October 6, 2000
Dry weather dims
wheat grazing prospects
By Lana Robinson
Field Editor
Rain on September 24 provided enough moisture for some Central Texas ranchers' wheat to sprout, but wheat producers in West Texas didn't get a drop, according to Dr. Travis Miller, Extension agronomist, who expects winter pastures to fall short of grazing needs.
"A lot of people are really counting on a little bit of fall forage, due to the lack of hay, lack of feed. The late planting is not hurting right now as far as anybody's potential grain yield, but it is hurting on winter pastures," said Miller. "Really for the High Plains, it's too late to make much pasture. Here in Central Texas, you can do good planting up to October 1, and in parts of North Texas. The rain might just get that out of the ground. But the Rolling Plains, the Edwards Plateau, the Southern Rolling Plains—all of those regions have a lot of wheat dusted in, but no rain. You go out around San Angelo, Abilene, and the Sweetwater area, and it just breaks your heart."
Miller indicated that above normal rainfall is predicted for the three-month period of November to January, but said even at best, that won't relieve much of the state.
"You have to remember, when normal is three-quarters to an inch, if you accidently get 50 percent more, that means you might get an inch and a half. The problem is, we have bone dry soil profiles. Every bit of moisture was sapped by this summer's crop. That's what's hurting, the lack of any soil moisture. Even when they are predicting `above normal,' that doesn't mean a whole lot to folks in the western side of the state. `Above normal' in the central part can keep winter pastures and the wheat crop growing fine, but my big concern is west of I-35," he said.
Miller said a lot of cattlemen are already short on hay.
"It's pretty much the same situation as last year. The only problem is there is not as much hay put up as last year, with one exception—Northeast Texas. But we can't transport any of that because of the fire ant quarantine," he noted.
The week of Sept. 24-30, cooler temperatures covered the Plains while rain showers associated with another tropical wave occurred along Coastal areas; and spread inland across portions of Central and East Texas. The scattered showers that fell in these areas did little to relieve the extremely dry conditions in place. Land preparations for fall planting remained slow in most areas, however dry planting of small grains increased in some areas as the need for winter grazing was foremost.
In some areas where small grains were watered, insect pressure increased in the newly emerged plants. Supplemental feeding of livestock continued in most areas, and many producers reduced their herds as hay supplies became scarce. In some locations all water reserves are depleted and hauling water to livestock is impossible, causing further need for herd reduction. Concern continued in many locations over the number of large trees suffering or dying from the dry conditions. Insect populations continued to cause further economic damage to remaining summer crops and some newly emerged grain crops.
Long range, Miller expects moisture to be adequate at least through May 2001.
"It looks like the La Nina pattern is breaking up—at last," he said.
