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Farm & Ranch Happenings

published: May 14th 2010
by: Harvey Buehring

“South Texas Has The Potential For

A Great Crop ”

It all depends on the weather.  The first half of May has brought no temperatures  surpassing  the century mark in the lower Coastal Bend Area.   The lack of pre-summer scorching heat could result in more than tolerable working conditions for farmers and ranchers.

Along with lower daily temperature “highs” comes early morning temperatures that have been a bit cooler than usual.  The lower to mid-sixties have been May’s norm.   That has made for a more pleasant start to the days and kept humans, farm animals and plants in their comfort zone much longer throughout the day.  That was certainly not the case last year during the drought.

I recall how the morning heat greeted me last May as I left the house to take on the day’s activities,  usually feeding cows or hauling hay.  By 9:00 a.m. temperatures were in the mid-eighties and perspiration  was abundant. By 11:00 the mid-nineties were prevalent and sometime between noon and 2:00 p.m the thermometer had surpassed the 100 degree mark.  The temperature patterns let us know that we were in for a long, hot and dry summer.

Those extra hot May days of last year were just another sign that  high pressure systems were in control of weather forces. Everyone was hoping and praying for a change that would allow for some rain and cooler temperatures.  Unfortunately,  for folks involved in agriculture, that high pressure ridge hung around almost long enough to earn a homestead exemption!  In doing so, it forced many livestock producers to sell a large portion, if not all of, their livestock before rains arrived in September.   

We can all be thankful that 2010 began with beneficial rains.   It was a good spring across the state.  Winter moisture created a spectacular display of color with abundant populations of wildflower species.  Warm season grasses made remarkable recoveries on the heavier ground and in lower areas of pastures where the effects of the drought had not totally devastated individual plant’s root systems.  Although pastures suffered tremendously,  the recovery since last September, in general, has been remarkable.

Earlier in this article, I mentioned that the cooler morning temperatures were making for a more pleasant start to the day for humans, farm animals and plants.   We often forget that plants, like animals, use respiration to regulate their temperature.  This  includes plants that are our major Texas crops like wheat, sunflowers,  sorghum, corn and  cotton.   We also need to remember that energy, as well as water, are used during respiration.  

A number of years ago, I was visiting with a leading plant breeder from Texas A&M. He had devoted much of his career to breeding hybrid seed corn lines better adapted to the Texas climate than those originating from breeding programs in the mid-western states. “Will South Texas farmers ever see the kind of corn yields that farmers in the Panhandle and High Plains are making?” I asked.  

His answer was, “ No, that is not likely to happen.”  ( I was hoping that his reply would be something like, “ Yes, in just a few more years.” )

“Why is that unlikely to ever happen”, I inquired.   

His explanation was a simple one.  “Because of the high nighttime temperatures across South Texas and the Upper Coast.   The corn plant has to devote a lot more energy and water to respiration in order to get the plant into its comfort zone.  In areas like the High Plains where the temperatures are typically cooler during the evening, the plant can  use its energy for plant growth and grain production instead of trying to stay cool.”

That stands to reason.   In the days before air conditioning, summer nights that never dropped below the upper seventies made it almost  impossible to get a good night’s rest.   Thus, it was tough to be energized for the following morning’s activities.

More favorable nighttime temperatures combined with adequate soil moisture should result in above-average yields for this year’s grain crop production is South Texas. The first crop to mature in this region is wheat.   Coastal Bend farmers with wheat acreage are getting harvest equipment ready.   Elevator operators are expecting deliveries on or before May 15.   Early planted confection sunflowers should be ready for harvest by mid -June.   Grain Sorghum will follow with harvest by the latter part of June in the Rio Grande Valley and early July in the Coastal Bend area.  The real test comes when the corn crop is mature and ready for market in late July.   Cotton harvest occurs in August and September.   It is a more heat tolerant crop and the lack of moisture is typically the factor limiting its production in South Texas.

Hopefully, all these crops, as well as the warm season grasses growing in the pastures and rangeland will  benefit from more favorable growing conditions.  2010 could be one of the most productive years in recent history.   As one farmer told me when I inquired about the condition of his crop,  “We’ve got something really special in the making. We just have to pray that the weather remains favorable for the next three to four months. Just keep us in your prayers, because that’s a lot of time for nothing to go bad!”

So let’s keep praying for continued favorable weather, including some good timely rainfall.  The result should be plants and livestock preforming to the best of their capabilities and producing much-needed profit for the agriculturalist.  Hopefully, that’s not too much to ask!