May 27 – 31, 2024
North Texas/Blacklands: Wheat is fully matured and ready for harvest but widespread rainfall and severe weather events continued to hamper progress. Hail and strong winds have impacted fields in the area with some locations receiving up to 20” of rainfall since the beginning of April. Farmers are not reporting any sprout damage but are anxious to get wheat out of the field. Yields across the region are above average while test weights are in the low to mid 50s.
Hillsboro UVT Trail: Average Yield: 46 || Average Test Weight: 53
Rolling Plains & Central Texas: The wheat harvest made significant headway in the region but was impacted mid-week by storms and rain showers. Farmers from Abilene to Vernon were nearing 80% complete with harvest. Yields in the Vernon region were favorable, with the high end topping out at 70 bushels per acre with test weights averaging 63 pounds per bushel. Region-wide yields came in between 30-50 bushels per acre.
South Plains: Across the South Plains, wheatlage and hay harvests wrapped up while grain harvest has begun across the Southern area of the region. Harvest activity should pick up pace next week in areas that missed recent rainfall.
Panhandle: Wheat was beginning to mature at a rapid rate, with some test cutting on dryland acres beginning within a week. Livestock were being moved to graze out wheat, and supplemental feeding for cattle was unnecessary. Irrigated acres across the Northern Panhandle could still be two weeks out from harvest.
South Texas: Wheat delivered to the Port of Houston continued this past week with some loads beginning to show evidence of sprout damage. Harvest in the coastal region should be drawing to a close as the few remaining fields are cut.
Sources: Texas grain elevator locations, farmers, USDA NASS and Texas A&M AgriLife Crop and Weather Report
May 24, 2024
Producers in the Throckmorton area reported yields between 15-45 bushels per acre, but harvest progress was stalled due to humidity. In Young County, harvest was 15-20% complete. Test weights were lower where rust was more severe. Yields were 25-50 bushels per acre. Producers were expecting increased harvest activity over the weekend, before forecasted rain next week.
May 22, 2024
According to the Texas Crop and Weather Report: In Central Texas, there were reports of some fields of wheat, oats, sorghum and corn damage due to flooding and hail. Wheat harvest was beginning in the Rolling Plains. In the South Plains, winter wheat harvest was expected to begin in the coming weeks. The early planted wheat was in fair condition and the later planted wheat was good and benefited from the spring showers as it was heading out. There was grain fill and maturity reported in the remaining wheat, oats or triticale in the Panhandle. In the far west region, winter wheat was baled for hay or grazed out by livestock. In the west central region, grain and forage sorghum were in good condition and several small grains including wheat were ready to be harvested as soon as the fields dry out. Wheat and oat harvests began with higher-than-normal yields reported in the southwest. In South Texas, wheat harvest was good in most areas while some activity halted due to rain.
May 21, 2024
Harvest was in full swing across South Texas, Central Texas and parts of the Rolling Plains. Loads arriving in Houston had test weights between 55-59 pounds and average protein of 12% or better. There was some localized sprout damage, but overall damage wasn’t bad considering the heavy precipitation and recent severe weather. Attebury Grain in Saginaw reported that test weights averaged 60 pounds, protein averaged 10.9% and there had been no sprout damage. While some producers were cutting wheat around Vernon, others reported that the crop wasn’t ready yet.
May 20, 2024
According to the Texas Crop Progress and Condition Report, the crop was 96% headed and 10% harvested. The crop was rated 5% excellent, 34% good, 39% fair, 15% poor and 7% very poor.
May 17, 2024
Harvest had started south of Abilene, but was halted due to rain. Very little was able to be cut, but yields were around 20 bushels per acre. Producers expected things to pick up after the weekend.
