by Dr. Calvin Trostle, Extension Agronomy, Lubbock, 806-746-6101, ctrostle@ag.tamu.edu Hailstorms, wind damage, poor stands—and yes, occasionally too much rain(!)—place Texas farmers in a possible replant decision on a failed crop, usually cotton, or pushes planting back so much that cotton or other full-season crops are no longer viable. What to do? What are my options? New for 14th annual guide for the Texas South Plains are contributions from Dr. Seth Byrd, cotton extension agronomist, Lubbock, seth.byrd@ag.tamu.edu. The guide is oriented to the South Plains, but producers in the… Read More →

by Suhas Vyavhare, Assistant Professor and Extension Entomologist, Lubbock, TX; suhas.vyavhare@ag.tamu.edu and Blayne Reed It has been a very stop-n-go spring planting season for cotton in the Southern High Plains of Texas. Here we are again, waiting for rain to end so we can resume cotton planting. From Plainview north, an area consisting of our usually more calendar date conscientious producers, about 70% of the cotton has been planted while only about 50% South of Plainview. Rainfall this week has added much needed topsoil moisture helping dryland fields… Read More →

by Dr. Calvin Trostle, Extension Agronomy, Lubbock, 806-746-6101, ctrostle@ag.tamu.edu Sesame is a heat-tolerant, drought-tolerant crop that has a good fit in much of Texas. Due to its small seed size it may present a planting challenge for some farmers (the right planter plates/discs and proper settings alleviate this), and due to just a few registered herbicides (Sonalan, some grass herbicides for mid-season control, Dual products) sesame is not for your weedy ground. But sesame has crop rotation advantages, wild hogs largely seem to leave it alone, and there… Read More →

by Dr. Clark B. Neely, Extension Small Grains Specialist, cbneely@tamu.edu So far, spring 2016 has been eerily similar to the spring of 2015 with wet conditions complicating wheat harvest for many producers in the state. In 2015, much of the pre-harvest sprouting (Figure 1) that occurred affected wheat in South Texas and the Blacklands. Low prices and the wet fall prevented many of the acres from being planted in this region for the 2016 crop. Though sprouting and crop failure in these region were or still are possible,… Read More →

by Dr. Clark Neely, Statewide Small Grains Extension Specialist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Dr. Allen Knutson, Extension Entomologist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Hessian fly is a persistent threat to many wheat producersin portions of the Blacklands, the southern Rolling Plains (Concho Valley) and South Texas. Over 70 counties in Texas have reported Hessian fly infestations which can severely impact wheat yields through stunted tillers, lodging and even plant death in severe cases. In 2016, Hessian fly was detected at research plots near McGregor, Brady, and Thrall, TX (Fig… Read More →

by Dr. Gaylon Morgan, Professor and Extension State Specialist, 979-845-2425; gdmorgan@tamu.edu It has been another wet spring and early summer for the Coastal Bend, Upper Gulf Coast, and Blacklands of Texas. The heavy clay soils in these regions are the lifeblood of crop production in the regions because of high water and nutrient holding capacity. However, these soils also drain slower and excessive rain can lead to prolonged saturated and anaerobic soil conditions. Under the saturated conditions, very little oxygen remains in the soil. Without oxygen in the… Read More →

by Thomas Isakeit, Professor and Extension Plant Pathologist; t-isakeit@tamu.edu ,979-862-1340 Southern rust of corn (Puccinia polysora) (Figure 1) is present in fields in several Upper Coast counties. This disease has the potential to cause yield loss in susceptible hybrids and growers should be scouting for it. I have a bulletin that gives guidance for scouting, action thresholds for spraying, and a list of fungicides, at this address: http://aglifesciences.tamu.edu/plantpathology/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2011/05/Southern-Rust-of-Corn_2014.pdf I have frequently encountered common rust (Puccinia sorghi) this season. This is not a disease of concern in Texas. Northern… Read More →