Rain good news for wheat planters

Cotton in many areas needs more heat units to mature, according to Texas AgriLife Extension Service personnel. (U.S. Department of Agriculture - ARS photo by David Nance) COLLEGE STATION – All of Texas received some rain in the last week, with north central parts of the state getting 5 to 6 inches, while the Panhandle and points west saw only light showers to about 1 inch, according to the National Weather Service.

The Southwest got more rain in the last week than it had in the past year, but coming this late in the season, producers were still culling herds for lack of forage.

The rain was welcomed by agricultural producers waiting to plant small grains, including winter wheat, but a bit late for some dryland cotton. What irrigated cotton and sorghum really need is more heat units, according to Texas AgriLife Extension Service personnel.

"As for a lot of the irrigated cotton, we'd already stopped watering," said Dr. Todd Baughman, AgriLife Extension agronomist based at Vernon.

The rain won't make much difference for the dryland cotton, either, Baughman said. "Two weeks in the middle of August with 100-plus degree temperatures pretty much finished out our dryland crop for us," he said.

Baughman said he expected dryland cotton yields to be about average.

"When we went into the first of August, it looked like we had the potential for an outstanding crop," he said. "And it's going to be average at best, now."

Parts of the Rolling Plains got rain, with the better rains east of Lubbock, said Dr. Randy Boman, AgriLife Extension cotton agronomist. Though more rains would be welcome, the limiting factor for cotton in his region is a shortage of heat units.

"We really are at the point that we don't have a lot time to waste in terms of maturing the crop," he said. "We really need to make some fiber as soon as possible."

Baughman said the high on Sept. 13 was only 67 degrees, compared to the longterm average of 83 degrees.

"We're just on a slow down-trend to going to something like zero heat units by the middle of October," he said.

Though irrigated cotton remains good overall, Boman said there's going to be "a sizeable acreage" of dryland cotton with disappointing yields as a result of the drought.

In the Panhandle, Dr. Brent Bean, AgriLife Extension agronomist based in Amarillo, said the rain won't make much difference for the region's corn crop, which is either drying down or being already harvested.

"The rain is not really affecting the corn crop, other than just finishing it out," Bean said. "Overall, it's been a good year for corn."

Panhandle sorghum and cotton are both progressing well. Cotton is a little late, though, he said.

"Those that got their cotton planted early enough and got some heat units in late May should be in pretty good shape," he said.