Crop and Weather

High temperatures and drought conditions have persisted throughout the summer months in Texas, with little rain to provide relief.       While tropical storm Harold brought some relief along the coast of Texas, according to the Texas state climatologist, much of the state has witnessed above average temperatures — 4 to 8 ...

Texas citrus growers appear to be back on track after Winter Storm Uri caused significant setbacks to many growers two seasons ago, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert.       Before Winter Storm Uri delivered week-long ice and sub-freezing temperatures to much of the state in February 2021, Texas citrus growers ...

LITTLE ROCK — Corn basis is sinking along with the levels of the Mississippi River as drought grips the upper reaches of the river and many of its tributaries. At Memphis, Tennessee, on Wednesday, the river was at minus 4.1 feet and was expected to drop to minus 5 feet by Sept. ...

The Texas timber sector has experienced ebbs and flows of supply and demand and other market forces, but new products and opportunities are adding value to trees, said a Texas A&M Forest Service expert.       Fiber grown, managed, harvested, processed and manufactured around the state continues to play a big role in Texas’ ...

      Recent aggression in the war between Ukraine and Russia propelled roller-coaster wheat prices last week.       Mark Welch, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service grain economist, Bryan-College Station, said continued conflict and/or escalation is likely to further contribute to volatile global wheat prices and influence U.S. production in 2024.       Russian and Ukrainian farmers ...

Weather conditions delivered a mixed bag of yield and quality results for Texas rice producers, but volatility in the global rice market could help growers, according to Texas A&M AgriLife experts. Texas rice acres were down compared to last year, and yield numbers and quality have not lived up to the spring-time ...

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Drought combined with high temperatures can have devastating effects on fish ponds, but pond owners can take steps to alleviate these effects. During a drought, pond waters can drop to dangerous levels, increasing aquatic plant growth, decreasing water quality and stressing fish, making them more vulnerable to ...

Early summer and subsequent rains helped Texas’ native rangelands bounce back from drought.  However, Texas A&M AgriLife experts warn ranchers that the more than 100 million acres of statewide grazing land they rely on may still be recovering.  Bill Fox, Ph.D., director of the Texas A&M AgriLife Center for Natural Resource Information Technology and Texas ...

The June Acreage report released the end of June by USDA-NASS brought some good news for livestock producers. The report places the total U.S. planted corn acreage at 94.1 million acres. USDAs latest estimate for 2023 corn acreage is 2.3% higher than their previous estimate and 6.2% percent higher than the last year’s ...

Texas cotton production has taken a hit from the weather and losses could impact U.S. cotton production. The uncertainty surrounding Texas cotton could influence cotton prices throughout the season. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Sam Craft) Texas Crop and Weather Report – June 27, 2023 Texas cotton growers whose crops ...