May 15, 2024
According to the Texas Crop and Weather Report: In Central Texas, one area received hail damage to corn, wheat and oat crops. Wheat continued to look good, even with excess moisture. However, the instance of lodged wheat increased with added moisture, storms and wind. In the Rolling Plains, there were varying amounts of wheat rust in a few counties due to moisture. Wheat was nearing maturity and baling was winding down. Some days of sunshine and dry skies would help allow time for producers to prepare fields for cotton and Sudan grass planting before wheat harvest begins. In the South Plains, wheat grain was in the soft dough stage and early applied spring pre-emerge was starting to break loose in irrigated ground. Some wheat was being baled or chopped for silage. In the Panhandle, some fields of headed wheat and triticale in the soft dough stage were being chopped for silage, especially those fields affected by two suspected new plant diseases that, according to observations, had been widespread. Wheat harvest begins in the next few weeks. In North Texas, some areas reported damage resulting in wheat and oat crops more than 80% destroyed. All wheat has been baled for hay or grazed out by livestock in the far west region. Winter wheat harvest will start as soon as fields dry out in the west central region. In the southwest, wheat and oat harvest should start soon, and sorghum looked good.
May 14, 2024
TEMCO in Houston reported that harvest was slowing due to rain. Loads were coming in from Knippa, Dilley and WInter Garden. Overall, quality was good. Test weights averaged 61.5 pounds and protein averaged 14.5%. There was very little damage reported, although producers in Central Texas were monitoring sprout.
May 13, 2024
According to the Texas Crop Progress and Condition Report, the crop was 88% headed and 5% harvested. The crop was rated 6% excellent, 36% good, 35% fair, 16% poor and 7% very poor.
May 10, 2024
According to the USDA May Crop Production Report, Texas winter wheat production is estimated at 71.4 million bushels, with an average yield of 34 bushels per acre on 2.1 million acres.
May 8, 2024
Producers from the Blacklands reported harvest was 3 weeks away and average to good yields were expected. In the Rolling Plains, harvest was 2-3 weeks away and the crop looked promising where stripe rust was controlled. In the Panhandle, some dryland wheat was in good condition and could have excellent yields. In other areas, dryland wheat had failed or was burning up. Harvest was ahead of schedule in the West Central Region, with Runnels County expected to harvest in the next week. Yields in that area were expected to decline from initial estimates.
May 7, 2024
According to the Texas Crop and Weather Report: In Central Texas, wind and rain caused some wheat and oats to lay down. Winter wheat was ripening and growing closer to harvest. Hessian fly infestations in wheat didn’t develop, and its absence was attributed to parasitism. In the Rolling Plains, the wheat crop looked promising but select varieties in a few areas were reporting some fungal disease. In the South Plains, wheat was being cut and hauled to local dairies, with feedlots and hay being baled when weather conditions allowed for proper dry down. Winter wheat production ranged from poor to good in the Panhandle. In North Texas, corn, sorghum and winter wheat fared well, despite the surplus of moisture. In the far west region, straw has been baled and wheat is in the drying stage. In the west central region, reports of hail and wind damage included hail impacting wheat progress, with some farms reporting wind damage from storms. Despite storm damage, wheat crops ranged from good to excellent condition. In some parts of the region, wheat and oat pastures continued to mature but most would be grazed or baled for hay. In other areas, the wheat was drying down and harvest will start soon for dryland acres with low yields expected. In South Texas, wheat and oat harvest has begun in most areas and cotton planting will be completed.
May 5, 2024
According to the NASS Texas Crop Progress and Condition Report, 75% of the crop was headed, compared to 75% last year. The crop was rated 6% excellent, 42% good, 33% fair, 13% poor and 6% very poor.
May 2, 2024
Wheat was drying down quickly in the Edwards Plateau and southern Rolling Plains. Conditions were mixed, ranging from poor to good.
May 1, 2024
Custom harvesters were cutting in Uvalde. They reported yields between 66-85 bushels per acre under pivot irrigation and dryland yields between 20-30 bushels per acre. Test weight was 63.5 pounds per bushel and moisture was 12.5%.
