Temperatures were milder during the day and much cooler at night, but soil conditions, pastures and tanks remained dry. Rain was desperately needed throughout the district. Hay season was about over, and producers were looking for more bales. Rangeland and pasture conditions were very poor. All livestock diets were being supplemented. Row crops were about harvested. Pecan harvesting of early varieties started.
Texas pumpkin producers experienced a second subpar season in a row, as drought conditions led to fewer management issues, but lower yields, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts. However, lower yields were translating into higher prices and demand.
Mark Carroll, AgriLife Extension agriculture agent, Floyd County, said drought contributed to below average yields, though many fields performed better than 2021 when too much rain led to yields 30% below average.
The pumpkin harvest in Floyd County, the topproducing area in the state, should wrap up within the next 10 days, Carroll said.
Producers reported a mixed bag of results due to drought, he said. Some who had ample irrigation capacity improved production by 10%-20% compared to last year, while others reported yields 10% below last year.
Boggy conditions made it difficult to impossible for producers to enter fields to manage the crop effectively in 2021, and yields suffered.
“We had virtually no rainfall this summer, so the crop relied entirely on irrigation,” he said. “Getting the crop well established was an issue, but by July most fields looked good because pumpkins do really well in the heat.”
Producers typically plant pumpkins between early May and June depending on the production window for harvest. Operations hoping to provide pumpkins for wholesale markets around the state and country want harvest in early September, while producers hoping to fill direct-to-consumer demand want harvest to begin in late September.
“It all comes down to the market they are hoping to supply,” Carroll said. “Whether that is the wholesale route to grocery stores and other retailers or selling from their storefront, they want them ready for Halloween and fall decorations.”
Most of the state’s few thousand acres of pumpkins are grown in Floyd County around Floydada, a small agricultural town northeast of Lubbock.
Their harvest is sold at wholesale and shipped throughout Texas, Oklahoma and as far east as Mississippi. Some producers sell pumpkins and pumpkin-based products directly to consumers at seasonal destination stores.