http://droughtreporter.unl.edu/

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Widespread rains were received across the Texas Panhandle. The rainfall put a stop to small grain silage harvesting, but the moisture was beneficial for planting peanuts and cotton. The recent rains helped the soil moisture profile, and fields were in good condition. Most counties in the district reported adequate soil moisture. Temperatures and rainfall gave producers a little more confidence about planting crops. The forecast called for more rainfall over the next week which could slow down planting progress. Pastures and rangeland were in poor to good condition. Grasses and forbs benefited from the rains, and livestock were in good condition. Supplemental feeding continued on a small scale. Producers finished cutting and bailing hay which will help replenish hay supplies. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), May 23, 2023 Parts of the Panhandle received scattered showers with totals from 0.5-1.5 inches. Most counties reported very short to short topsoil and subsoil moisture, while a small percentage reported adequate soil moisture. More rainfall was needed to fill the soil profile. Recent rains improved pastures, rangeland and winter wheat and oat fields, but their overall condition was very poor to fair. Livestock were in good condition with supplemental feeding taking place on a small scale. Producers were baling hay fields, while some have turned cattle out on wheat ground. Some producers began planting peanuts. Producers were considering planting cotton with more rain in the forecast. The rain was beneficial to dryland and irrigated small grains in the area. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), May 9, 2023 The majority of the wheat in the Texas Panhandle will not be harvested as it simply cannot recover. The wind and sandstorm earlier this year severely damaged or completely destroyed many wheat fields. Pastures remain very dry as summer nears. Texas Farm Bureau (Waco), April 28, 2023 Rain was needed across the Texas Panhandle. Rains up to 0.25 of an inch were reported in the southeastern part of the region. Producers were preparing fields for spring plantings with fertilizing and pre-watering. The soil moisture profile remained low across much of the region. The winter wheat crop was going downhill with each windy day, and most fields were in very poor to poor condition. Irrigated wheat was doing better than dryland fields, but pivots were having a hard time keeping up with water needs. Some producers were bailing or grazing winter wheat. Insect pressure was high with increased Russian wheat aphid pressure in some counties. The small grain silage harvest was underway and expected to become more active soon. Corn, sorghum and cotton planting was expected to begin soon. Cow/calf producers were feeding more on rangelands, but in several counties the cow/calf pairs were going to market due to lack of forage availability. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), April 25, 2023 Drought conditions persisted across the Panhandle of Texas. Topsoil and subsoil moisture levels were very short to short. Another big wind event exacerbated the loss of soil moisture, and the effects of winds were noticeable on non-irrigated small grain crops. Winter wheat and oat conditions were very poor to fair. Winter wheat appeared to be responding to irrigation. Dryland wheat will not be harvestable. The district will need precipitation going into the spring planting and growing seasons. The overall condition of pasture and rangeland was very poor to poor. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), April 11, 2023