Nov. 7, 2006

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COLLEGE STATION – Cooler weather and rainfall have helped improve livestock conditions in the Central Texas region, which have been hampered by drought conditions for much of the year, Texas Cooperative Extension reports.

Recent rainfall prompted row crop producers to return to fields and prepare for the 2007 winter wheat growing season, said Ron Woolley, district Extension administrator in Stephenville.

However, runoff is needed to replenish stock tanks and the soil moisture that was wiped out due to drought, he said. The pecan harvest also continued.

In the South Plains, the cotton harvest continued as the first official freeze was recorded Nov. 1. Yields were better than expected, said Jett Major, district Extension administrator in Lubbock.

Peanut producers continue to dig and thrash, with good yields reported.

The following are reports from Extension districts around the state:

PANHANDLE: Temperatures were above average early in the week, but a strong cold front dropped them into the lower 20s F and upper teens. No moisture was received during the week. Soil moisture was rated mostly short to adequate. Corn harvest was wrapping up. Cotton harvest was about 30 percent complete. Yield reports are good. Peanut harvest continued; no yield reports were received. Sorghum harvest was about 25 percent complete. Yields were likely to be light because the sorghum was not fully mature. A few fields of soybeans remained to be harvested. Some wheat remained to be planted; stands are rated mostly fair to excellent. Early planted provided excellent grazing. Range conditions were rated mostly fair to excellent. Cattle were in good condition; some were receiving supplemental feed.

SOUTH PLAINS: Soil moisture was short to adequate. Cotton harvest was in full swing. Yields were better than expected. Corn harvest was complete with average yields. Winter wheat looked good where emerged, but it needed supplemental rainfall for good establishment. Low yields in irrigated sorghum were reported. No dryland sorghum has been harvested. Pastures and ranges were in fair to good condition with little to no supplemental feeding being done at this time. Livestock were in good condition.

ROLLING PLAINS: A good portion of the district reported its first mild freeze. With the cooler temperatures, most warm-season grasses started to move to the dormant stage. Winter wheat was off to a good start, and cotton harvest is under way. Most pastures were in decent condition, but hay for the winter could be in short supply. Pecan crop appeared to be short to average at best. Cattle were in fair to good condition. Runoff water was still needed in stock tanks in the eastern part of the district.

NORTH: This week brought cooler temperatures but little rain. Soil moisture ranged from very short to adequate. Some counties received up to 2 inches of rain. Winter pastures have had enough moisture to germinate and sustain seedlings; some sites will soon provide grazing. Wheat planting was in full swing with ample soil moisture. Runoff water is still needed to fill dry stock tanks. Corn, soybeans and sorghum are completely harvested. Three-fourths of the wheat is planted with 40 percent emerging and looking well. More than 70 percent of the cotton is harvested, and conditions ranged from very poor to good. This year's pecan crop was poor with 30 percent harvested. Grayson County had received two killing frosts as of this date; this is about two weeks early.

FAR WEST: Soil moisture ranged from very short to adequate, and crops and pastures ranged from very poor to excellent. Cotton ranged from very poor to excellent with irrigated cotton already being stripped. Winter wheat ranged from very poor to good. Oats varied from fair to good. Pecan harvest should begin in two to three weeks. Hay has about one more cutting to go.

WEST CENTRAL: Temperatures were cooling down with frost warnings reported in some areas. Cotton harvest is under way where producers have defoliated fields. Producers were ginning cotton at a steady pace. Wheat was off to a fair start. Field preparation and planting of small grains continued. Cool weather slowed pasture growth. Winter weeds and grasses were doing well but need moisture. Hay supplies remained short. Stock tanks were low and need a hard rain to replenish. Livestock were in fair to good condition. Pecan harvest is under way.

CENTRAL: Cooler weather and rains improved the livestock situation. Runoff is needed to replenish stock tanks and soil moisture. Row crop producers were getting back into fields to prepare ground for next season and for winter wheat. Pecan harvest continued.

SOUTHEAST: Showers early in the week hampered the last few hay cuttings. By the end of the week almost all grass had been cut and was about to be baled or was baled. The cool north wind provided excellent curing conditions. Winter pasture was being planted now with moisture Wet conditions have hampered the peanut harvest.

SOUTHWEST: While portions of region received excellent rain early in the week, most of the region remains very dry. Year-to-date cumulative rainfall for a large portion of the region remained at about one-third of the long-term average. Forage availability was reported as sparse. Stock tanks are low; some remain dry. Fall hay production yields were low and small grains planting have been delayed due to very dry fields. The pecan harvest was winding down. The peanut harvest continued. Spinach, green beans, cabbage and cucumbers for pickling made excellent progress under heavy irrigation. Hunting and hunter activities dominated rancher and rural activities, as the hunting season opened this past weekend for the region south of U.S. Highway 90.

COASTAL BEND: Cool, fall weather with a few spotty rains were reported this week. More rain is needed to fill stock ponds and replenish winter pastures. As soils dried, field activities are increasing, and some cotton stalk destruction was taking place.

SOUTH: Soil moisture conditions in the region ranged from adequate to fair with mild precipitation. Fall crop-related programs were conducted. Spinach progressed well. Cabbage loopers were reported in some fields, but producers did not immediately begin spraying. Winter crops were doing well; sugarcane and citrus were harvested. The area experienced cooler temperatures.