College Station, Texas
August 23, 2005
Pumpkins sometimes grow to an enormous size, but
this year's crop won't be out of the ordinary, a Texas
Cooperative Extension specialist said.
The harvest in Floyd County, dubbed "Pumpkin Capital USA," will
start mid-September, said J.D. Ragland of Floydada, Extension
agent. Numbers are expected to be average.
"It's just a little bit early to know an exact amount, but
acreage will be about the same as last year -- 1,500 acres,"
Ragland said.
Each of those acres can produce about 20,000 pounds of pumpkins,
causing the scale to tip at around 30 million pounds, he said.
"We grow more acres of pumpkins here than any other county in
the state of Texas," Ragland said.
The only obstacle facing this year's crop was a rain-delayed
planting date.
"There've been no problems for pumpkins this year other than
we're about 10 days behind what's normal, but that's not really
a problem," Ragland said. "Usually with pumpkins, there aren't a
whole lot of problems besides fungus, and producers know that
they have to spray to protect the crop from that."
During the growing season an aerial-applied fungicide is dropped
on the crop once a week to keep fungus at bay, he said.
Preparation and irrigation are key with pumpkins requiring
approximately 22 inches of moisture during the growing season,
Ragland said.
"It takes quite a bit of water to grow a pumpkin," he said. "We
mainly use row water irrigation because pumpkins make such a big
vine and such a big leaf. Our producers here know that if they
don't have good irrigation water, they can't grow good
pumpkins."
Floyd County producers generally grow four types of pumpkins.
"The miniature ones are primarily used for decoration,"
Ragland said. "Pie pumpkins are mainly used for pumpkin
pie filling. Jack-o-lanterns are what we make
jack-o-lanterns with during Halloween. They're the top sellers.
The fourth and final pumpkin is called a ‘Big-Mac.' It's
huge and ranges from 100 to 300 pounds."
Taking a clue from the carved-face jack-o-lantern type pumpkin,
Ragland said producers have carved a niche in the crop's market.
"I always characterize pumpkins in this county a unique crop,"
he said. "Producers know how many they can sell, who they can
sell them to, and then plant accordingly. It's a good crop and
they can make some money."
Ragland estimates prices will average 6 cents to 8 cents per
pound. That is close to last year's price.
"It all has to do with supply and demand," he said. "If supply
is a little short, our producers can make a little more money.
If supply is pretty plentiful, then price goes down."
Most of the county's pumpkin crop is sold to "middle men" who
market them in metropolitan areas, Ragland said.
The following livestock, crop and weather conditions were
reported by Extension districts:
PANHANDLE: Soil moisture is short to adequate.
Temperatures were below average. Rain was reported. Corn was in
fair to good condition. Dent stage was reached in 40 percent of
the fields. Rain and cooler temperatures helped relieve stress
on the crop. Spider mites continued to be a problem. Cotton was
rated fair to good. Most fields were setting bolls. Bollworm
activity increased. Peanuts were in poor to good condition; no
insect or disease problems were reported. Sorghum was in fair
condition. Forty-five percent of fields were headed. Some
headworms and greenbugs were reported. Soybeans were rated fair
to good; no insect problems were reported. Rangeland conditions
were poor to fair. Areas that received rain had grass growth and
improved pastures. Cattle were in good condition.
SOUTH PLAINS: Soil moisture adequate. Cotton was in fair
to good condition; heavy square set and retention was reported.
Most ginners and consultants estimated dryland yields will be
better than last year. Corn was in good to excellent condition.
Irrigation was shut off, and the crop was drying down. Sorghum
was in good condition and progressing well. Peanuts were in good
condition. Pest levels were minimal. Pastures and rangelands
were rated fair to good. Cattle were in good to excellent
condition.
ROLLING PLAINS: Soil moisture is adequate. Most of the
district received rain, which improved the outlook for all
forage production and livestock. Cotton is in good condition.
Some farmers may need to spray for weeds. Pastures are improving
and livestock are in good condition. Some ranchers are doing
brush control. Cotton in King County needs warm weather to
mature. Livestock are in good body condition; calving should
begin next month.
NORTH: Soil moisture is very short to adequate. Drought
conditions were still very serious. Corn was rated very poor to
fair and being harvested. Yields averaged one-third of normal.
Aflatoxin levels were high in most of the harvested crop. Cotton
and peanuts were in poor to fair condition; bolls were opening.
Rice was rated fair and heading. Soybeans and sorghum was in
poor to good condition. Soybeans were setting pods, and sorghum
was being harvested. Pastures and rangelands were rated very
poor to fair. Harvested hay was only half of normal for the
year. Many ranchers bought hay. Ponds were drying up.
EAST TEXAS: Soil moisture is adequate. Some hay fields
and vegetable plots benefited from rain. Other counties report
no rain. Cattle are being fed hay. Most hay harvesting has
stopped. The drought is damaging some trees. The cattle market
remains steady.
FAR WEST: Soil moisture is poor to good. Some areas
reported up to 12 inches of rain. Cotton was in fair to good
condition and setting bolls. Sorghum was 70 percent mature.
Cooler-than-normal temperatures improved rangeland and pasture
conditions. Livestock were in good condition.
WEST CENTRAL: Soil moisture is surplus. Warm and humid
conditions were reported. Most counties received significant
rainfall. Heavy flooding was reported. Water gaps in fences were
destroyed. Most stock tanks were refilled. Cotton conditions
continued to improve with recent rain. Some insect pressure due
to boll activity was noted. Boll worm egg hatch increased. Corn
was ready for harvest. Sorghum harvest was in full swing.
Combines moved into dried fields. Hay cutting and baling
preparations were under way. Pastures greened up. Livestock
remained in fair to good condition. Pecans were heavy, and
irrigation continued. Scab problems are anticipated due to
moisture levels. Weevil traps were placed in orchards, and some
were sprayed.
CENTRAL: Soil moisture is short. Recent rains have helped
range conditions. More rain is needed for seed beds and pasture
growth. Dairy production is better than normal. The cotton and
grain sorghum harvests are ending. Corn yields are fair. The
pecan crop is infested with weevils, scab and hickory
shuckworms.
SOUTHEAST: Soil moisture is adequate. Several inches of
rain were reported. Temperatures are higher than normal. The
pecan crop looks good. Cattle prices remain strong. Pastures
continue to provide excellent grazing and hay production is
under way. The peanut crop benefited from rains. Armyworms are
still being spotted. The rice harvest continues. Soybeans need
rain. Sorghum and corn are being harvested. Cotton stands will
undergo defoliation next week.
SOUTHWEST: Soil moisture is very short. High temperatures
aggravated adverse growing conditions. The region is under
drought stress. Pastures, rangelands and turf grasses showed
severe stress. Corn, sorghum, cantaloupe and watermelon harvests
were complete. Peanuts, cabbage and early fall vegetables made
good progress under heavy irrigation.
COASTAL BEND: Soil moisture is short. Pastures are
getting dry. Hot dry weather continues with above-average
temperatures reported. The harvest of all crops is moving
quickly. Drought stress caused cotton boll size to be small,
which hampers picking efficiency. Cattle remain in good
condition. The pecan crop looks good.
SOUTH: Soil moisture is very short. Very little rain has been
reported, but what rain was received hampered field work.
Preparations for fall vegetable planting continue. The cotton
harvest is coming to a close. Cotton bale numbers will be down
due to very dry weather and Hurricane Emily. Hay baling
continues. Range pastures are starting to show signs of heat
stress. Cattle producers continue to provide supplemental feed
to livestock. Cotton stalk destruction is under way. |