COLLEGE STATION – More than 99 percent of the state was in one level of drought or another by the last week of July, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
More than 90 percent of the state was in an extreme drought; 75 percent in an exceptional drought, according to the monitor. Daytime high temperatures continued to challenge or beat historical records in many parts of the state.
Throughout the state, with the exception of small pockets where there has been rain, producers continued to struggle with dropping irrigation well and stock-water tank levels, desiccated pastures and hay shortages, according to reports from Texas AgriLife Extension Service personnel.
“Different week, same song,” said Rick Auckerman, AgriLife Extension agent for Deaf Smith County, west of Amarillo. “Producers are trying to run water on as many crops as possible, but the cotton is needing more water now also. The corn crop is in dire need of water, and many producers are abandoning parts or whole fields of corn production in hopes to salvage what they can.”
“What small amount of cotton that is left in the county is under irrigation, but farmers are beginning to turn the water off due to the amount of money they already have in the crop. They are worried they may not get that back in the market,” said Ryan Martin, AgriLife Extension agent for Motley County, east of Lubbock. “Some of the cotton under irrigation looks very good, but once out in it, farmers realize it’s just not putting on the fruit like it should be.”
“All range and pastures are in extremely bad condition,” said Lyle Zoeller, AgriLife Extension agent for Coryell County, west of Waco. “All classes of livestock were being fed heavily. Many cows are going to local market, as well as most calves 300 pounds and over. There is no hay available in area; most is coming from out of state. Low-water sources are now forcing sales of cattle.”
“Producers continue to cull herds as grazing gets shorter,” said Mark Currie, AgriLife Extension agent for Polk County, south of Lufkin. “Time is running out for producers to make enough hay for their herds for winter feeding — even if they survive the summer. Livestock water continues to be a problem for many producers as stock tanks and creeks get lower or dry up. ”
“Tropical Storm Don did not bring any measurable rain,” reported Mile Gibbs, AgriLife Extension agent for Val Verde County, southeast of Fort Stockton. “Sheep look very good considering the drought and lack of vegetation. Lamb crops are down. Northern portions of the county need some rain just to cover the burned ground from the April and May wildfires. The ground is still bald and scorched. ”
More information on the current Texas drought and wildfire alerts can be found on the AgriLife Extension Agricultural Drought Task Force website at http://agrilife.tamu.edu/drought/ .
AgriLife Extension district reporters compiled the following summaries:
Central: Conditions remained very dry. Large numbers of cows were being taken to sale barns. Hay sources were hard to find. Producers were baling corn stalks and other marginal forages. Stock-water tanks were getting low.
East: Temperatures above 100 degrees and little to no rain made pasture conditions very poor. Hay production halted in most areas. Producers struggled to find hay and water for cattle. Many continued to cull herds or sell out completely. As bad as conditions were, livestock that were given supplemental feed remained in fair to good condition. Grasshoppers reports continued to come in.
Far West: The region was very hot, dry and windy. Irrigated cotton fields were in bloom; some in cut-out stage. Ranchers continued to supply supplemental feed and minerals for livestock. Area ranchers were praying for rain as rangeland grasses crumbled. Locoweed and twin-leaf senna, both toxic weeds, were the only green in in some areas, but there were no reports of poisoning. Calves averaging 200 pounds were being sold. There have been many reports of colic in horses.
North: No rain and temperatures 100 degrees and above took a toll on pastures and hay meadows. Corn that was not cut for silage was yielding 40 to 70 bushels per acre. Some grain sorghum was harvested, but yield reports weren’t in. About 95 percent of grain sorghum was being baled as hay. Early planted soybeans were expected to yield 10 to 12 bushels per acre. Later planted soybeans were either harvested for hay or plowed under. With no relief from the heat in sight or any rain forecast, there was not any further forage production expected. Limited supplies of hay were fast dwindling and quickly sold. Livestock were suffering. Water for livestock was becoming a major concern as stock-ponds levels dropped. Producers continued to sell livestock. The Van Zandt County Auction sold 900 head on a July 23, high for single day in July. Cotton was in poor to fair condition. Reports noted an increase in grasshopper and feral hog activity.
