Hot, dry and windy conditions prevail

Hot, dry and windy conditions prevailed across much of the state for the week ending June 18, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Southern Plains Regional Field Office, Texas. The precipitation was mostly reported in areas of the Trans-Pecos, the Plains and the Upper Coast, ranging from 0.5 to 2 inches of rain, with isolated areas in the Trans-Pecos getting upwards of 3.6 inches. There were 6.6 days suitable for fieldwork.

Winter wheat harvest started in the northern High Plains, continued in the Low Plains and was winding down in the Blacklands. Wheat and oats harvest in the Edwards Plateau, South Texas and the Lower Valley has been completed.

Cotton was making good progress in the Northern Low Plains. In some areas of the Southern High Plains dryland cotton had not emerged due to the lack of moisture. Producers continued to plant cotton in the Southern Low Plains. Cotton in South Texas was in the squaring stage. Irrigation for cotton was very active in the Lower Valley and the Trans-Pecos. Dry conditions continued to affect both cotton and corn in the Blacklands. Windy conditions damaged corn fields in South East Texas. Sorghum and sunflowers were being planted in the Northern High Plains. Sorghum harvest was ongoing in the Coastal Bend and the Lower Valley.