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Despite some challenges, cotton production is expected to be better than average due to timely rains this season, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service reports around the state.

Ben McKnight, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension statewide cotton specialist and assistant professor in the Texas A&M Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Bryan-College Station, said the Aug. 25 acreage report from the Texas Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation has total planted Texas acres at approximately 5.41 million acres.

While planted acres rarely translate into "harvested acres," it appears that cotton field abandonment may be lower than in the past few years, McKnight said.

Losses experienced in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, South Plains

Cotton acres in the Lower Rio Grande Valley were much lower than in previous seasons. Growers planted around 60,000 acres compared to the typical 100,000–120,000 acres. Flooding in late March reduced those acres by an additional 20%.

Yields are good so far in the Coastal Bend and Rio Grande Valley, with harvest about 80% complete, said Josh McGinty, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension agronomist and assistant professor, Corpus Christi. Harvested cotton trial acres produced above average yields with several yielding from 2.5 to over 3 bales per acre.

Cotton quality was outstanding according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Corpus Christi office.

"We often suffer from high micronaire (fiber thickness) values this far south, but so far the majority of bales classed have been between 3.7 and 4.9," McGinty said.

Micronaire readings between 3.7–4.2 are considered premium, and readings under 3.4 and over 5.0 are discounted.

In the South Plains region, Ken Legé, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension cotton specialist and assistant professor, Lubbock, said while they saw some losses, he expects much better results for producers this season. Even with stand failures and some anticipated losses due to heat and drought conditions in August, he anticipates that overall abandonment will be less than 25%, significantly lower than the approximate 50% in the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

Since planting, frequent rainfall and mild temperatures have resulted in better-than-average crop conditions for dryland and irrigated fields. The forecast for the remainder of the season suggests there will be sufficient heat units to finish the crop, he said.

"This is good news for the industry, as gins, suppliers, warehouses and the entire cotton industry have endured tough economic conditions due to low cotton lint volume the last few years," Legé said.

While this is a concern, the forecast for the remainder of the season suggests there will be sufficient heat units to finish the crop, he said.

Harvest underway or near in Gulf Coast, Blacklands

Harvest began in the Upper Gulf Coast with early reports of mostly above-average yields. McKnight said timely rainfall greatly helped the dryland crop this year. He said the crop also looks to be above average in the Brazos River Bottom and the Blackland Prairie.

"The overwhelming majority of the Blackland Prairie's cotton crop is not irrigated, so producers are at the mercy of rainfall," he said. "Many parts of the Blacklands received good rainfall, and I have been hearing preliminary estimates of 2-bale and in some cases perhaps 3-bale yield potential in fields."

Defoliation and preparing the cotton crop for harvest in the Blackland Prairie will be in full swing in the coming weeks as grain harvest winds down. McKnight said irrigated cotton in the Brazos Bottom also appears to be progressing well and is nearing defoliation.

Rains aid production in Central, Rolling Plains, Panhandle

Cotton in Central Texas got off to a late start due to wet conditions in May, but most of the acres were planted into great moisture and had good establishment, said Reagan Noland, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension agronomist and associate professor, San Angelo.

While no significant rain fell in August, earlier rains sustained the crop, and it is nearing cutout across most of the region. Some later-planted fields still need time to mature if the current blooms are to make a harvestable boll.

"Overall, we have a much better crop in the field than we have had for the past three years, but it could desperately use a rain now," Noland said. "I anticipate us pushing harvest aid applications a bit later than normal if conditions allow."

Emi Kimura, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension cotton agronomist and associate professor, Vernon, said growers in the Rolling Plains planted 275,000 acres of primarily dryland cotton this year.

"The best part is that it rained in July and August," Kimura said. "The rain, coupled with the cooler temperatures, has helped the dryland cotton look better than the last few years."

Jourdan Bell, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension cotton agronomist and associate professor, Amarillo, said the Panhandle region planted 332,865 acres with about a 50/50 split in irrigated and dryland.

Cotton was helped by timely rains in July and August, but producers reported late-season hail that could negatively impact yields. Most fields are moving into boll filling and fiber maturation under good soil moisture conditions.

"Our irrigated producers should be shutting down irrigation," Bell said. "As long as they have good soil moisture, the plants will not be stressed and drop balls." If producers continue irrigating, we can see fields resume vegetative growth, and we could potentially create some fiber quality issues."

It is typical to start spraying harvest aids on cotton in October, with most of the harvest beginning in the Central, Rolling Plains and Panhandle sometime in November.

AgriLife Extension district reporters compiled the following summaries:

Panhandle

The district experienced cooler temperatures and widespread rainfall. Overall, soil moisture conditions were short to adequate. Overall, crop conditions were fair to good. Corn and sorghum harvests were in full swing, while the feed corn harvest should start in the next few weeks. If predicted rains occur, early wheat planting should follow shortly after. Pasture and range conditions were fair to good.

South Plains

Hot and dry conditions finally subsided with the arrival of a cool front across the district. Subsoil and topsoil moisture levels were on the short side, but forecasted rain should help. Producers were still watering crops to try to keep up with moisture demands. Cotton and peanuts were in fair to good condition. Pastures and ranges were in fair to good condition. Cattle were in good condition.

Rolling Plains

Recent weather patterns brought beneficial rainfall and moderate temperatures to the district, boosting agricultural conditions across the district. Rainfall totals were 1.5–3 inches. Producers began plowing fields in preparation for winter wheat planting. Crops were performing well overall, aided by timely rains.

