Drought

Above average temperatures are exacerbating drier-than-normal conditions around the state, said the state’s climatologist. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service reports and experts say the hot, dry conditions are taking a toll on soil moisture levels and crops in areas that missed spotty rainfall this spring and early summer. Dr. John Nielsen-Gammon, director of the Texas Center for Climate Studies at ... Read More »

A regional native and nationally prominent researcher in plant breeding has been hired as the director of the Semi-Arid Agricultural Systems Institute at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas. Dr. Craig Bednarz, an Idalou native, began May 1 in a joint appointment by West Texas A&M, Texas A&M AgriLife Research in Amarillo and the Texas A&M University Department of ... Read More »

Uncertainty surrounding the spread of coronavirus has Texas cotton producers in limbo regarding their crop options for 2020, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. Dr. John Robinson, AgriLife Extension cotton marketing specialist, College Station, said cotton prices have been dropping due to the disease’s effects on global production, manufacturing and consumption. The ripple effect of coronavirus on ... Read More »

Beginning in April, the National Cotton Council will be encouraging this nation’s cotton producers to enroll in the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. Why is full participation important? More than 200 U.S. cotton producers enrolled in the NCC’s Trust Protocol pilot phase, but greater involvement is necessary to assure the global textile supply chain — including consumers — that U.S. cotton ... Read More »

During 2019, the National Cotton Council worked closely with the Administration and Congress to advance passage of a meaningful disaster recovery package. What were some major NCC actions? ■ The NCC strongly advocated for legislation to provide relief and recovery assistance for producers affected by wildfires, Hurricanes Florence and Michael, and other natural disasters in 2018 and 2019. Letters of ... Read More »

Drier than normal conditions this winter could be a harbinger for a hotter-than-normal summer if future weather patterns fail to deliver moisture. As Texas A&M AgriLife Extension district reporters compiled district summaries, many showed dry winter conditions. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension isn’t the only one who’s taken notice. Dr. John Nielsen-Gammon, Texas state climatologist, said conditions have been fairly dry ... Read More »

Recent passage of a Congressional act may bring relief to farmers who experienced crop losses due to drought in 2018 and 2019. In December 2019, Congress passed the FY2020 Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, making crop production losses due to “quality losses of crops, drought and excessive soil moisture” in crop years 2018 and 2019 eligible for Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity ... Read More »