http://droughtreporter.unl.edu/

v 2.4.3.0

Temperatures in West Central Texas were cooler than normal with drizzle mid-week, but no significant rainfall. Dry, windy conditions continued to persist. Counties that received some rain continued to see improvement in wheat and pastures, but drier areas continued to decline. Wheat was in the boot stage but continued to be short and could be an issue for harvest by combines. Stock tank levels were very low. Trees and grasses were greening up. Some corn was planted, and field preparations for cotton, sorghum and Sudan grass planting were underway. Pecans, hackberries, mesquites and most fruit trees were budding and leafing out. Rangeland and pasture conditions improved with recent moisture and spring green up of warm-season grasses. Native pasture grasses were trying to grow, but growth depended on moisture availability. Some pastures remained bare. Cows were calving. Livestock looked good and have stopped eating hay to look for green grass, but some producers continued to provide supplemental feed. Many stock tanks were critically low. The cattle market remained strong with the stocker heifers selling $3 higher per hundredweight and stocker steers and feeder heifers were $2-$3 higher. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), March 28, 2023