Aug. 1, 2006

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COLLEGE STATION – Losses continue to mount throughout the state as extreme heat and lack of rainfall have destroyed up to 2 million acres of cotton, Texas Cooperative Extension reports.

"The last estimate on cotton losses in the South Plains was 1.3 million acres," said Dr. Travis Miller, Extension program leader for soil and crop science. "I know we've lost in excess of 300,000 acres along the Gulf Coast. And we've also lost a considerable number of sorghum and soybean acres."

Seventy percent of the soybean crop in North Texas has already been baled, Miller said. Much of the corn throughout the Blacklands region in Central Texas and south of Victoria has been lost or has had exceptionally low yields due to drought, he said.

"And it's no secret we've lost a whole lot of forage," Miller said. "We've seen record numbers of light-weight calves go to the feedlots, and ranchers continue to cull herds to get numbers down to meet available forage. There's very short supplies of hay and very little has been made. It doesn't look good for this winter."

A good hay cutting can still be produced "if we were to get favorable rains, and rains this fall would help producers grow winter pastures for grazing, reducing the need for hay, which is in very short supply," he said.

"Really, the only bright spots have been along the Gulf Coast north of Victoria," Miller said. "They've had some pretty good cotton and corn, and some soybeans in that area. There's also been excessive rains in some places, which has probably hurt the rice crop, but that's only in an isolated area."

Extension officials provided the following regional reports:

SOUTH PLAINS: Weather continues to be hot and dry with temperatures reaching 100 F or more. Rainfall received in some areas ranging from 0.5 inches to 1 inch. Soil moisture is very short to short. Cotton is in fair condition. Cotton crop conditions continue to decline. Dryland cotton is blooming and many irrigated fields are at or near cutout. Corn is in good to excellent condition. Irrigation has been running non-stop and corn is reaching the dent stage. Some corn will begin to dry down in a couple of weeks. Peanuts are in fair to good condition; they are pegging and irrigation continues. Irrigated sorghum looks good; dryland sorghum is in poor condition due to drought and extreme heat. Pumpkins are progressing well and irrigation continues. Pastures and ranges are in very poor to poor condition, and rainfall is needed. Livestock producers are having difficulty locating forage and hay sources.

ROLLING PLAINS: Hot and dry conditions continue. Dryland cotton has declined over the past two weeks with essentially no moisture left in the soil to sustain the plant. Haygrazer is mostly dead throughout the majority of the district. Tanks are drying up or have already gone dry. Fire danger is steadily increasing as the weather continues to be hot and dry. Many ranchers are culling older cows to help with drought conditions.

NORTH: Record-high temperatures with no rain in the forecast present trouble for most counties. Bowie County reported some rainfall. Soil moisture is very short, and producers are concerned about lack of water in stock tanks. Burn bans are being administered. Soybeans, sorghum and corn crops are in very poor to poor condition. Cotton is in poor to fair condition. Rice is in good condition. Hay is being hauled in. Cattle producers are continuing to cull or sell stock. Cattle prices are falling and drought conditions are critical.

FAR WEST: Soil moisture ranges from very short to adequate, and crops and pastures are in very poor to fair condition. Cotton is in very poor to good condition with irrigated cotton in excellent condition. Triple-digit temperatures are being recorded. No moisture to report in the area.

WEST CENTRAL: Weather continues to be extremely hot and dry. Burn bans remain in effect. Grass fires continue to be a problem. Soil moisture is very short. Crops are showing signs of severe heat and moisture stress. Cotton crop continues to look good. Early-planted fields are in bloom. Range and pastures are in poor condition and continue to deteriorate. Livestock water shortage is increasing. Hay supplies are very short. Producers are selling off and culling livestock. The pecan crop is very weak. Homeowners' landscapes and pecan trees are suffering due to lack of moisture.

SOUTHEAST: Pastures are very dry and all hay growth has stopped. Grass quality is poor. The drought is affecting the dryland crops.

SOUTHWEST: The region remains almost completely dry. While about 0.1 inch of rain fell over the weekend, July is ending with less than 0.8 inch of rain compared to a long-term average of more than 2 inches. Pastures and ranges are brown or do not have any forage left. Some trees, especially yard trees, are starting to die back. San Antonio Water Systems has entered into Phase 1 of water restrictions and rationing. The region is dusty. The watermelon and cantaloupe harvest is complete. Corn and sorghum harvesting is also complete with disappointing yields from irrigated fields. Cotton and peanuts are making good progress under heavy irrigation.

COASTAL BEND: Scattered showers were reported throughout the area. Some temporarily halted harvest. Most crops cannot benefit from rain this late in the growing season. Corn and sorghum harvest continues. Some cotton defoliation is occurring. Pastures are improving.

SOUTH: Soil moisture conditions ranged from very short to adequate in some areas that received rain this week. Scattered showers helped improve soil conditions, but were not enough to bring any relief to the drought conditions. Cotton growers continue to irrigate their crop, and defoliation is well under way except for widespread rainfall that interrupted the process on Wednesday. Corn and sorghum harvesting is expected to be completed this week. Livestock producers continue supplemental feeding livestock due to range and pasture conditions that remain mostly poor to very poor.