By Kay Ledbetter
Across the state, corn and sorghum crops are thriving where moisture is available, but suffering in areas with drought conditions, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts.
As in most years, crop conditions depend on the weather. The spring months and planting time have taken a turn from drought and freeze damage on early planted corn to large parts of Central Texas receiving rain.
A dry start throughout South and South Central Texas put many producers behind schedule, said Ronnie Schnell, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension state cropping system specialist and professor, Texas A&M Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Bryan-College Station.
“We’ll see what the weather does moving forward; we seem to have a favorable forecast in the next few weeks, so things should continue to improve,” Schnell said. “The young crops are hanging in there.”
Central Texas production fields picked up some rain, and progressing crops are looking better in those areas. In the High Plains, where planting is just getting underway for many, the ongoing dry spell continues.
“The whole state is waiting to see a change in the weather pattern,” Schnell said. “We might see smaller plants and skinnier leaves initially, but there’s still room to capture yield potential if the beneficial moisture falls.”
Another positive note, he said, is there are no major insect or disease issues, and the very dry conditions are holding weeds in check.
The slow start and pricing situation this year has a few people growing some soybeans that normally wouldn’t, Schnell said.
Source : tamu.edu