Challenges continue to mount for this year’s Texas High Plains cotton crop, as many growers, including those in the northern Panhandle, saw their young plants burn and wither away earlier this week under a canopy of blowing dust. Extremely high winds – reportedly more than 40 mph for extended periods of time – caused blowing sand to scorch fields in several counties, and the wind itself was instrumental in harming plants. Although high winds are common with severe storms, it is not near as common that they persist for hours at this point in the season. Growers and ginners report that a significant ...