http://droughtreporter.unl.edu/

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Sporadic rainfall brought needed relief to some areas of Central Texas and helped wheat and oats. Regions that did not receive rain started to notice the negative effect on small grains. Temperatures fluctuated at the beginning of the week, but the warmer start provided good growing conditions. Colder temperatures started to set in towards the end of the week. Warm-season pastures were rapidly declining due to shorter days and cooler temperatures. Common winter broadleaf weeds were being observed and flourishing. Winter pasture for grazing was doing well. Most small grains had been planted. Winter cereal acreage was less than expected. Field work for other crops was being conducted ahead of the predicted rainfall. Hessian fly larvae were found in early planted fields and remain a concern moving forward in an isolated area. Many producers supplemented livestock with hay. Cattle remained in good body condition. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Nov 28, 2023 Central Texas received some moisture and cooler temperatures later in the week. That moisture continued to help young grain fields. The pecan harvest continued with mostly low yields; fair quality on some irrigated acres and no yield on dryland or irrigated acres that ran out of water. Trees were showing some symptoms of drought after moisture returned to the area. Rust and other fungi were present on trees. Small grains were still being planted. Cool-season grass and small grains already planted were responding well. Wheat that emerged looked excellent. Grazing was anticipated to become more widespread as cool and damp weather continued and winter forages developed further. There were a few reports of isolated armyworms. Walnut and tent caterpillars were higher in number this year. Bermuda grass stem maggots were also noted. Hessian fly larvae were observed in the early planted wheat and remain a concern with growers. Livestock remain in fair to good condition with some supplementation. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Nov 14, 2023 Central Texas received 2 to 20 inches of rain. Rainfall filled tanks, creeks and rivers while producing good soil moisture. By the end of the week, some large reservoirs had risen by a couple of inches. Standing water had been observed in pastures. One county reported a population increase of armyworms in isolated areas. Some areas only received a small amount of rain and while there was some green growth, producers lost a hay crop and a large amount of grazing. Some producers planted small grains and ranchers were working to finish planting winter pastures for grazing. Producers were planting wheat and oats. Oats already planted for grazing were expected to have enough moisture to emerge. Early fall-planted grazing winter oats and ryegrass were looking good. A portion of winter wheat had yet to be planted to avoid attracting the early egg-laying population of the Hessian fly. Livestock remained in good body condition, with producers feeding hay and supplements. Stock numbers in pastures appeared lower than in previous years. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Oct 31, 2023 Dry conditions continued in Central Texas with a dire need for rain. Cooler weather arrived, and while it brought some greening to the pastures and much-needed moisture to the fields, the lack of significant rainfall remained a concern. Mild conditions and cooler temperatures allowed fieldwork to continue. Nighttime temperatures were expected to be in the 50’s, which would cause the warm season grasses to slow their growth. Most cotton acreage, including irrigated, that was not already harvested was abandoned due to lack of rainfall or running out of irrigation water. Stock tank levels were good. Some moderate leaf spot disease pressure showed in Jiggs Bermuda. Wheat planting was delayed as much as possible due to Hessian fly concerns. Few fields were planted to resistant varieties. Small grains were going in and hay was being baled. The pecan harvest began, but yields were very low and quality was only fair. Livestock numbers were still holding with the uptick in green grass. Some culling was taking place before winter. Cattle remained in good body condition, with producers feeding limited hay. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Oct 17, 2023 Central Texas experienced cooler weather with increased humidity. Some scattered storms earlier in the week damaged crops. Despite the recent moisture and cool front, the district remained plagued by persistent drought and above-average temperatures. Stock tanks were low, and creeks were holding stagnant puddles. Approximately 50% of the expected small grain fields had been planted and germinated. The cotton harvest was challenging due to the drought impacting yields and fiber quality. Pecan orchards were plagued by aphids, necessitating spraying due to their high numbers. The Pawnee pecan variety was expected to be ready for harvest soon with poor to fair yields and quality expected. Rangeland conditions improved slightly with greener pastures and hayfields reported as well, though additional rain was needed. In some counties, conditions improved enough for producers to consider another round of hay. Cattle remained in good condition, and supplemental feeding continued with a slight downturn. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Oct 3, 2023