Across the state, corn and sorghum crops are thriving where moisture is available, but suffering in areas with drought conditions, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts.
As in most years, crop conditions depend on the weather. The spring months and planting time have taken a turn from drought and freeze damage on early planted corn to large parts of Central Texas receiving rain.
A dry start throughout South and South Central Texas put many producers behind schedule, said Ronnie Schnell, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension state cropping system specialist and professor, Texas A&M Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Bryan-College Station. “We’ll see what the weather does moving forward; we seem to have a favorable forecast in the next few weeks, so things should continue to improve,” Schnell said. “The young crops are hanging in there.”
Central Texas production fields picked up some rain, and progressing crops are looking better in those areas. In the High Plains, where planting is just getting underway for many, the ongoing dry spell continues.
“The whole state is waiting to see a change in the weather pattern,” Schnell said. “We might see smaller plants and skinnier leaves initially, but there’s still room to capture yield potential if the beneficial moisture falls.”
Another positive note, he said, is there are no major insect or disease issues, and the very dry conditions are holding weeds in check.
The slow start and pricing situation this year has a few people growing some soybeans that normally wouldn’t, Schnell said.
Prices improve, but input costs rise
Overall, commodities are improving amid geopolitical events in the Middle East that are affecting a lot of markets, said Mark Welch, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension economist-grain marketing and policy and professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics, Bryan-College Station.
Corn, grain sorghum and soybeans are all seeing higher prices because of their strong fuel-use component, Welch said. If their prices go up, it brings the entire grain complex up.
“We are seeing strong price increases, but we are just putting those corn and soybean crops in the ground – we don’t know about acres or yields or what the weather conditions will be during the growing season, so it is early still,” he said.
At the same time, producers are not seeing any relief from higher input costs. Fuel prices are up, and fertilizer prices are much higher than at the beginning of the year.
“We expect those prices to remain high into 2027,” Welch said. “Any anhydrous that was prepaid or bought was good for those producers, but the later you are getting things going, the more it will hit in 2026, and everyone can expect to pay higher prices into 2027, even if the disruptions stopped today.”
China and other Asian countries rely heavily on fertilizer imports. Brazil imports 95% of its nitrogen, and producers there will start buying fertilizer for their spring crops, which will keep demand higher.
Welch said it may be too early for fertilizer price spikes to show their impact on global grain production, but trends may appear later this summer, especially with continued shipping disruption and higher diesel prices. There will likely be higher demand for fertilizer if the supply is disrupted.
“We may see some increase in fuel use for feed grains and soybeans based on volatility in the crude oil and energy markets,” he said. “The high prices we’re seeing in corn and soybeans, I think, are much more speculative in that we don’t even know what those acres are going to be or what the weather and growing conditions will be.”
In May, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report will provide the first official outlook for 2026 crops. It will include early estimates for wheat, corn and soybean acres and yields, as well as initial demand projections for feed, fuel and exports. Welch said the report will make clearer the cumulative effects of the current market turmoil and projected production.
AgriLife Extension district reporters compiled the following summaries: Panhandle
Dry and windy conditions continued. Topsoil and subsoil moisture levels continued to drop due to the lack of precipitation. Small-grain crop conditions continued to decline. Many small-grain fields with pivot irrigation were steadily being watered to keep up with crop demand. Most growers continued to irrigate to build moisture reserves in soil profiles before planting warm-season crops. A few fields were harvested for silage due to deteriorating crop conditions. Most dryland wheat will not be harvested. Cotton and peanut producers were behind schedule. Some smallgrain fields planted for grain production were being grazed out. Winter wheat, pasture and range conditions were very poor to poor.
South Plains
Dry conditions persisted. Corn started to sprout, although some fields under drip irrigation were struggling due to high winds. Most producers were sand fighting on land that was preirrigated for corn. Prewatering cotton ground continued. Wheat was struggling with some fields drying down prematurely. Some producers were cutting wheat for silage before conditions worsened. Most native grass was slow to emerge due to the lack of moisture. Livestock needed supplemental rations and forage.
Rolling Plains Light showers fell in parts of the district last week. Wheat headed out and started to turn color. Pasture conditions were a growing concern due to persistent dry weather. Livestock remained in good condition with ongoing supplemental feeding, as forage quality declined. Some wheat acreage was being grazed out or has failed. Corn showed improvement with recent rains but faced fertility and weed management challenges as many farmers delayed or reduced fertilizer and herbicide applications due to high costs. Some land preparation and cover crop spraying was underway for cotton. Hay fields were ready for the growing season and wildlife food plots were emerging. Overall, crops were struggling due to drought, while livestock continued to fare well with supplemental support.