From: Heath Lusty [mailto:rhlusty@ag.tamu.edu] Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 2:13 PM To: Heath Lusty Subject: Texas crop, weather Texas crop, weather Wet conditions threaten to delay corn planting February 17, 2010 Writer(s): Robert Burns, 903-834-6191,rd-burns@tamu.edu COLLEGE STATION - Rain, sleet and snow came to much of the state, adding more moisture to already saturated soils. Though certainly preferable to a drought, overly wet conditions are causing some concern for producers, particularly corn growers, said Dr. Travis Miller, ( http://soilcrop.tamu.edu/professors/miller/profile.htm target= ) Texas AgriLife Extension Service ( http://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/ ) statewide agronomist. Miller said that the optimal time to start planting corn in the Gulf Coast and Central Texas regions is about the third or fourth week of February, with planting continuing into mid to late March. "But the Gulf Coast has been (too) wet for four months or more," Miller said. "Central Texas is pretty much the same. No field work has been done; no fertilizing, no land preparation. There are lots of weeds in the fields. We're very close to planting time and absolutely no field work has been done." Miller said if a few weeks of clear weather were to come soon, producers could move into the fields and get some land preparation done. If the planting is delayed by only a couple of weeks, there probably wouldn't be much detriment to this year's crop, though there is some risk associated with late planting. "Late planting always increases the risk of heat and drought injury when we tend to have dry and hot weather mid-summer," he said. But if planting is delayed a month or more, it's a different story, he said. "If we plant a couple of weeks late, we're probably okay," he said. "If we plant a month late, people will change crops. We'll plant sorghum, we'll plant cotton and we'll reduce the corn acres." However, all things considered, too much moisture is better than too little, he said. "You can do a lot more with mud than you can with dust," Miller said. The following summaries were compiled by AgriLife Extension district reporters: CENTRAL: ( http://stephenville.tamu.edu/~TAEX/ )Most of the region received snow, which meant more moisture on soils that were already too saturated for field work or planting row crops. The cold, wet weather was hard on cattle, requiring producers to provide more supplemental feed. With the ground so wet, even hay feeding was difficult. COASTAL BEND: ( http://agfacts.tamu.edu/ )Rainy and cool weather continued to roll through the region. Preparation for row-crop planting was significantly behind schedule due to fields being too wet to be worked. Spring vegetable planting was also delayed. However, winter grasses responded well to winter weather. Producers continued to provide extra protein and forage to stressed cattle. EAST: ( http://overton.tamu.edu/ )Parts of the region received as much as 9 inches of snow. Rain also fell, adding to the already excess soil moisture. Pasture and fields were extremely muddy, causing problems feeding livestock and making any kind of field work impossible. Winter forages growth continued to lag because of the cold, wet weather. Livestock were in fair to good condition with producers continuing to provide supplemental feed. Producers were hoping for warmer weather to help with forage growth and cut down on use of dwindling hay supplies. Calving continued. Feral hog activity remained a problem throughout the region. FAR WEST: ( http://ftstockton.tamu.edu/ )From 0.5 inch to 1.25 inches of rain fell. The pecan harvest was nearly finished. Spring wheat emerged, and the stands looked very good. Cotton stalk destruction was on hold because of wet conditions. Fall-planted onions were coming out of dormancy and at the three-leaf stage of development. Land preparation for cotton, chile and corn was under way. NORTH: ( http://dallas.tamu.edu/ )From 8 inches to 12 inches of snow fell, and soil moisture levels ranged from adequate to surplus. Everything was extremely wet and muddy. Cold temperatures retarded the growth of winter pastures. The snow and cold rain made it hard for producers to feed livestock. Many cow/calf producers were in the middle of calving season and this weather made it very difficult. The ground was wet before the snow and as it melts, there was not a dry place for the cattle to lie down. Some older cattle have been lost. Hay supplies were going fast with the increase in supplemental feeding. Winter pastures have been limited by cold and wet weather since September. Only about half of the normal acres of wheat were planted because of wet conditions. As