Ag production affected by rain

By LORI COPE | East Texas Edition

June was a wet month in many portions of the region. Records show rainfall totals to be as much as 6 inches above normal. Here, a ready-to-harvest sorghum field is too wet for combines. -- Staff photo by Carolyn Rost

July 1 ,2004 -- Much of the region has seen a great amount of rainfall, and the effects to crops and their producers are evident.

So far this year, 23.04 inches of rain has been recorded at Austin Bergstrom International Airport, according to KVUE Chief Meteorologist Mark Murray. That's 6.07 inches above normal for the year-to-date.

In San Antonio, rainfall just for the month of June has been recorded at 4.99 inches, which is 1.61 inches above normal.

The Houston area reported about 12 inches of rain in June.

Also, most of the unusually heavy rains have been recorded in the Southwest region that includes Travis, Bexar, and Lavaca counties.

Shannon DeForest, Lavaca County Extension agent, said the rain is "absolutely" affecting the hay harvest. Hay is the number one ag commodity in the county, DeForest said, and while most producers have been able to cut their fields one time, the forage just continues to grow higher and higher because producers can't depend on enough days without rain to cut the grass.

"Some have made a second cutting, though; and others are waiting," he said on June 22. "But the rain is helping it to grow."

DeForest wasn't sure of an exact amount of rainfall in the county but simply pointed out, "We've had a bunch of rain."

Of course with hay production, the taller the grass, the lesser the quality. One Texas Cooperative Extension agent pointed out producers should have a forage analysis done on their hay to determine its quality, and then determine how much supplemental feed will be needed for fall and winter.

While the rain is keeping the fields wet, it's also saving irrigation costs for pecan producers, DeForest pointed out.

The rain this time of year can also increase the insect population. In areas where corn and sorghum are already harvested, there's little concern; but if wet fields are keeping producers out of the combines, the potential for insect damage is present, according to Dr. Roy Parker, Extension entomologist for the Coastal Bend region.

Parker said the Corpus Christi area has not received as much rain as the surrounding counties. On June 22, he said about 3/10 or 4/10 of an inch fell and it was the first rain they'd had in two weeks.

"Some of the younger crops needed the rain, because (with the lack of rain) they had shallow root systems," he said.

The entomologist said the cotton producers should be on the lookout for bollworms, "or any caterpillar in general" that could damage their crop.

But with the other crops, the insect situation "could go any direction." Parker said more rain brings more yield, "but the longer the crop is out there, the more potential for insect" damage is prevalent.