West Texas needs rain, but not all rain showers are welcomed by farmers.
With an average annual precipitation of 18 inches, every bit helps, but when several inches fell during the first weeks of October, many in the area celebrated the moisture – except cotton farmers.
Hale and Lubbock County cotton farmer Cliff Harkey said he’s received two to three inches across his fields but it is not the type of rain they need and want.
According to Harkey, once the cotton begins to open up, it’s susceptible to discoloration and staining. If the weather is particularly bad, much of the cotton can be found on the ground – unable to be retrieved. Just like any other organic material, he said, the cotton will begin to deteriorate, and it becomes a lost cause.
“Right now we’re hoping that it’s not staining terribly bad,” Harkey said. “We’re hoping that the sun’s going to come out and have some bleaching effect.”
Cotton that’s fallen from the plant is lost and unrecoverable for harvest.
Harkey, who has a variety of storm resistant cotton which help keep the fiber from falling, said there is always concern with discoloration.
Unfortunately, Harkey said he will not know the extent of the damage until the cotton is ginned and graded.
Harkey said discoloration is a huge issue for the cotton industry. If the material is stained, it has less value to the processor and market. That cotton can no longer be made into purely white products like white t-shirts and dress shirts. But it goes even beyond that. It’s rare that the cotton will be stained consistently. Otherwise, the whole of the fiber can be treated as a whole to return to pure white. When the stain is blotchy or uneven, it makes it difficult for the processor to dye the material.
If this rain does stain the cotton, Harkey won’t be the only farmer hurt because of the market.
Besides quality, Harkey said the weather also delays several farmers from getting their crop in.
Harkey said a few of his fields would have been ready to harvest the first week of October; however, now he is playing the waiting game.
“It takes a long time to dry out this time of year,” Harkey said, referring to the cotton. “We’ve lost that angle of the sun, there are not as many hours, and it’s not as warm so it takes longer for the ground to dry out.”
Unfortunately, for farmers like Harkey, the forecasted weather is cold and wet.
According to the National Weather Service, West Texas won’t be seeing the regular 60-70 degree weather for a while.
Jody James, the warning coordination meteorologist for the Lubbock National Weather Service, said there is a zero percent chance of snow on Monday, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be a few flurries and freezing rain. For the rest of this week, James said area residents are looking at an average in the 50s with no sun.
“It’ll be partly cloudy next week, mid-50s,” said James following the first week of rainfall. “Although cold, 50s is better than 30s and 40s.”
Wet cotton falling from their bolls after a week of heavy rain.
James also noted that the soils in the area are heavily saturated with localized minor flooding.
South of Lubbock, organic cotton farmer Carl Pepper said he did not get enough rain during the year, leaving the fall precipitation as preparation for next year’s crop.
Pepper said he received “good rain” at the beginning of the season in May. However, it was only enough to get a good stand on the crop before the lack of rains prevented much of any fruit.
“Basically, we wound up with a little bitty plant and only one to two small bolls per plant,” Pepper explained, “which is a wreck.”
Pepper spoke of the damaged crop, while awaiting a better season.
“It is discouraging when you’re in the season and you don’t get moisture, and the little bit that you have gets deteriorated by a good rainfall,” he said. “But you have to keep in mind that it is hopefully for the chance of a good crop next year.”
It’s true crop yields benefit from increased precipitation in winter and spring. However, according to the EPA, climate patterns are now predicting heavier precipitation events with harsher, dryer summers. This could lead to a vulnerability for drought conditions and higher irrigation demands on an already strained Ogallala aquifer.
Despite that, West Texas farmers like Carl Pepper are looking one season at a time, trying to provide what’s handed to them.
Pepper explained his optimism as he focuses on finding the bright side by being appreciative of the moisture right now and dealing with the conditions as they come.
“You can’t stay frustrated real long,” Pepper said. “You’d have to change occupations. It’s just part of adapting to the harshness of West Texas conditions and being hopeful for next year.”
Cliff Harkey noted a similar sentiment while stating that the fact of the matter is this area depends on the cotton market.
“We love the rain here in West Texas, but it’s concerning because so many of us out here live year to year and you’re just trying to keep things going,” Harkey explained. “But at the end of the day, the cotton is what drives the ag economy around Lubbock and the surrounding counties, so we’re concerned about having the rain and the effect it has on the quality of the cotton.”
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