Cotton growers in West Texas may soon consider rain dancing, because even though this year’s dryland cotton crop is faring better than the last three years, cotton crops are in need of a few good rains.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service cotton specialist Mark Kelly says “cooler than normal temperatures, among other setbacks, have hampered crop development, but overall cotton is in good shape. The fate of dryland cotton depends on whether the area gets any more rain,” reports Southwest Farm Press.
U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service reports 4 million acres of cotton are planted in the Texas Panhandle and Southern Plains. Some of this dryland cotton crop hasn’t received rainfall in three or four weeks. Kelly expects a normal abandonment rate of 15 to 20 percent.