LUBBOCK, Texas (RFD-TV) — Cotton growers have faced a difficult growing season, with drought taking a toll on the crop ahead of harvest.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension cotton specialist Dr. Ken Legé says the season started with decent planting conditions before a prolonged dry stretch set in during the summer.
“The cotton grower in the High Plains of Texas has been on this roller coaster all season long, and I think some of the growers are kind of getting sick of it, and with a decent start during planting, but no subsoil moisture and good, frequent rain until, mid-July, and then we fell off the edge of the cliff, with a lot of locations not receiving measurable rainfall for nearly two months or longer. Then, mid-September, here comes six to 10 inches of rain during the month, and now we’re facing another round.”
Rain is now creating additional concerns, but earlier drought conditions have already reduced harvest prospects. Agronomists say a number of dryland fields will not make it this year, with some fields already being redone.
