As some areas of Texas are receiving much needed rainfall, the soil conditions in the Central Texas Blackland region remain dry.

Wheat, oat, cotton and corn crops are already off to a rough start and much of the cotton is not even planted yet.

On farm input, prices are at a record high, government regulations increase on a daily basis, market speculators are controlling prices, and we are living in the driest five-month stretch in recent history.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to farming in Central Texas.

What looked like a somewhat promising year for small grains is coming to an end, leaving us with reduced yields that will not allow farmers to take advantage of decent small grain prices.

Many wheat and oat fields will yield well below the county average of production.

The immediate concern of our corn crop is the cracking down the seed row, coupled with the high winds.  The corn plant has been struggling to produce a viable brace root that would help the corn plant stand strong and be able to support the stalk and ear of corn as it matures.

As we enter May with the driest five months in history behind us, all we can do is hope the next five months are wetter.

Central Texas hay producers did harvest ryegrass, but warm season grass production has been negligible.

Grass and weeds that have been grazed or are not growing back as they normally would because of a lack of moisture in the soil.

Hay will only go up as the dry weather and wildfires continue to plague the state.

The latest drought monitor indicates the entire state is under drought of some sort. Sixty-eight percent of Texas is under Extreme Drought, with an additional 15 percent under Exceptional Drought, the highest classification there is.

There is no indication these conditions will improve anytime in the near future.

Extension specialists expect more cows to be culled and hay prices to be some of the highest in recent history (fuel and fertilizer are both increasing).

It is said that we may see good hay, 6 foot-round bales, selling for $65 to $75 and more as the summer progresses.

One Extension beef cattle specialist spoke of hay right now being priced and selling for $70 a bale at Athens. People should identify good hay sources and forward contract (lock in the price) on hay now.  

Trees and landscape plants that are not being watered will have stress-induced disease and death issues for the next few years.

Whenever these trees and plants are stressed, they may not show symptoms for the immediate growing season, but they will in the near future.

Hypoxolon Canker, root rots, fungal diseases that are ever present take advantage of the weakened trees and plants and become active, wreaking havoc.

For pecan producers, Dan Russell of Russell Pecans has caught pecan casebearer moths from April 21-25, with trap recordings highest on April 22 and decreasing thereafter.

We expect the first nut entry on May 11, with spraying of insecticide being recommended 2-3 days before that. I recommend you scout for pecan casebearer eggs and hatch to manage your pecan orchard.

A closing thought: On average, farmers and ranchers only receive 19 cents of every dollar that consumers spend on food. USDA estimates that off-farm costs — marketing, processing, wholesaling, distribution and retailing — account for 80 cents of every food dollar spent in the United States.

Shane McLellan, a county extension agent for more than 13 years, serves as the agriculture agent for McLennan County. Email s-mclellan@tamu.edu.