Much of the 2020 Texas High Plains dryland crop now can be considered completely gone, but much of what remains – especially irrigated acreage – is showing some potential.

Spotty yet timely rains have helped boost the crop for many growers, giving plants some relief after an especially hot week last week. This past week, temperatures moderated back into the 90s with lows in the upper 60s and lower 70s, which is exactly what was needed for much of the area.

PCG estimates dryland abandonment at about 75 percent across their 42-county service area, and overall abandonment somewhere between 40% and 50%. Time will tell if already-suffering acreage can hang on and make it to harvest, depending on future rainfall.

One thing growers should note is that the deadline to apply three dicamba products over-the-top is approaching soon – Friday, July 31. Growers with existing stocks of dicamba-based herbicides XtendiMax, FeXapan, and Engenia have until that date to use them in accordance with the product’s previously approved label. Federal registration of those three products have been vacated per a decision by the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals back in early June, but the Environmental Protection Agency granted the use of existing stocks until then.

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A fourth dicamba product, Tavium, was not affected by the ruling, and the product is available for use under existing label restrictions. Contact your local retailer for more information.

Also, the Ninth Circuit earlier this week upheld the EPA registration for Enlist Duo, Corteva Agriscience’s 2,4-D choline and glyphosate premix to be used on Enlist cotton, corn and soybeans. The Center for Food Safety, one of the plaintiffs in this case and also a plaintiff in the dicamba case, said they would seek a full court rehearing.

Markets this past week have been sluggish, trading lower at press time on the closure of China’s consulate in Houston. December futures dipped below 60 cents for the first time in weeks.

Source: Plains Cotton Growers, Inc.,which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.