Late winter rains in the Coastal Bend of Texas have resulted in later than usual planting of cotton for the region’s farmers. But most farmers are now back in the fields and catching up on lost time.
“We’re just starting to get back into the fields. In our area, we received 1.5 inches of rain. In some areas of the Coastal Bend, they got three inches,” San Patricio County farmer Nicholas Pinkston said.
The recent rains helped with soil moisture for the already planted corn and grain sorghum.
The corn is looking good and the emerging sorghum does, too, Pinkston noted.
“We got some good underground moisture now. Everything looks good,” he said. “If we get some timely rains, we could make a really good crop this year.”
More strip tilling is helping Southeast Texas farmers avoid soil erosion.
Pinkston said the farming technique allows them to keep more residue on the surface of the ground. This time of year there are high winds that are typically in the Coastal Bend forecast on a regular basis.