Texas Crop and Weather Report
by Blair Fannin
Texas rice crop harvest continues with steady yields and relatively mild insect pressure, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts.
Going into the crop season, challenges such as insect pressure and market prices were concerns, but producers are optimistic as harvest rolls on, said Sam Rustom, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension agronomist and assistant professor in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences.
Texas rice crop harvest continues with steady yields and relatively mild insect pressure, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts. (Chris Swann/Texas A&M AgriLife)
Southeast Texas rice harvest
Rustom said rice harvest is in full swing across southeast Texas. On the south and west sides of Houston, approximately 90% of the rice is harvested, with several growers reporting excellent regrowth for this year’s ratoon crop.
“On the east side of Houston, approximately 25% of rice is harvested, which is normal considering rice is often planted a little later over there and often not ratooned unless it is for crawfish production,” he said.
Rustom also notes a timely rally in rice markets recently.
“Texas rice producers have seen a modest but welcome lift in market prices in recent weeks,” he said. “Prices recovered from the low-to-mid $13s per hundredweight in the summer to a recent high near $14.44 in late July and has held since in the $14 range.”
Statewide, Rustom said yields for our earliest planted rice in March are down approximately 5% to 15% compared to historical averages; but slight yield and milling improvements are being reported for rice planted in late March and early April.
“Last year, rice delphacid was mostly to blame for our statewide yield reduction; however, this year’s yield reduction can be attributed to increased rainfall and cloudy weather during pollination,” he said. “As with a lot of the other major crops, rainfall during rice pollination increases the likelihood of spikelet sterility and unfilled grain at harvest.”
Rice delphacid reports low
Rustom said rice delphacid numbers remain low across the Texas Rice Belt. There has been no evidence of widespread economically damaging infestations so far.
Despite those low rice delphacid infestation numbers, Rustom advises farmers to continue to scout fields. He said localized delphacid activity was increasing as harvest progressed.
Rice delphacid numbers remain low across the Texas Rice Belt. There has been no evidence of widespread economically damaging infestations so far, according to the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. (Michael Miller/Texas A&M AgriLife)
“Continued field scouting remains important for early detection, particularly in fields entering the ratoon stage,” he said.
Rice delphacid was a big concern following the 2025 crop season, but field scouting and research monitoring have detected only a slight increase in activity at a few harvest locations.
“I think we are doing a much better job staying ahead of the pest this year,” Rustom said. “Farmers are not allowing populations to build, and pyrethroids have been removed from stink bug applications to prevent rice delphacid flaring. The goal now is to stay ahead of the pest and get this ratoon crop finished, which could be a challenge if populations continue to increase.”
Farmers do have Section 18 Emergency Use Exemption for Courier available this year, Rustom noted.
Research continues to inform producer options
Meanwhile, Texas A&M AgriLife Research plots have also been scouted for rice delphacid.
“While populations remain low across most monitored fields, localized increases were observed in one research field in Wharton County, where adults and nymphs were detected through our monitoring efforts,” said Lina Bernaola, Ph.D., AgriLife Research entomologist and assistant professor in the Department of Entomology. “Low numbers were also detected in one monitored field in Liberty County, while only a few individuals were observed in the Beaumont research field. No rice delphacids were detected in the monitored fields in Chambers or Waller counties.”
Bernaola said as harvest continues west of Houston, researchers are “beginning to observe changes in where rice delphacids occur.”
She said in one harvested field in Wharton County, no rice delphacid were found within the field following harvest, but numerous were observed along the field margins.
“These observations suggest that vegetation surrounding harvested fields may serve as temporary refuge for rice delphacid and other insects until ratoon rice begins to regrow,” Bernaola said. “However, additional observations are needed to better understand these post-harvest movements.”
AgriLife Extension district reporters compiled the following summaries:
Panhandle
Hot, dry and windy conditions dominated the district, with daytime highs pushing past 100 degrees on multiple days and one county reporting a trace to less than 0.3 of an inch of precipitation. Corn was maturing faster than desired under the heat, and irrigation pivots ran at full capacity to keep up with water demand. A few irrigated corn and sorghum fields were harvested for silage as conditions deteriorated. Most cotton fields were showing blooms at the top of the plant canopy, indicating physiological cutout, and producers turned their focus to filling and maturing retained bolls before harvest. Some farmers were running out of water and beginning to abandon crops. Pasture and rangeland were in very poor to good condition, and livestock conditions ranged from very poor to good across the district.
