Cotton seedlings emerged in some fields in the Texas Rio Grande Valley. Corn and sorghum were 25% and 19% planted, respectively.

Cotton futures finished a tight-range, lightly traded session slightly ahead Tuesday to snap a three-session losing streak in spot May.

The May delivery settled up 28 points to 77.15 cents, in the upper half of its 54-point range from down seven points at 76.80 to up 47 points at 77.34 cents. It bounced after slipping a point below MondayΆs low.

July gained 33 points to settle at 78.19 cents and December eked up five points to close at 75.03 cents. July traded from 77.76 to 78.30 cents and December from 74.68 to 75.20 cents.

Volume slowed to an estimated 16,903 lots from 22,388 lots the previous session when spreads accounted for 12,087 lots or 54% and EFP 111 lots. Options volume dropped to 1,402 lots — 482 calls and 920 puts — from 2,876 lots.

U.S. dollar index futures ticked up 0.305 to 101.500 about the time of the cotton close. Dow Jones futures traded down 44 points and S&P futures off 9.02 points. Crude oil sank 71 cents to $47.69. May soybeans closed on a new four-month low, down 0.7%. May corn edged up 0.3%, May Chicago wheat ended flat and May Kansas City wheat was little changed.

On the cotton crop scene, thunderstorms interrupted planting in the Texas Rio Grande Valley last week, USDAΆs Agricultural Marketing Service reported.

Seedlings had emerged and some fields were in the two true-leaf stage, industry sources said. The crop, traditional source of the nationΆs first new-crop supplies, was getting off to an early start.

Soggy soils delayed corn and sorghum planting in the Blackland Prairies. Cotton will be planted about 60 days after the grain crops when soil temperatures warm.

Some of the corn and sorghum planted in South Central Texas and the Coastal Bend had emerged, USDAΆs field office at Austin reported in its weekly Texas crop progress and condition report after the close Monday.

Statewide, corn and sorghum were 25% and 19% planted, respectively. Compared with the five-year averages, progress was up from 19% for corn 11% for sorghum. Winter wheat was rated 75% fair to good.

Topsoil moisture was 62% adequate to surplus for the state but short to very short in 55% of the northern High Plains and 76% of the southern High Plains. Subsoil moisture was adequate to surplus in 66% of the state, adequate in 54% of the northern High Plains and short to very short in 55% of the southern High Plains.

Wildfires killed four people and burned nearly half-a-million acres in the Texas Panhandle. The fires left a smoky haze for several days in much of the High and Rolling Plains.

Elsewhere, planting of Pima or extra-long staple cotton gained momentum around Yuma, Ariz.

Futures open interest expanded 1,265 lots Monday to 275,109. MayΆs OI gained 105 lots to 149,808, JulyΆs increased 196 lots to 47,911 and DecemberΆs grew 923 lots to 59,577. Certified stocks were unchanged at 324,928 bales.