Cotton fields showed mixed conditions—some areas could benefit from additional moisture, but most fields responded positively to the favorable weather. Corn harvest was delayed by the rains, but had resumed with positive progress. The end of harvest was near, and yields remained promising.

With continued favorable temperatures, pasture and crop conditions were expected to improve further. Livestock conditions remained strong, with green pastures providing ample forage and reducing the need for supplemental feeding.

North

Hot weather persisted across much of the district, and some areas received 2–4 inches of rainfall. Hay harvest continued in some counties, with most producers reporting near-average quantities overall. The corn harvest was delayed due to moisture but got underway in some counties. The grain sorghum harvest continued, but soybean harvest was slowed by rain.

Some fields were being prepped for winter wheat and oats. Production was heavy in okra and vegetables, and figs were showing a second crop. Pasture and range conditions were poor to good. Livestock conditions were good. There were scattered reports of fall armyworms, but no widespread outbreaks.

East

Rainfall and cooler temperatures relieved some drought stress in the district. Subsoil and topsoil conditions were adequate. Harrison County reported that hay production continued. Pasture and rangeland conditions were good. Cattle markets remained strong. Livestock were in fair to good condition. While damage was minimal, armyworms were reported.

Far West

Crop and pasture stress remained an issue across the district. Limited pockets of precipitation mitigated the stress impacts in some areas. Pima and upland cotton were doing well in the western parts of the district, but yield potential suffered in the east. Scattered rain showers contributed to weeds and grass in alfalfa. Nutritional supplementation was required district-wide as livestock conditions continued to decline in late summer.

West Central

Area conditions remained dry overall, with a few localized showers dropping a half inch or less of rain. Some hay was being cut and baled. Field preparation continued for small grain planting. Cotton needed moisture. The corn harvest was complete, and sorghum harvest was starting as fields mature.

Grasses and pasture forages had almost stopped growing due to hot, dry weather. Rangeland was still good after July rains. Livestock were in good condition as well. Packer cows and bulls both sold steady. Pairs and bred cows remained in good demand.

Central

Hot temperatures prevailed, but a large part of the district saw a few showers, ranging from 0.5–1.2 inches. Corn and sorghum harvests were beginning to wrap up, with record-setting corn yields reported. The corn harvest was slowed by storage and grain handling issues as some producers had more than doubled their grain production.

Grain sorghum acres were low, but yields were high. Cotton harvest began on a limited basis, with above-average yields reported. There were some quality concerns with wet conditions and potential staining. Producers were hopeful that forecasted rain would extend pasture conditions into fall.

Forage was being cut and baled, and many producers have large amounts of barn-stored hay. Pasture and range conditions looked good. Stock tank levels were full. Livestock were in good condition, with some producers still implementing supplemental feeding. Record cattle prices have many producers selling calves earlier than normal.

Southeast

Soil moisture conditions ranged from adequate to surplus. Crop conditions varied from poor to excellent depending on location. Corn harvest was underway and largely completed in several areas. Sorghum harvest was also almost complete. Rice producers faced below-average yields and delayed harvest due to excessive moisture. Harvest progress ranged from 70% to 98%, depending on the location.

Cotton progress was slow due to excess moisture, with 100% of bolls set and open. Hay production thrived due to favorable weather, though some areas experienced delays from passing showers.

Pest issues persisted in hay pastures. Pasture and rangeland conditions were excellent in some areas, while other areas showed signs of heat stress or drying out. Livestock conditions ranged from fair to excellent.

Southwest

Dry and very hot conditions were followed by a cold front, with gusty winds and rainfall averaging 1.6 inches. The moisture should improve rangeland conditions. Sorghum and corn harvests continued.

A few producers were still baling their second cutting of hay. Pasture conditions continued to decline in drier areas, and rangeland showed signs of stress. Livestock and wildlife remained in fair to good condition. Livestock markets were steady to high. Whitetail deer activity tapered off due to the heat. The opening weekend of dove season saw good conditions overall.

Coastal Bend

Hot, dry weather continued to deteriorate soil moisture and range and pasture conditions. Scattered showers provided limited relief, briefly delaying cotton harvest in some areas. Rice, corn and sorghum harvests were almost complete with average to slightly above-average yields. Cotton saw above-average yields of 2–3.5 bales per acre.

The gin yards were full and running around the clock. Haying had slowed due to drought, though recent showers may allow some regrowth. The quality of standing forages was declining. Livestock remained in generally good condition, but supplemental feeding was increasing. Fall calving started, and calf runs at sale barns were seasonally larger. Markets remained strong.

South

Weather conditions continued to be dry, breezy and hot with occasional light scattered showers. Surface and bottom soil conditions remained dry. Hay producers continued to cut and bale. Some vegetable growers were harvesting okra, summer squash and fall tomatoes. Other producers continued to prepare to plant fall vegetables and corn.

The last grain sorghum fields were being harvested, with most showing signs of bird damage. Most cotton was harvested, and the sesame harvest continued. Yields were above average on both cotton and sesame crops. Citrus orchards continued to be irrigated with both flood and drip irrigation. Range and pasture conditions continued to deteriorate.

Livestock and wildlife were in good condition overall with proper feeding and supplementation. Beef cattle prices remained high. Feed and hay were in great demand at a high cost. Wildlife managers reported a good fawn crop and quail numbers. Deer producers were supplementing extra and providing water to their ponds.