Crop Weather and Condition for the Week Ending October 12, 2014.
Summary: Many areas of Texas received precipitation last week. Portions of the Blacklands and North East Texas received up to five inches of rainfall. Areas of the Cross Timbers, South East Texas and the Northern High Plains received three or more inches. Most other areas of the state received from trace amounts up to two plus inches of rainfall.
Small Grains: Winter wheat seeding continued in many areas of the state. Producers in the Northern High Plains and the Blacklands continued spraying wheat fields to prevent further damage from fall armyworms. In some areas of the Blacklands and Northern High Plains, winter wheat had emerged due to recent rainfall. Oats seeding continued in South Texas. Wheat seeding progressed well in areas of the Cross-Timbers due to recent precipitation.
Row Crops: In the Northern High Plains, cooler, wet weather had delayed corn harvest, while harvest was active in areas of the Northern Low Plains. Peanut harvest had begun in areas of the Southern High Plains, while recently dug peanuts continued to be dried in areas of the Northern Low Plains. Producers defoliated cotton in many areas of the state and cotton ginning continued in the Upper Coast. Producers across the state continued to remove cotton stalks from fields. Sorghum harvest progressed in the Cross-Timbers, while in the Blacklands, sugarcane aphids continued to damage fields. Soybean harvest was active in the Northern High Plains.
Fruit, Vegetable and Specialty Crops: In South Texas, spinach and cabbage planting continued. Harvest of watermelons was wrapping up in North East Texas. In the Trans-Pecos, harvest of Pawnee pecans was underway, while Western pecans had progressed to the shuck separation stage.
Livestock, Range and Pasture: Pastures continued to green up in areas that had received rainfall. Army worms and grasshoppers damaged crops and pastures in eastern areas of the state. Livestock began to graze on corn stalks, where harvest had been completed. In areas of North East Texas, cattle were under pressure from horn flies.