South Plains
Triple-digit temperatures, hot winds and no measurable rainfall pushed the district deeper into drought. Irrigation systems ran wide open where pumping capacity allowed, but dryland cotton had largely failed, and irrigated cotton was barely holding on in many areas. Cotton was cutting out and blooming in the tops, and spider mites and corn leafhopper compounded stress on corn. Early planted corn was being chopped for silage as fields dried down quickly, and sorghum harvest was on the horizon. Cucumber planting wrapped up and harvest was about half complete. Kochia weed pressure was widespread. Native pastures were grazed down with no new growth, and producers who had prepared ground for wheat worried that acres would take a hit without near-term rain. Pasture and rangeland were in very poor to fair condition, and livestock conditions were poor to good.
Rolling Plains
Extreme heat continued, with one county reporting at least 24 consecutive days of triple-digit temperatures and more than 30 total for the summer. Rainfall was minimal, and the district had gone nearly a month without measurable moisture in several areas. Cotton was stressed, with fields progressing through flowering and boll development. Dryland acres were essentially lost in some areas, and irrigated acres were struggling. Grain corn and sorghum harvest was underway in the eastern portions of the district. Pastures had turned brown and gone dormant. Hay season looked finished in some areas, and stock tanks were beginning to dry up. Fires were popping up and burn bans were in place across parts of the district. Livestock were in poor to good condition. Ranchers were feeding hay and supplements where grass had run out, and some cattle producers faced difficult decisions on culling animals.
North
Daytime temperatures held in the 100s across much of the district, and topsoil moisture was largely gone. Rainfall was spotty; some areas picked up 1 to 2 inches while other areas received nothing. Corn harvest was well underway and yielding very well, and soybean harvest was progressing. Fruit and vegetable crops were suffering under the heat and needed irrigation. Pastures greened back up and saturated soils that will benefit late-planted beans where it rained. Fall armyworms were reported across the district with no major outbreaks. Livestock were in fair to good condition, but pasture quality declined significantly with the heat even where forage remained. Pasture and rangeland were in poor to good condition overall.
East
Persistent heat and limited rainfall pushed several counties into burn bans, and fire danger climbed by the day. Rainfall was highly localized — some areas received up to 1 inch from spotty showers, while others remained extremely dry. Hay production continued but slowed as soil moisture declined, and forage quality dropped. Bermuda grass stem maggot reports continued sporadically, armyworm reports eased, and producers were watching for pasture mealybug closely. Corn harvest was about two-thirds complete in some areas with yields around 140 bushels per acre, and watermelon harvest was wrapping up with a good year reported. Livestock were in fair to excellent condition. Cattle markets bounced back at local sale barns, with feeder steers and heifers up roughly $10 per hundredweight in one county and $10 to $25 higher per hundredweight in another, while slaughter cows and bulls ran $3 to $5 lower per hundredweight. Replacement females stayed in demand, with quality 5- to 7-year-old bred cows averaging around $3,000 per head.
Far West
Hot, dry and windy conditions continued across the district, with highs well into the 90s in the Big Bend area and near triple digits elsewhere. Rainfall was largely absent, though scattered showers moved through parts of the Big Bend late in the week. Cotton bloomed in many fields and was setting bolls, with some fields shedding small bolls and squares from moisture stress and stinkbugs were beginning to show up. Corn was nearing harvest with strong yield potential where pollination went well. Sorghum was also close to harvest but severely affected by the heat. Melon harvest was nearly complete. Pasture mealybug continued to expand and damage Bermuda grass and other warm-season forages. Pasture and rangeland were in very poor to good condition, and livestock conditions were poor to good. Producers stayed vigilant with livestock surveillance for New World screwworm. Whitetail fawns were on the ground, and feral hog pressure had slowed as crops matured.
West Central
Another hot, dry week settled in with temperatures near 100 degrees each day and only light showers in a few areas. Rangeland vegetation began to change color on lighter soils, and green pastures were turning brown with rising wildfire potential. Several fires were reported. Cotton ranged from poor to fair, faring better where earlier rains fell and worse where they missed. Grain and forage sorghum were in mostly fair condition. Many producers had begun field preparations for fall wheat and oat planting, though moisture will be needed before seed goes in the ground. Pasture mealybug was present across one county and contributing to patchy plant mortality. Ranchers began feeding cattle earlier than usual as they worked to hold onto cows. Livestock were in poor to excellent condition.
