PANHANDLE: Temperatures were above average by as much as 20 degrees. Soil moisture is rated short to very short. Cotton and sorghum harvests made good progress Wheat is rated mostly fair to good though dryland fields are showing drought stress. Range conditions are mostly fair. Fire danger is high. Cattle are in good condition. Supplemental feeding is under way.
SOUTH PLAINS: Unseasonably warm temperatures and open weather allowed good harvest progress. Cotton harvest is 70 percent complete, and peanut and sorghum harvests are nearing completion. Soil moisture is short to adequate. Winter wheat is in fair to good condition. Wheat growth continues at an above-average rate, but available soil moisture is short. Pastures and ranges are in poor to fair condition. Cattle conditions are mostly good with supplemental feeding continuing.
ROLLING PLAINS: Winter grazing on cool season annuals is good. Livestock are in fair to good condition; numbers and prices are down; costs are up. Supplemental feeding is in full swing. Livestock conditions are good with large numbers of yearlings being put on winter wheat crops.
NORTH: Soil moisture ranges from very short to adequate. With warm, dry weather, crops and pastures are doing well, but more moisture is needed. The pecan crop is 50 to 90 percent harvested, and quality seems to be good. Low water levels in ponds are a major concern.
EAST: Temperatures dropped below freezing on several occasions. Crop conditions are poor. Cattle and horse owners are feeding hay. Producers are still cutting hay, trying to get last minute cuttings. Winter forages are being planted. Soil moisture is short. Livestock condition remains mostly fair to good.
FAR WEST: Soil moisture ranges from very short to adequate and range, and pastures are in very poor to excellent conditions. Cotton is in poor to good condition. Oats are in fair to good condition. Winter wheat is in very poor to good condition. Cotton harvest continues. No precipitation for the week.
WEST CENTRAL: Unseasonably warm temperatures continued. Warm windy conditions dried out soil moisture. Harvests are under way. Small grains have emerged but are in desperate need of moisture for good growth. Livestock remain in fair to good condition in most areas. Supplemental feeding of livestock continues. Some water hauling has begun.
CENTRAL: Most of the area needs rain. Livestock water supplies continue to decline. Livestock herds are being fed supplements as grazing conditions decline.
The SOUTHEAST enjoyed a beautiful, mild week with chilly mornings and warm days. The first hard frost occurred and slowed permanent pastures in growth for the year. Winter pastures look good but need rainfall. Spring planting preperation has begun on some farms. Livestock are fairing well.
SOUTHWEST: Forage is in extremely short supply. Many stock tanks are dry. The incidence of roadside fires has increased. The peanut and cabbage harvests continue. Some pickling cucumbers are being harvested. Spinach and green beans are making excellent progress under heavy irrigation. Hunting is dominating rancher and rural activity, especially during weekends.
COASTAL BEND: Temperatures were near normal with no rainfall reported. The northern part of the reporting area received the first killing frost. Soil moisture continues to be short. Some fields are being cultivated and fertilized. Some canola has been planted in dry soil and needs rain to germinate. Dry conditions have caused pastures to deteriorate and have slowed the establishment of winter pastures. Hay feeding for livestock is increasing.
SOUTH: temperatures have been mild, but extremely dry conditions continued to cause problems for dryland wheat, oats and winter rye. Cabbage, onion and spinach fields have been heavily irrigated this week. Early planted cabbage harvested began. Sugarcane and citrus harvests continue. Most winter vegetable crops are progressing well. Improved pastures are showing signs of maturity and dormancy, and hay baling has slowed down.
This is your crop and weather report from Texas Cooperative Extension. For this and other agricultural news, find us on the Web at http://agnews.tamu.edu
From College Station, this is Kathleen Phillips.
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