Ag Line: Crop Update
By Wade Parker County Extension Coordinator

Jenkins County has been very fortunate the past two or three weeks in receiving rainfall. I say this in response to hearing reports from people in the surrounding counties. Several farms received anywhere from 1.5-3.0 inches in our county, while some farms in Burke County received only .2-.3 inches of rain. While this scenario has been reversed several times in the past, Jenkins County has fared well. The conditions of our crops are variable around the county; yields are better where adequate rainfall has fallen.

Peanuts

The majority of the peanut crop was planted the last week of May and the first part of June. Even though this planting period has evolved into the norm, severe dry weather hampered planting until then. Tropical storm Berry delivered 7 inches of rain the first week of June, which broke the dry spell. During the season, rainfall was delivered in the form of scattered showers. As a whole, disease and insect pressure has been light to moderate; therefore, I feel the dryland peanut crop will average 2,500-3,500 lbs/acre. We still have to gather the crop, which is the last hurdle in the farming process!

Cotton

The county's cotton crop is somewhat bleaker than the peanut situation. In an effort to beat insurance deadlines and cover large amounts of acres, many farmers opted to "dust" in their cotton crop. With moisture being variable in the field, many stands came up skippy. Some seed that germinated did not have enough moisture to sustain life and, therefore, did not emerge from the soil. The early season tropical storm delivered large amounts of rain on many fields of young cotton and cotton that had not yet germinated. This, in turn, caused the soil to crust and prevented the cotton seedlings from emerging. On a positive note, many fields have received ample rainfall and sunshine and will produce better than average yields. The dryland cotton crop should average at least 500-600 lbs/acre.

Soybeans In case anyone has not noticed, the soybean acreage in Jenkins County has increased dramatically. Soybean prices are at 15-year highs and steady rising. Some farmers also had stand failures with cotton and, due to planting date, had to plant soybeans. Nevertheless, I feel the soybean crop is a bright spot in Jenkins County. The crop will not be a bin buster by any means, but average yields plus a high price will be a good change. In general, soybeans are cheaper to grow versus other crops. However, insect pressure in soybeans this year was high. Soybean loopers and stink bugs made their presence known early in the season. Some fields had to be treated twice for these pests. Soybean rust did not make its presence known in the county, but the threat still added to the cost of production. The yield for dryland soybeans should average 25-35 bu/acre.

The 2007 crop year has been a challenging year for farmers, with the Easter freeze reducing our wheat and corn crop yields, to the spring drought forcing later planting dates. Improved conditions during the season will be a big help to the bottom line. Even though the crop has done all its going to do, one farmer told me a long time ago, "It don't count 'til it's in the bank account!"

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