Central
Blistering heat prevailed with daily highs near or above 100 degrees, with no rainfall and a hot, dry outlook ahead. Corn harvest was well underway with yields ranging from 100 to 180 bushels per acre depending on spring and early summer rainfall. Grain sorghum harvest was active, and yields ran well above average in several areas. A replicated grain sorghum trial in one county averaged 7,462 pounds per acre, with the top-performing variety yielding 8,220 pounds per acre. Early planted cotton had bolls opening, and summer rains left enough soil moisture for the crop to support its fruit load. Stinkbug damage lingered in cotton, but pest pressure was slowing. Hay was still being cut, and pasture mealybug reports in hayfields were generating calls to AgriLife Extension offices. Pastures dried down considerably under the heat, and stock tank levels were falling in some areas. Cattle markets remained strong at local sale barns. Livestock conditions were poor to excellent, and pasture and rangeland were in very poor to good condition.
Southeast
Hot, dry weather settled across the district with no measurable precipitation in most counties. Corn and sorghum harvest was in full swing and nearing completion, with average yields reported, though harvest stopped at one point because grain storage was full. Cotton was maturing with average yields expected, and peanuts were in the pegging stage. Hay harvest continued. Pasture mealybug generated a steady stream of inquiries, and dead forage from earlier flooding was exposed as pond levels receded. Streams and rivers were flowing at their strongest in five years, and area springs were flowing in parts of the Hill Country. New World screwworm concerns disrupted livestock movement and grain consumption. Fawns were being seen widely. Livestock, pastures and rangeland were in fair to good condition.
Southwest
Hot, humid conditions continued with little to no rainfall across most of the district, though a few flash flooding events hit random parts of one county. Corn and grain sorghum harvest was in full swing and rice harvest was progressing, with rice quality still to be determined due to uneven early season stands. Cotton was in good shape in several counties, and ponds remained full in some areas. Hay producers took advantage of the dry stretch to cut and bale, though earlier rains held some producers to a single cutting. Pasture mealybug damage was reported widely — in bluestem, crabgrass, Bahia, Bermuda and Tifton grasses. Bermuda grass stem maggot, fall armyworms and grasshoppers were also a concern. Forage production slowed as soil moisture declined. Livestock were in fair to excellent condition, and pasture and rangeland were in poor to excellent condition.
Coastal Bend
Hot, dry weather allowed harvest to move rapidly across the district. Corn and grain sorghum harvests were complete or near completion, with corn yields above average in some counties and grain sorghum near normal averages. Some crop damage was reported in sorghum. Cotton harvest had begun, with round modules showing up at gins and later-planted fields still flowering; boll load was a concern for many producers. Rice harvest continued with mostly good yields, and soybean harvest was expected to begin soon. Hay producers took advantage of the dry weather and reported good yields. Pasture and rangeland were in poor to excellent condition. Pasture mealybug was causing major injury to pastures and hayfields across the district, and range and pasture conditions were declining under the combined pressure of drought and mealybug damage. Livestock were in fair to excellent condition, and calves continued to gain well on available forage.
South
Triple-digit temperatures persisted across most of the district, with readings ranging from the upper 70s to the low 100s and most days climbing into triple digits. Rainfall was minimal. The northern portion of the Lower Rio Grande Valley picked up around 2 inches, mostly in ranchland areas, and parts of one southern county received about three-quarters of an inch. Corn harvest was complete or nearing completion, and grain sorghum harvest was wrapping up on later-planted fields. Cotton harvest was in full swing across the Lower Rio Grande Valley with good yields reported and defoliation approaching on later fields. Sunflower harvest finished, sesame was approaching harvest, and peanuts remained under irrigation in the pegging stage. Citrus producers watered trees to protect young fruit from the heat. Pasture and rangeland deteriorated across the district under prolonged heat and pasture mealybug pressure. Mealybug damage was described as severe where forage had been mowed or shredded. Beef cattle producers thinned herds and increased supplemental feeding, and fall calving had begun in some areas. Livestock were in fair to excellent condition. Producers continued to monitor for New World screwworm.
by Blair Fannin
Link to Original Article: https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2026/08/11/rice-crop-harvest-continues-as-rice-delphacid-infestations-remain-low/