After a couple years of drought conditions in some areas of the state, this summer has been a welcome sight for those North Dakota farmers.
In June and the beginning of July, consistent rain showers popped up every few days in the western half of the state, while farmers in the far eastern region, along the Minnesota border, finally received rain after some very dry conditions.
The rain has helped support small grain seed development and row crop growth.
Crop producers have been out applying fungicide, while cow/calf producers have been rotating cattle through green pastures from timely rains and finishing up haying.
In McHenry County, however, rain was very hit or miss at the end of June. Where it missed, it was frustrating, as there had been reports of short wheat already heading.
“I've gotten to talk to quite a few people from around the county, and the rain has really been spotty. It has been spotty all season,” said Rachel Wald, NDSU McHenry County Extension agent on June 30. “It will hit one place and drop an inch to an inch and a half, and then not even a mile away, they would get nothing. Or they would get just a light dusting, not even enough to settle the dust.”
Wald said some farmers have been waiting for rain since April, which has caused some issues with early-planted crops.
“Since the beginning of April, this areas has just received 0.70 inches of rain, after not getting any,” Ward said. “Those crops would germinate and some of the seed just ended up sitting in the ground until that 0.70 inches came around and now it’s germinating. That creates an issue because it’s late-season, and it’s not going to be as great a crop.”
In one area of McHenry County, Wald saw a section of millet grown for hay where half of the field received rain and the other half of the field on the same section did not.
“They were supposed to be baling it this week, but nothing is even tall enough to do that,” she said. “But they have some other fields a few miles away that received good rain and those fields look gorgeous.”
Where farmers received spotty rain showers in field, stands were uneven.
Source: agupdate.com
Photo Credit: istock-dusanpetkovic
Categories: North Dakota, Crops