Texas sorghum acres were expected to decline slightly, but competitive prices, dry weather and input costs could direct some producers toward the crop, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert.
The prospective acres report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated Texas producers would plant 1.7 million acres of sorghum, down from more than 2 million acres last year. Texas producers planted 1.8 million acres of sorghum in 2020.
Ronnie Schnell, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension agronomist, Bryan-College Station, said actual planted sorghum acres could be above the USDA’s prospective survey report for a variety of reasons, most notably drought and high fertilizer prices.
The grain market is strong with record-level high prices, Schnell said. Corn prices drive the market, but other grains like sorghum and wheat trend upward or downward relative to corn.
According to an April 13 AgriLife Extension Feed Grain Outlook report, May and July perbushel corn future prices were $7.84 and $7.78, respectively. Corn began a precipitous climb from below $4 per bushel in August 2020 to between $6-$7 per bushel by April 2021, according to a USDA Feed Outlook.
AgriLife Extension district reporters compiled the following summary for the Central Texas district:
Nearly all counties reported very short soil moisture and warm, windy and dry conditions. Isolated thunderstorms were reported, and tornado activity caused property damage. Rainfall was isolated and very light. Soil moisture continued to decline, and moisture deficits continued to expand. Cotton plantings slowed, but some replanting was done due to patchy germination under dry topsoil conditions. Some corn was replanted. Overall, crop growth was slowing due to dryness. Wheat was now mostly headed and into early flowering stage, and yields could be impacted if rainfall does not arrive soon. Warm temperatures suppressed further expansion of leaf rusts in wheat. Stock tank levels declined substantially over the past few weeks, and algae was becoming more problematic with increasing temperatures. Livestock were still on feed as warm-season grasses were slow to develop in pastures. Overall, rangeland and pasture conditions were poor.
—Texas AgriLife