corn-planting time approached, fields were too wet to plow. Rangeland and pastures were in fair to very poor condition. Many producers despaired about the weather. PANHANDLE: ( http://amarillo.tamu.edu/ )The region appeared to be locked in a holding pattern with another week of snow and moisture. Those producers growing crops, particularly wheat for grain, appreciated the extra moisture, but it caused problems for those trying to graze cattle on wheat pasture or haul hay. Most cattle on wheat were being fed hay, and mud was a big problem on roads and in pens. Most producers opted to feed hay in the early morning hours when the ground was still frozen. Warmer temperatures at the end of the reporting period were expected to stimulate wheat growth. Field work in preparation for sorghum planting was delayed due to the recent snow. SOUTH PLAINS: ( http://lubbock.tamu.edu/ )The region received from 2 - 6 inches of snow. Low temperatures were in the mid to high 20s. Soil moisture was adequate. Field activity was at a standstill due to wet conditions, but soil moisture levels spelled a positive outcome for spring planting if it can be done on time. Wheat was in fair to good condition with growers making decisions on weed control and top-dress fertilizers. Pastures and rangeland were in fair to good condition. Livestock were in mostly good condition with producers supplying supplemental feed on the colder, wetter days. ROLLING PLAINS: ( http://vernon.tamu.edu/ )Parts of the region received as much as 12 inches of snow. The extra moisture gave winter wheat a boost. Wheat producers were ready to top-dress fields with nitrogen fertilizer and herbicide but field conditions were too wet. Saturated soils and cold temperatures forced producers to continue supplemental feeding of cattle on wheat, which raised issues with seedlings being damaged by cattle in muddy fields. Cold temperatures prevented most other winter grasses from emerging. Most stock water tanks were full. All the pecans nuts were on the ground but about 15 percent to 20 percent remained to be picked up because of the wet conditions. SOUTH: ( http://southtexas.tamu.edu/ )Continual rain, scattered showers and cool days dominated the region's weather. Soil moisture was surplus in the eastern part of the region and adequate in all other areas of the region. Rangeland and pasture grasses continued to decline with continual cold weather. Winter weeds greened up in a lot of areas, which supplied livestock with some feed, but almost all beef producers were forced to continue supplying supplemental feed. Cattle were stressed and their body condition scores declining because of the cold and wet conditions. Crop producers were behind preparing fields for the 2010 crop season because of wet conditions. No field activity took place except in the western part of the region where producers completed the second cutting of fresh-market and processing spinach. They were also actively harvesting cabbage. Dryland milo producers anticipated planting early. SOUTHEAST: ( http://bryan.tamu.edu/ )Cold, wet, overcast weather severely hampered winter pasture growth. The wet winter caused cattle to dramatically increase their consumption of hay, and supplies were running short. Topsoils were saturated. SOUTHWEST: ( http://uvalde.tamu.edu/ )One more inch of rain fell, bringing the year-to-date cumulative rainfall to about 200 percent of the long-term average. Rain since September 2009 has greatly improved the agricultural production outlook. Below-normal temperatures helped conserve the moisture by reducing evaporation and keeping weeds in check, and the wet soils minimized damage to recently planted potatoes, cabbage and spinach from very high winds at the end of the reporting period. The upper soil-moisture profile was full, but aquifer levels had not fully recovered from the extended drought. Rains will minimize irrigation costs for early spring planting. Wheat, oats and winter vegetable crops were making excellent progress. The harvesting of spinach, cabbage, broccoli and carrots was ongoing. Growers nearly finished planting potatoes. Ranchers continue to concentrate on calving, lambing and kidding. WEST CENTRAL: ( http://sanangelo.tamu.edu/ )Snow, sleet and rain came to the region. All areas were extremely wet. Producers could not get into the fields because of wet conditions. Most crops were doing very well. Conditions for spring production were looking very good because of the high soil moisture levels. Pasture and rangeland conditions continue to improve. Producers continued supplemental feeding of livestock. Heath Lusty Jack County Extension Agent Agriculture & Natural Resources 940-567-2132 office 817-584-6628 cell