Crop Progress and Condition for the Week Ending March 6, 2016.
The majority of the state experienced moderate temperatures during the past week, along with mostly dry, windy conditions. Areas of the North and South East districts received between 0.10 to 0.25 of an inch of precipitation, while some fields were still saturated from the previous week’s rain. Topsoil moisture levels in other districts across the state were impacted by high winds and the lack of precipitation.
Small Grains: Winter wheat in areas of the Panhandle, the Cross Timbers and the Blacklands continued to progress and irrigated fields benefitted from the additional moisture. Overall, small grain conditions were rated mostly fair to good.
Row Crops: Corn planting began in areas of the Blacklands, while planting in other areas was delayed due to wet topsoil. In areas of the Upper Coast and the Lower Valley, sorghum planting continued.
Fruit, Vegetable and Specialty Crops: Fruit trees in the Cross Timbers and Northeast Texas started to bloom, while some growers continued to prune trees for the growing season. Field preparation and planting of vegetables progressed in East Texas. Harvest of sugarcane, citrus, onions, and vegetables continued in areas of the Lower Valley.
Livestock, Range and Pasture: Livestock in most areas of the state remained in good condition as supplemental feeding continued in areas of the Cross Timbers, Northern Low Plains, and South Texas. Pastures in areas of the Blacklands and Northeast Texas continued to improve due to recent rainfall. However, there were still signs of stress due to dry conditions in areas of the Trans-Pecos and South Central Texas.
