Farmers in the South Plains are using alternative and nontraditional crops to a significant degree, as they offer crop diversification and additional opportunity for late-season planting after failed crops.
According to Calvin Trostle, Ph.D., a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agronomist, Texas producers plant “almost 1 million acres of alternative crops such as sunflowers, sesame, Sudan grass, alfalfa and hemp.”
“Alternative crops in Texas, especially for those producers who are willing to take the time to understand and optimize production practices and marketing opportunities, certainly have a place in diversified farming operations,” he says. “And we in Texas A&M AgriLife have the expertise to help farmers make those management decisions.”
With conditions in the lower South Plains just recently improving slightly from severe drought, being aware of the benefits of alternative crops like sunflowers, guar, black-eyed peas, Sudan grass, and alfalfa can be of great benefit to local farmers wishing to utilize crop land affected by drought.
Sunflowers planted in the High Plains region, which are headed to the bird food market in Lubbock and the oil crush market in Colorado, “have kept acreage steady at about 15,000 acres and 10,000 acres, respectively,” according to an AgriLife “The sunflower has taught producers in these semi-arid regions that their roots are really good at getting to deep-soil moisture,” said Trostle, although noting that sunflower prices had come down a bit this year.
A guar processing plant in Brownfield is now taking 15,000-20,000 acres. Farmers are now planting the crop on a contract basis because it offers a head and drought-tolerant rotational crop, despite the market price currently being quite low.
Trostle notes that guar is an inexpensive crop to grow and is often chosen after failed crops. He added that “cotton yields following a guar crop are typically better”.
“They have the processing plant running again and are having to import guar to stay at capacity. The hope is to get the acreage up so they can offer a higher price for U.S.-grown guar and have less reliance on imports.”
Black-eyed peas are another contracted crop primarily in the High Plains. They are planted in June and early July, and the acreage depends on contracts.
Sorghum Sudan grass is a summer annual forage crop and is grown statewide on about 500,000 acres. Trostle says that “they have a wide planting window and are very valuable to the livestock industry, including feedlots and daily operations.”
“They can be planted throughout the summer until August around Lubbock and still get a harvest, which makes them a valuable replacement for failed crops,” he says, explaining that “they are versatile because they don’t rely on physiological seed maturing, so they only need about 6075 days to grow.”
Alfalfa is a perennial alternative crop where growers expect to get up to four years of growth. Texas grows around 60,000 acres each year, and the high value of the crop has remained steady since last year.
“It is the queen of forages for our dairy industry, but it is highly dependent on irrigation water in West Texas,” says Trostle.
With rainfall remaining highly variable across the South Plains, dry winds are continuing to crust soil surfaces and “strip topsoil moisture in drier pockets.”
Though cotton is progressing well and corn and sorghum have shown improvements, wheat harvests have been patchy, and concerns remain over subsoil moisture deficits across the area. Pest and weed control are also reportedly an ongoing challenge following the recent rains. Being mindful of supplementary crops is thus considered highly advisable.