Oct. 4, 2006

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COLLEGE STATION - Two weak cool fronts that drifted across Texas last week brought relief to drought-burdened areas. But regions of the state still suffer from months of less-than-average rainfall amounts, said Texas Cooperative Extension officials.

"A small amount of rain fell early in the week and has greened up all the pastures, but I'm afraid this will not last long," said Dr. Dale Fritz, district Extension administrator for Southeast Texas. "Everyone had a chance to harvest fall crops, and so far the weather is holding off. It looks as if we will have good yields for cotton, corn and grain sorghum."

Dr. Galen Chandler, district Extension administrator for the Rolling Plains, said producers are learning from several years of drought.

"Producers are planting earlier this year for ægrain only' production, because last year once the moisture was gone there was not enough to plant in November or December when they generally prefer to plant," he said.

District reports from Extension follow:

PANHANDLE: Temperatures were below average at the beginning of the week, but above normal by week's end. Up to one-quarter inch of rain fell in some areas, with most areas receiving none. Soil moisture was rated very short to adequate; most areas reported short to adequate amounts. Corn harvest is 35 percent complete, and yield reports varied. Cotton was rated very poor to excellent with most areas reporting fair to good. Sorghum is headed and turning color. Peanuts were rated mostly fair to good. Soybean and sunflower harvest continued. Wheat is about 75 percent planted; stands were rated fair and in need of a good rain. Range conditions vary from very poor to excellent with most areas reporting fair to good. Cattle are in good condition.

SOUTH PLAINS: Warm, dry conditions prevailed all week, helping cotton continue to mature. Harvest-aid chemicals have been applied to many cotton fields with a small percentage of acreage being harvested. Corn and peanut harvests continued. Sorghum continued to mature. Pumpkin and watermelon harvests continued. About 60 percent of winter wheat has been planted with good emergence. Ranges and pastures are in fair to good condition.

ROLLING PLAINS: Cool morning and nighttime temperatures slowed the maturity rate on the cotton crop, but some producers began applying defoliant to condition cotton for harvest. Disaster cotton is being shredded. Small grain fields are being planted. Winter wheat planting will continue until moisture is gone. Some hay grazer is being cut for hay. Range conditions where grass was present were reported as fair to good. Over-grazed range sites still are in poor to fair condition. Some of the larger horse ranchers are getting ready for annual sales. Cooler weather has caused an increase in the fly population; most buildings and homes are infested. Low-water levels continue in area tanks.

NORTH: Soil moisture ranged from very short to adequate. Stock water sources continue to be low, although recent rains have helped some pastures. Some ranchers began baling hay and planting winter pastures. Most farmers have begun planting winter wheat and oats. Cotton was reported in poor condition as the bolls were beginning to open. Corn, soybeans and sorghum are fully harvested. Most areas continued to report range and pasture conditions as poor and very poor. Cattle prices have dropped, and producers continue to purchase hay from neighboring states.

EAST: Rain fell in some counties, but not enough was received throughout the area to improve conditions. Where measurable rain fell, cooler nighttime temperatures hindered grass growth. Cattle conditions remain good. Market prices and demand remain strong, even with large numbers being sold as producers continue to cull herds. Hay supplies continue to be extremely short in most areas. In areas reporting late hay cutting and baling, the tonnage is very low. Many cattle producers who are currently feeding with hay are seeking alternatives for the winter. Producers began planning for winter pasture planting, but soil moisture levels remain too low. Fall gardens are good in areas that received rain. Dairy enterprises in Wood County reported bad conditions.

FAR WEST: Soil moisture ranged from very short to surplus, and range and pastures were reported in very poor to excellent conditions. Cotton is in very poor to excellent condition. Temperatures have been cooler, without any triple-digit temperatures during the week. No rainfall was reported except for a half-inch to 2 inches in the southern tip of Val Verde County.

WEST CENTRAL: Warm, mild temperatures were reported this week, with highs in the low 90s F in some areas and nighttime lows in the upper 50s F to 60s F. High winds have depleted soil moisture in many areas. Cotton crops were defoliated for harvest. The cotton crop will not be as good as in recent years, and some cotton has been plowed up where insurance made adjustments. Field preparations and small grain planting continues. Some hay fields are being cut and baled; hay resources continue to be short. Range and pastures continue to improve and are in fair condition. Extremely dry, windy conditions have set back forage growth of improved pastures. Cool season grasses are coming in. Livestock were reported in fair condition, and continue to be sold off. Many producers are looking at cheaper and more readily available feeds. Some pecan harvesting has started with early varieties. Pecan crop is expected to be small.

CENTRAL: Small grain fields are continuing to be planted. Selling off cattle has slowed due to rains and grazing. Warm temperatures and hot dry winds have already taken the moisture. Hay remains scarce, and most herds are being supplemented. Cotton harvest is winding up.

SOUTHEAST: Hay inventory remained extremely short as the last fields were cut last week. Armyworms have subsided to some degree; some spraying continued. Oats, wheat and ryegrass fields being planted to improve winter grazing. If measurable rainfall is not received soon, newly planted winter forage will die. Cattle and calf sales continue with prices good. Remaining cotton crops were baled, and the harvest is complete. Producers continue fertilizing to try to get grasses to come back. Brazoria County has received moderate rainfall, which slightly hindered cotton harvest. Area-wide, cotton harvest yields are outstanding with reports of an average of 2.5 bales to 4 bales per acre. Corn harvest this year was also good, yielding 100 to 120 bushels per acre. Grains sorghum was also excellent with average yields of 5,000 pounds per acre. Frequent rains have made haying difficult and harvest has been slow, so supply is still limited. Stinkbugs and loopers persist on soybeans; however, spraying has not begun. Some wheat was planted this week. Livestock is doing well. Ratoon grain sorghum and rice look good. The main rice harvest should be completed early this month.

SOUTHWEST: With cooler temperatures and almost 2 inches of rain in mid-September the environment has improved, but the region remains very dry. The rain settled the dust and made small grains planting possible; however the region remains significantly below average in seasonal rainfall, and the sub-soil is completely dry. Forage availability is too short to sustain minimum livestock stocking without serious effect on wildlife. Cabbage, pickling cucumbers, green beans and some southern greens have been planted and are making good progress under heavy irrigation. Peanuts continue to make good progress under heavy irrigation, but yields will be down. The severe dry spell and record-high temperatures in August affected pod size. The harvest should start this month. About 20 percent of the cotton remains stored in field modules. The pecan harvest begins in about two weeks. Yields are forecast to be down from last year, due to the very dry year.

COASTAL BEND: Rain has helped increase soil moisture levels, but the soil was too wet for field activities. Farmers are preparing for spring planting. Ranchers are getting ready to plant winter pastures. Beef cattle runs have slowed down at local auctions with little supplementation needed for cow-calf operations.

SOUTH: Recent rain has provided adequate soil moisture throughout the region that has benefitted pastureland and some crops. Scattered showers and cooler temperatures continue to provide excellent forage production, which helps livestock producers decrease supplemental feeding. Field operations in some areas are still on hold until the fields dry out. Dryland wheat and oat producers are planting crops and hoping for additional rains. Land preparation for onions, cabbage and carrots was active this week. Spinach producers are holding off planting until additional information regarding the recall of spinach is released by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.