Wheat prospects remained good with most producers reporting positive crop conditions. Cotton producers were preparing fields, hoping to be able to plant in about 30 days. Some grain-sorghum producers began planting. Weeds were prevalent and will pose a problem for most producers this spring. Livestock were in fair to good condition. Pecan trees budded, and turf grasses such as St. Augustine and some Bermuda grasses came out of winter dormancy. The peach crop looked promising.

PANHANDLE: The weather was warm and dry with a few days of high winds that quickly dried things out and caused some soil erosion. Wheat grew well thanks to the warmer weather, but one night with a few hours of temperatures in the 20s caused some concern. There have been no reports of damage yet. AgriLife Extension agents reported some limited signs of wheat disease. The dry weather help growers prepare for corn planting. Rangeland began to green up, and cattle did not need as much supplemental feeding. More moisture will be needed soon to keep rangeland grasses growing. Cattle were in good condition with body-condition scores improving.

SOUTH: Warm days, cool mornings and high winds continued throughout the region. Adequate soil moisture was reported in all counties except for Webb and Zavala counties. Cool nights slowed the growth of Bermuda grass and other native forage. Fortunately, there remained an abundance of winter annuals that helped keep livestock in good to fair condition. The quality of the winter annuals was beginning to decline due to lack of rain. In the northern part of the region, wheat and oats were heading; corn was light green and in good condition; and potatoes were flowering. In the eastern part of the region, many crops, particularly sunflowers and corn, were planted under favorable conditions and were already well-established. Also in that area, the cotton and grain sorghum crop was progressing well. The lack of rainfall in the western part of the region began to stress dryland wheat and oats, and irrigators were very busy. Onions made good progress thanks to cooler conditions, and the cabbage harvesting was ongoing. The citrus harvest wound down, and the sugarcane harvest was ongoing.

SOUTH PLAINS: The weather was dry and windy with a high of 91 degrees and a low of 27 degrees. A late freeze caused concern for wheat and fruit growers. The wind and hot days, along with spring plowing, began to dry out the topsoils. Winter wheat was in fair to good condition and maturing. Some producers were preparing to plant sunflowers. Rangeland and pastures were in good condition as warm-season grasses began to grow with adequate soil moisture. Grass growth was expected to continue with current moisture levels. Livestock were in good condition.

SOUTHEAST: Warmer weather stimulated the growth of spring grasses. Some counties were behind normal rainfall for the year by several inches. For example, Brazoria County ended 2009 at 35.19 inches, which was about 68 percent of the normal 52 inches. Most of that rain fell in September, October and December. The ground is already cracking. Grazing conditions were only fair, as most of the grazing is maturing winter grasses. Summer grasses were slow to respond to warmer temperatures. There was moderate haying activity. Rice and grain-sorghum planting continued with the warm, dry weather. There were no reports of insect or disease issues.

SOUTHWEST: March ended with only about 70 percent of the average long-term rainfall for the month. Only a trace of rain fell by the first week in April. The soil profile still held considerable moisture from the wet winter, and the region looked good. However, wet fields in February delayed planting and cold weather, including mid-March freezes, delayed the progress of corn and sorghum. Low soil temperatures delayed cotton planting. Forage availability was better than average for early April. Livestock and wildlife made good use of the improved forage availability. Growers were harvesting spinach, cabbage, broccoli and carrot. Potatoes, watermelons, cantaloupes, onions, wheat, oats and cabbage made excellent progress. AgriLife Extension agents expected peanut planting to begin in early May. Fruit and pecan fruit-set appeared to be above average.

WEST CENTRAL: Days were warm and windy with very cool nights. The winds were drying out soils. Rain was needed in all counties. Growers increased plowing and planting. Weeds were coming out in full force, and producers were applying herbicides and fertilizers. Winter wheat was showing stress from lack of rain. Many producers reported wheat leaf rust and stipe. Rangeland and pastures were greening up and looking very good. Livestock were in fair to good condition, and producers decreased supplemental feeding. Pecan trees were budding. Some growers were spraying fruit orchards.

Source : Texas Agrilife Extension


Trending Video

Seeding Alberta’s agri-food industry - Dec. 4, 2023

Video: Seeding Alberta’s agri-food industry - Dec. 4, 2023

Agriculture and Irrigation Minister RJ Sigurdson announced a facility expansion that will help small businesses and start-ups in Alberta’s agri-food industry grow.