|
Lubbock, Texas | last average frost free date in Lubbock area is April 15th.......they try and plant when mid morning soil temps at 6" are above 65 degrees for 4-5 days straight and 5+ days over 50 are forecast
we just got rain last night which was pretty heavy mixed with some pea to pebble size hail
we had a light snow a few weeks back and HEAVY snow at Christmas so the moisture is building up slightly
there is VERY little corn right around here the water is not available any more.......further north towards Amarillo the corn picks because they do have the ground water still....but it does cost to pump
around here you could have rain as little as 3-4 days before depending on how heavy and still go plant.....it dries up and goes into the soil fast around here
......so any good rain in April up to April 20th is great for cotton farmers........after that they want to get planted then let the plant get big enough to get past the stage of being sandblasted or electrostaticly killed by the dust (rare but happens)
if they do get a rain they will go in and scratch the soil on each side of the bed to keep the dust down
the year before last 2006 was pretty dry......but the rains were timed perfectly and this area still had a big crop
here it will probably go into sorgham if the cotton fails too late.....another not much corn around here......can plant sorgham for a LOT less water and the feed yards and cattle are a ready market
I would say mid to late April is when a good rain is needed......that being 1.5" or a little more or less
if not any before that it is sit and wait...if get the rain go in 3 days later and plant....if not wait and go with sorghum
peanuts are big around here too, but they take tons of water and some will rent land with a no peanuts clause.....and peanuts do not mature up here well unless the season is perfect.....so if thinking peanuts you will be trying to get them before or at the same time as cotton.....after that it is sorghum
they say the Lubbock area is the worlds largest contiguous cotton patch......I have lived up here 5 years......3 of those were records or near records and you can tell....and it is NICE......the gins seem to run forever and the modules just keep stacking up......then you see the small town dealers with rented vacant land loaded with new trucks....and you know cotton makes this area go around
my second year here (I believe....it was whatever year Katrina was) there was a lot of dryland lost in this area, but the irrigated was going wild....and the South East US was blown out by Katrina.....so those with irrigated were getting great yields and price.....I remember on the radio they were always talking about getting to 90 Cents or there about per pound and it hurting the farm program payments.....most around here would take the high price any day of the week
of course the next year when it was very wet and the whole state was at 1st or second highest yields ever there were billboards around "thanking" Plains Cotton Growers for getting them 55-60 cents a pound.....so it is up and down
I think this year could be FANTASTIC for West Texas cotton......if the price can even get to 80+ cents and the huge yields keep coming this area will be on fire.....higher than 80 cents and WOW
I am so glad to see other areas that can do something besides cotton getting acres bought.....I feel bad for the ginners and some of the custom guys because they have a huge investment, but in this area it is cotton, sorghum, peanuts and alfalfa.......and if you don't have great water.....it is cotton and sorghum.....so hopefully the others can hold out while their areas have something besides cotton bringing a good price.....because around here it will probably be HUGE cotton no matter the price.....and with the great weather the last few years and the technology......the yields have been exploding
cotton is actually not my thing, I an grapes and Hort crops......but I did work at the Lubbock experiment station for 4 years and most grape farmers in this area have row crops as well
so you can't live in Lubbock and not know something about cotton....and besides it is great to wear and a cool plant.......it is not uncommon to see people from other places pulled over or at the gas station over on the edge of the cotton fields staring at it or getting a few bolls off the ground at harvest.....especially foreigners......makes me smile | |
|
Calling rodrod5...
