CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — As a summer of severe drought continues in South Texas, some are holding their hopes high for rain this weekend.
Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Agent Jaime Lopez is keeping an eye on crop production in Nueces County, providing important insight to those who work on the land.
"We probably need somewhere in the area of 10 to 12 inches of rainfall, from now to February, just to replenish the moisture that we'll need just to get a crop for next year," Lopez explained.
Lopez said crop production now is about half of what it was a year ago with limited rainfall. Crop producers are working hard to plow fields to prepare for rain, which is a method to capture moisture in the soil for next year's crop season.
Crop season runs for five months starting in February, and if rain doesn't come, crop production in Nueces County will most likely suffer. "Right now, there is no moisture at all, so we couldn't plant a crop right now if we wanted to," Lopez pointed out.
"You could see a lot of these acres not even get planted," Lopez said. "It just would not make a lot of sense to spend the money, the input cost, if there is a minimal chance of actually getting a crop."
Nueces County is one of the top producers of grain sorghum in Texas, which is what you would see in a local field along with cotton.
Lopez explained that the rain needed does not need to come all at once, just in steady amounts by next February. That could be exactly what crop producers need to stay motivated.
"From a moral standpoint, it's just a big boost knowing that maybe this drought could possibly be broken, and we do have some rain, and things have turned in our favor," Lopez added.
The 3NEWS weather team predicts as much as three inches of rain through Tuesday. Each droplet is an important first step towards preparing for next year's growing season.
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