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Texas crop and weather report - Focus on watermelon
Lubbock, Texas
June 21, 2005

Dry Texas summers may mean disaster for some crops, but for irrigated watermelons it's just what the producer ordered, Texas Cooperative Extension reports.

"Dry is what watermelon producers wish for," said Dr. Juan Anciso of Weslaco, Extension horticulturalist. "Most watermelons are irrigated, so if you can control the water, you'll have a good-quality melon."

Rain falling at the wrong time could lower the crop's sugar level, he said.

"You don't want water late in the season," Anciso said.

Rain also creates conditions favorable for disease, most notably downy mildew, said Tony Anderson, owner of Anderson Produce of Edinburg.

"Thanks to a nice, warm, dry spring, our [fungicide] spray bill is considerably lower than it was last year," he said. "Last year was a hard year to grow watermelons because we had a lot of rain and were combating disease all the time. Warm dry weather and drip irrigation are a good combination for producers."

The absence of disease means a higher quality crop is likely this year, said Dr. Larry Stein of Uvalde, Extension horticulturist.

"The quality of this year's crop is outstanding due to the dry conditions," he said.

Quantity is up too, Anderson said. Production for his company has reached near-record yield numbers.

"I have one spot of land that increased from an average of 31,000 pounds [of watermelon] per acre to over 55,000 pounds per acre," he said.

Watermelons are grown all over the state, said Stein, and are being harvested for the fresh market this month.
"Harvest is complete in the Rio Grande Valley, but the producers to the north of us are harvesting right now," Anciso said.

Texas led the nation for watermelon production in 2003 (the most recent available data) with 770 million pounds, according to the National Watermelon Promotion Board, www.watermelon.org.

"Growing conditions have been good, but you don't know what will happen in the next part of the season," he said.

Texas watermelons are available now in the produce sections of grocery stores.

The following livestock, crop and weather conditions were reported by Extension districts:

PANHANDLE: Soil moisture is very short to surplus with most areas reporting adequate to surplus. Temperatures were below average, but warmed to above normal by the week's end. Except for the southeast portion, the entire region received heavy rains and some hail. Corn is rated mostly good; no pest problems have been reported. Cotton suffered from cool, cloudy weather and hail, as well as wind and thrips. Cotton is rated mostly fair to good. Peanuts are rated mostly good with no major insect or disease problems. Sorghum planting is about 80 percent complete; planting has been postponed until fields dry. Soybeans are rated mostly good.
Sunflower planting continues. Wheat harvest made progress in drier areas; yield and test weights are good. Hail caused some losses in isolated areas. Rangelands are rated fair to excellent. Rain was beneficial for grass growth. Cattle are in good body condition; horn fly populations continue to increase.

SOUTH PLAINS: Soil moisture is short. Temperatures ranging from 100 F to 103 F. Up to 1 inch of rain fell in some areas. Cotton is in fair to good condition and continues to recover from recent weather. Corn is in good condition and continues to grow rapidly with hot weather and irrigation. Wheat harvest is under way. A large number of pumpkins were lost due to the June 9 storm. Some acres will be replanted with pumpkins and some will not. Peanuts are in good condition. Pasture and rangeland are in fair to good condition. Cattle are in good condition.

ROLLING PLAINS: Soil moisture is adequate. Some scattered rains have been reported. Cotton planting is complete. In Wilbarger, stock tanks are running low. In Stonewall, up to 1 inch of rain was reported. High winds and heavy rainfall damaged some cotton. In Wise County dry conditions have contributed to low hay yields and concerns that forage won't last through the summer. Wheat yields are average to above average. Fall-born calves are being shipped. Most cattle conceptions are running 90 percent or more.
Cattle are in good condition. Horse breeding is nearing completion. Insect and fungus damage on landscape ornamentals and trees have increased.

NORTH: Soil moisture is very short to adequate. The drought is becoming severe. Corn is in poor to good condition; some is showing signs of moisture stress. Sorghum and soybeans need rain. Wheat harvest is nearing completion; yields vary widely. Pasture and rangelands are in very poor to good condition. Pastures are short, and not much hay is being produced.
Producers are waiting for rain before committing to pasture and hay meadow fertilization. Some producers are still feeding forage. Livestock are stressed.

EAST TEXAS: Soil moisture is short. Overall dry conditions and cool nights are hindering growth of all spring plantings and pastures. Some hay fields were fertilized but with caution due to little rain in the forecast. Commercial vegetables are being planted; problems with diseased tomatoes are reported. Fly populations on cattle are increasing. Cattle are in good body condition; the market is steady with strong prices.

FAR WEST: Soil moisture is short to adequate. Pastures are in fair to good condition. Cotton planting is nearing completion; what little has emerged looks good. Most areas are experiencing high temperatures with some wind and intermittent rain showers. Livestock conditions remain good with prices holding steady.

WEST CENTRAL: Soil moisture is adequate. Temperatures are in the upper 90s F to 100 F. It was hot and humid all week, drying out fields. Sorghum fields are growing rapidly with heads appearing in half the acreage.
Cutting, baling and late planting of hay continues. Some producers are baling forage sorghum and improved grasses. The winter wheat harvest is ending. Range and pastureland are in good condition. Warm season grasses are growing well. Pastures are starting to show the effects of high temperatures and low moisture. Livestock remain in good to excellent condition. Pecan orchards are being irrigated in higher numbers. The pecan crop is excellent.

CENTRAL: Soil moisture is short. Some counties received rain but more is needed. Improved pastures and crops are showing moisture stress. Hay harvest is under way. Sorghum midge numbers continue to rise. Fruits and vegetables are suffering from fungus. Fleahoppers and over-wintering boll weevils continue to be a concern in early squaring cotton. Cattle condition remains good.

SOUTHEAST: Soil moisture is short. Hot and dry conditions continue.
Crops and pastures are beginning to show stress. Rain is needed. Some field and sweet corn is being fresh harvested for roasting ears.
Watermelons are ready to pick. The pecan crops will need rain to keep heavy loads of nuts. Hay baling is the No. 1 activity in some counties.
Rice borer problems are under control. Livestock are in good condition despite high temperatures.

SOUTHWEST: Soil moisture is short. The region remains very dry with less than ½ inch of rain since mid-May. High temperatures and winds are aggravating the problems. Pasture and range grasses are under stress and showing some signs of going into mid-summer dormancy early. Corn is starting to dent. Sorghum is maturing faster than corn due to dry weather.
Cotton and peanuts are making good progress under heavy irrigation.
Cabbage, onion and potato harvests are nearing completion. Green beans, beets and cucumbers for pickling are being harvested; excellent yields and quality are reported.

COASTAL BEND: Soil moisture is short. Very hot and dry conditions are reported. Some crop fields have improved due to recent rainfall, but more is needed. Cotton conditions are beginning to deteriorate. Soybeans need more rain to reach full potential. Rice is progressing well. Pasture grasses are wilting. Hay is being cut. Some livestock are stressing.

SOUTH: Soil moisture is very short. Extremely hot, dry weather continues. Rain is needed everywhere. Producers continue to irrigate corn, cotton, sorghum, watermelons and other crops. Grain sorghum harvest is under way. Watermelon harvest continues and is past the peak. Supplemented feeding continues.
 

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