Panhandle: There were reports of some rain in parts of Carson and Sherman counties, but most of the region continued to suffer under extremely hot and dry conditions. Soil moisture levels were very poor in most counties. The major insect problem was mites in corn. Some producers were spraying the second time. Producers continued to reduce cow/calf herds.
Rolling Plains: The region remained extremely dry and hot. With daytime temperatures above 110 degrees, the National Weather Service issued and excessive heat warning. All grasses and trees were in jeopardy in rural and urban areas. Additional water restrictions were expected, which will add to landscape losses. Ranchers were continually shipping cull cows and calves in an effort to reduce pressure on what small amount of grazing was left. Pastures were grazed down, and ranchers were running out of money to buy supplemental feeds as they have been feeding since before winter. Some ranchers were shipping cattle north trying to hold on to them for when it does start to rain. Others were forced to entirely sell out due to lack of grazing. Some livestock producers worried if they sell off now, they may not be able to get back into the cattle business if replacement prices skyrocket after the drought ends. Farmers were in the same condition as most row crops were “disastered-out” for crop insurance. Stock-water tank levels continued to drop. There were also fish die-offs in urban lakes because of low water levels and oxygen depletion. Burn bans remained in effect.
South: The hopes of rain from Tropical Storm Don turned to disappointment for parts of the region. Only scattered showers were received. The northern and eastern counties received on average from 0.5 inch to 0.75 inch. Most of Zapata County got about 1 inch. Soil-moisture levels were nearly 100 percent very short throughout most of the region. The exceptions were Zapata County with 75 percent adequate levels, and Willacy County with eighty-five percent adequate levels. The drought continued to take a toll on rangeland, pastures and livestock. Hay supplies were diminishing, and ranchers continued to liquidate herds as they ran out of supplemental feeds. Stock-tank water levels continued to drop because of extremely hot temperatures and extremely high evaporation rates. Some livestock producers reported cattle losing weight. Some were selling cattle, while others continued to feed their base herds in fear not being able to replace what has taken them years to establish. In Webb County, some ranchers reported losing baby calves to extremely high temperatures. Live Oak County ranchers had already sold most of their cattle. In Frio County, corn harvesting was in full swing, sorghum harvesting began and producers were irrigating peanuts. In Jim Wells County, the cotton harvest was ongoing. In Zavala County, early planted cotton fields were about two weeks from being harvest- ready, while in the Cameron and Hidalgo counties the harvest was in full swing.
South Plains: The region remained very dry, with temperatures ranging from the upper 90s to 100s with lows in the 70s. There were reports of scattered showers, but the exceptional drought continued. Producers were cutting corn early for silage due to drought. Some irrigated cotton was being abandoned to concentrate available water for other crops. All counties in the district remained under burn bans. Rangeland and pastures were dry too. Livestock producers were culling herds because of lack of water and supplemental feed. This July was the driest one in recorded history.
Southeast: Madison County was losing trees to the drought everyday. Jefferson County got from about a half-inch to 8 inches of rain, improving crops and pastures. Daytime high temperatures were in the upper 90s with nighttime lows in the upper 70s. Some rain last week helped pastures and crops some. Despite the rains, ponds were still at an all-time low. Livestock remained in good condition because producers continued to provide supplemental feed and reduced herd sizes.
Southwest: Tropical Storm Don promised rain over the weekend, but delivered only a trace of moisture. Sporadic thunderstorms the week before deposited from a trace to three-quarters of an inch of rain in some parts of the area. Generally, however, the region has remained almost completely dry since May 13. July ended with about 0.75 inch of rain in some counties, making Oct. 1 to July 31 the driest period on record with only 3.36 inches total rain. The region remained in field wildfire alert status. Stock tanks were dry. Forage availability remained well below average. The corn and sorghum harvests were nearly complete. The watermelon, cantaloupe and sweet corn harvests were winding down. Peanuts, cotton, pecans and landscape nursery crops continued to make good progress wherever irrigation water was still available.
West Central: The region remained extremely dry with triple-digit temperatures. The agricultural situation continued to worsen. Irrigated cotton was in fair condition. All other crops failed. Most producers were out of grazing and water for livestock. Water wells were drying up. Livestock producers were selling large numbers of cows.
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