Persistent Drought Conditions in 2025

West Texas cotton fields have endured another year of severe drought, with reports from July 2025 indicating minimal rainfall and high evaporation rates across the High Plains. Farmers in counties like Lubbock and Hockley noted that early planting moisture quickly dissipated, leading to stunted growth and reduced boll development. According to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, this mirrors the dry spells of 2023 and 2024, where subsoil moisture remained critically low despite occasional storms. Recent data from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows over 30% of Texas still in drought, particularly affecting hydrologic resources like lakes and reservoirs, which compounds the stress on irrigated operations.

The ongoing dryness has forced many growers to abandon dryland acres entirely, resulting in yields as low as half of normal on irrigated land. Financial pressures mount as water pumping costs soar and crop quality declines, affecting lint grades and market value. Producers report increased reliance on deficit irrigation, which strains aging wells and risks long-term aquifer depletion. In areas like the Ogallala Aquifer region, drawdown has limited well yields, with some pivots running shorter cycles and stressing plants further. This year's conditions echo the harsh realities of 2023, where dryland crops failed completely, and even irrigated fields struggled to produce average bales.

Beyond immediate yield losses, the drought exacerbates soil degradation, increasing erosion and reducing organic matter over time. Growers are facing decisions on whether to fallow more land or shift to less water-intensive crops, but fixed costs like equipment maintenance and land payments persist. Community impacts are felt as reduced harvests lead to fewer jobs at gins and lower local revenue. With forecasts predicting continued hot, dry patterns, long-term adaptation strategies are crucial for sustainability.

Terra Nova Research's patented sub-surface membrane system aids in combating these conditions by retaining available rainfall and irrigation water directly in the crop's root zones, minimizing deep percolation losses. This approach allows cotton plants to access moisture more efficiently during extended dry periods, supporting better root health and potentially stabilizing yields without additional water inputs. By preventing evaporation and leaching, it helps build soil reserves, offering a buffer against prolonged droughts.