Rains this year in portions of Texas have been beneficial for most staple commodity crops such as corn, cotton and sorghum, but have also favored alternative crops, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts.
Texas producers are always looking for alternative crops that provide options under different weather situations, including sunflowers, sesame, canola and lately hemp.
This year, continuous rainfall early in the growing season delayed planting of main crops leading to some producers looking into new crop options.
At the 2,716-acre Stiles Farm in Thrall, trial acres were devoted to brassica carinata, a crop being studied for use as bio-jet fuel, to see how it would perform, said Ryan Collett, Stiles Farm Foundation manager. The carinata crop typically is planted in mid-November and follows a similar growing season to hard red winter wheat.
“It’s been harvested and will be crushed and processed into biojet fuel,” Collett said.
The Stiles Farm Foundation has long served Blackland farmers with the latest research studies and demonstration trials. The farm foundation was established in 1961, becoming part of The Texas A&M University System.
Second year of carinata
In previous years, the Stiles Farm has gone with double-crop sesame. However, continuous summer rains delayed wheat harvest so much the optimum planting window couldn’t be taken advantage of.
While carinata appears to have performed well this year, questions remain about performance under growing temperature extremes and other challenges.
“The biggest question in our area is how low of a temperature the crop can handle in the winter, for how long, and at what stage,” Collett said. “We had decent yields in year one, about 27 bushels to the acre and $17.50 per bushel contracted price. However, the second year was 12 bushels to the acre at around $14 per bushel contracted price. We attribute the lower yield to cold weather damage. With good growing conditions, it should be reasonable for carinata to yield in the 30 to 40 bushel/acre range.”
Harvesting, root system
Collett said harvest equipment is the same as for a wheat crop, “just finely adjusted as the carinata seed is extremely small.
“I like the deep taproot of the crop and how it seems to aggressively outcompete winter weeds, so far at least,” he said. “However, in the two years we have grown it, there was significant freeze damage each year while at the same time our wheat crops have not suffered any cold weather issues. We will continue to plant 50 or less acres each year to flesh out this new crop in the region.”
AgriLife Extension district reporters compiled the following summaries:
Rolling Plains
Extremely unfavorable conditions persisted across the district as farmers and ranchers endured the unrelenting heat and lack of rain. Cultivated crops were all showing signs of stress or nearing failure. Grasses in both pastures and roadsides were completely dried up, and the risk of wildfires was a constant danger. Some producers opted to ship or sell cattle due to diminishing pasture grazing. Grasshoppers remained across the area, even with little for them to consume.
Panhandle
The district experienced extreme heat and drought conditions. Livestock producers supplemented with hay and protein. Wheat planting began in irrigated circles intended for fall pasture. The corn crop started to dry down in many early planted fields, with harvest expected to begin soon. Rangeland was going dormant. Overall soil moisture ranged from very short to short, and pasture and range conditions were very poor to fair. Overall, crop conditions were poor to good.
Far West
Hot and dry conditions continued before temperatures dropped into the upper 60s and rain fell over most of the district. Rain amounts ranged from trace amounts to 2 inches with more rain in the forecast. Topsoil and subsoil moisture levels were still very short. Cooler temperatures let the cotton crop recover and hang on to a few more bolls. Cotton bolls were beginning to open in the earliest planted fields. Some wheat was expected to be planted soon. Cantaloupe and watermelon were growing well but nearing the end of the growing season. Pecans were growing. Rangeland and pasture conditions remained in very poor condition. The moisture could help pastures with some late-season forage growth. Livestock were in poor to fair condition. Supplemental feeding was necessary in most livestock operations.
West Central
Recent weather brought some relief with cooler temperatures and scattered rain showers, averaging around 0.5 inches for the week. While these conditions eased the intense heat of recent weeks, the district remained critically dry, impacting crops and pastures. Forages resumed some growth, but many warm-season crops and pecan trees continued to suffer from drought stress. Field preparations were underway for fall planting, though more moisture was needed to proceed. Livestock conditions were stable but impacted by reduced forage quality and water shortages, leading some producers to sell cattle. Overall, while cooler temperatures were a welcomed change, the area still faced severe dry conditions and the need for more substantial rainfall.