Timely rains and ideal growing temperatures are giving the Texas cotton crop a big boost this year. According to farmers’ reports analyzed by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, cotton production is on track to exceed average yields. Most farmers are extremely hopeful about what this season could bring. As for the future, the state’s agricultural landscape is on its way to recovery! Of those, about 5.41 million acres are currently planted, bouncing back from several years of bad yields and high abandonment rates.
A record wet spring followed by a hot, dry summer has environmentalists attributing recent extreme weather to climate change. So much so, that it’s downright paradise for dryland and irrigated cotton fields alike. Specifically, the Panhandle region indicated that they planted 332,865 acres of cotton, nearly half of that irrigated and half dryland. So far, timely rainfall has improved prospects for dryland crops. Locals say they are doing well with all the moisture, making for fewer fields going under this year compared to the last few.
Improved Crop Conditions
Farmers from every corner of Texas are seeing above-average crop conditions this growing season. Recent timely rainfall and a real cool down of temperatures have the… This unique combination has been critical to their continued growth and vitality.
Most fields have shown a bit of a roller coaster, but overall reaction to wonderful weather — bring on the sunshine — has been mostly positive. Farmer John Noland, “We have a much better crop out in the field than we’ve had in the last two or three years. It really needs rain immediately.
In my home region of Central Texas, cotton planting was delayed by very wet conditions through May. Regardless, the majority of cotton acres got in with some pretty decent moisture, leading to vigorous establishment and continued growth potential for the rest of the season. Cotton acreage in the Lower Rio Grande Valley has plummeted from recent seasons. This shift represents the way local farmers are adapting their planting palettes.
Yield Expectations and Harvest Progress
As harvest cranks up in the Upper Gulf Coast region, early reports suggest an overall yield well above average. Farmers would be completely high on their own supply! They’re anticipating 2 to 3.5 bales per acres yields, a drastic increase from seasons past.
As Josh McGinty aptly noted, high micronaire values are the norm in this southern belt region. The majority of the bales graded so far have landed in that 3.7-4.9 range. This indicates that overall crop yields are increasing and fiber quality is likely improving.
For producers down the Brazos River Bottom and the Blackland Prairie, they are extremely excited about what’s coming up this season. This Blackland Prairie region depends almost entirely on rainfall for the crops, and their success has been a hit-or-miss proposition, depending upon the tides of weather. Ben McKnight had noted that the Blackland Prairie region’s cotton crop is largely rain-fed. This combination has left our producers at the mercy of the weather gods.
Irrigation Management and Future Considerations
As the cotton growing season moves toward summer, efficient and economic irrigation management is of utmost concern to cotton producers. Bell, a former Ag Commissioner, noted the dire situation, stating that “Our irrigated producers ought to be going out there and shutting down irrigation. He further noted that nice soil moisture has produced strong, vigorous plants. If the plants are well-watered, they will not go into stress and drop their balls.
As the fields really start to mature, producers are going to have to be very strategic with their irrigation application. Bell cautioned against over-irrigation, as stress can lead to issues with fiber quality. This is problematic because it encourages grass to grow too tall.
Emi Kimura highlighted the significance of July and August rains in sustaining crop health: “The best part is that it rained in July and August.” This was especially the case for summer growing species that benefit significantly from timely precipitation during critical growth periods.