It’s too dry for wheat, too cold for cotton.

The Texas wheat crop is in poor condition, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension agronomist because too little moisture has been available since fall planting to nurture the crop. And unseasonably cold temperatures in south Texas continues to delay cotton planting.

Once again, it’s a weather crop in the making.

Dry weather is the culprit for the poor wheat crop, while lower-than-normal soil temperature has been the primary reason for the delay in the planting of spring crops, said Dr. Travis Miller, AgriLife Extension agronomist and Texas A&M University soil and crop sciences associate department head, College Station.

“Much of South Texas corn and sorghum crops are planted, while cool weather and wet soils on the coast delayed planting,” Miller said. “Much of the dryland wheat crop in the High Plains and Rolling Plains remains in very poor shape, with 87 percent of the crop rated from fair to very poor conditions. However, the irrigated crop is in relatively good shape. In my opinion, it (dryland wheat) will be a below-average crop because of dry weather.”

It’s unusually cold weather that has slowed the planting of spring crops, he said.

Source - http://southwestfarmpress.com/