http://droughtreporter.unl.edu/

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Some Rolling Plains cotton farmers were concerned about damaging farm equipment while getting seed into the dry ground. Some wheat hay was baled with about half a bale per acre reported. Some wheat was harvested, but the majority of harvestable wheat was lower quality, with the exception of some wheat in the bottom fields. Overall wheat yields were expected to be low. Sorghum planting in some areas was about a month later than normal. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), May 10, 2022 Some counties across the district reported 0.5-3 inches of rainfall, other counties remained extremely dry and reported high winds. Around 2,300 acres were burned in several fires. Spring work continued, and cattle producers were considering deep culls as supplemental feeding was becoming counterproductive and overgrazing was becoming a concern. Producers were reporting poor to fair body conditions in cattle. Dry, windy conditions were preventing fieldwork. Dryland wheat was 100% headed as dry weather caused early maturation. Producers were reporting thin wheat stands and small grain heads. Some wheat was being baled for hay. About half of sorghum acres were planted, but some producers were still waiting for rainfall to plant. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), April 26, 2022 Conditions were hot and windy in the Rolling Plains with no moisture. Winter wheat was showing signs of growth, and some fields were in the boot stage or heading, but other fields were being plowed under. Row crop preparations were delayed by dry conditions. Cattle were grazing some late wheat growth. Forage inventories were declining, but supplemental feeding continued, and rangelands were showing very little growth. Ranchers were culling herds due to lack of forage and rising supplemental feed costs. Fire concerns remained due to dry conditions. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), April 19, 2022 Some parts of the Rolling Plains received 0.7 to 3 inches of rain. Several areas reported continued drought conditions, and drier areas remained on fire watch. Some counties were lifting burn bans. Wheat conditions improved, but fields need more rain. Some wheat fields were total losses. Rainfall runoff replenished stock tanks. High winds were drying out soils. Cattle were being supplemented with hay and feed. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), April 12, 2022 Scattered rain in the Rolling Plains delivered rainfall amounts up to 0.6 of an inch. Winter wheat conditions were still very poor. Some green-up in pastures helped wildlife and livestock on pasture. Cotton farmers needed to list and plow, but dry conditions were delaying fieldwork. Corn and sorghum planting was behind due to lack of moisture. Some wheat fields perked up a little following rain. Stock ponds needed a runoff rainfall event to refill. Cattle were being fed hay and supplemental feed. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), April 5, 2022 Rolling Plains pastures remained in poor condition. Cattle were provided supplemental feed, and few native grasses were available for grazing. Ponds were drying up. Several wildfires were reported. Up to an inch of rain fell in parts of the district, which should help rangeland and wheat. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), March 29, 2022 Conditions were dry and windy in the Rolling Plains. Pastures and winter wheat fields looked bad. Producers were not top-dressing with fertilizer due to the cost and bad crop conditions. Hay supplies and fire danger were major concerns. Most wheat fields were in poor conditions, but some were able to be grazed, and deer were still a problem for the few that were producing. Wind erosion was becoming a problem. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), March 22, 2022 Conditions were very dry in the Rolling Plains. A fire burned 566 acres. Wheat looked poor and needed some moisture. Supplemental feeding continued for cattle due to very little wheat for grazing. More rain will be needed for cotton planting. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), March 15, 2022 Conditions were very dry in the Rolling Plains. A fire last week consumed 818 acres of grazing land. Most wheat was being grazed out. The soil profile received some moisture from an ice storm, which allowed some wheat to green up, but there were still several dead patches in fields. Most wheat was in poor to very poor condition. Heavy supplemental feeding continued for cattle on rangelands. Forage inventories continued to decline. Row crop tillage delays continued due to lack of moisture for proper tillage. Some producers spread fertilizer with chances of rain in the forecast, but moisture did not materialize. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), March 8, 2022 Many Rolling Plains wheat fields have not emerged yet, but moisture from a recent cold front ought to help the wheat a little. AgriLife (College Station, Texas), March 2, 2022 Some parts of the Rolling Plains received one-half to one inch of rain, to which the wheat responded with slightly better color, but the crop remained in mostly very poor condition. Pasture conditions did not improve, and the supplemental feeding of livestock continued. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Feb 24, 2022