Drought
Farmers in the Southern Plains are finally starting to see much-needed moisture hit their fields. It may be too late for winter wheat, but it’s a hopeful sign for those needing the rain to even plant summer crops.
The Corn Belt will see a cooler weather pattern set in, and parts of the parched Plains will see higher chances of rain during the next couple of weeks, according to Eric Snodgrass of Nutrien Ag Solutions.
Dry conditions spurred by La Nina weighed on areas of the Corn Belt in 2022. As La Nina fades, and El Nino starts to make a return, meteorologists say the weather shift could also signal better crop production in 2023.
The updated Seasonal Drought Outlook for the U.S. is painting a grim picture for many drought-plagued areas of the Plains, but forecasters also expect drought to improve in parts of Nebraska and Iowa.
Kansas typically accounts for 25% of the nation’s winter wheat production, but ongoing drought is weighing on overall crop conditions. Farmers are now facing the possibility of increased abandonment this year.
Drought continues to tighten its grip across the Plains, forcing farmers in West Texas to make some very difficult decisions this growing season. It’s also causing concerns about crumbling cotton infrastructure.
Just ahead of USDA’s Prospective Plantings report, the largest cotton growing state in the U.S. is seeing another year of drought, and with fields resembling the Dust Bowl, crop prospects are dwindling by the day.
As farmers in the Plains continue to see losses from drought, groups like NSP are discussing during Commodity Classic either permanent disaster aid or other changes to strengthen the safety net within Farm Bill.
Farm Bureau finds 2022 weather events added up to 18 weather and climate disasters, each with damages exceeding $1 billion.
Scenes across Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas resemble the Dust Bowl after winds topping 100 mph ravaged the area. Growers are dealing with a dryland wheat crop that could already see abandonment as high as 80%.
Despite weather trends, planting projections for 2023 find corn, wheat and soybeans similar to 2022, for a combined 228 million acres—a 3% increase from 2022.
What will the next decade hold for your farm? What factors should you use to weigh investments or crop planning? Here are five trends and data sets to ponder from USDA’s latest Agricultural Baseline Projections.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been dredging the river 24 hours a day, 7 days a week since July but hopes to finish very soon.
The sudden switch from drought to too much precipitation in parts of California now begs the question: Is the weather changing, and will California start to dig out from three consecutive years of drought?
“We keep a close eye on reservoirs, and they’re looking promising at the moment,” Matt Comrey says. “But the jury’s still out.”
Text of the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending package was released early Tuesday morning. The Senate will vote first and intends to pass the measure before Thursday, leaving the House no time to demand changes.
Iowa State Extension agronomists say there are at least two strategies farmers can consider using in 2023 to address this phenomenon, especially if they expect to be hit by hot, dry weather conditions again next summer.
More people are noticing the multi-year drought in the West, but is it spreading? John Phipps combs through the data and maps to answer a viewer’s question on U.S. Farm Report.
As of Oct. 25, nearly 63% of the U.S. is experiencing drought conditions. That’s more than a 3% increase from just last week and the highest it’s been since 2012.
“The low water disruption will be felt not only by our U.S. producers of food, farm, and fiber but also by U.S. and international consumers as well,” says Friedmann of the Agriculture Transportation Coalition.
Harvest progress is up, but river levels are down. South of St. Louis, parts of the Mississippi River are so low from weeks of drought that barge traffic is being limited.
70 MPH winds swarmed West Texas and the Panhandle Tuesday. It may be the final nail for irrigated winter wheat that was already barely hanging on. The aftermath was evident, with drifts of dirt piled up in ditches.
Lingering drought in California has continued to cut into fruit and vegetable production this season and force farmers to make tough decisions about how to allocate their scarce water resources.
The 2022 Pro Farmer Crop Tour will be sweeping the Midwest soon. We spoke with a handful of master crop scouts to get a preview of what to expect on each leg of the tour.
Steven Ebeling admits farming in West Texas is never easy, but 2022 has been a brutal blow with the majority of the dryland acres already counted as a total loss, and irrigated acres are now struggling to survive.
Nearly 57% of Texas is in extreme drought, and with the most severe level of it parked over West Texas and the Texas Panhandle, the drought is starting to rob even irrigated fields of a crop.
With drought causing spring wheat to shrivel, the heat next week will be lethal for that portion of the crop barely hanging on. Now, grasshoppers are preying on battered fields, possibly shrinking the crop to zero.
The drought in the West is producing many firsts, as farmers and ranchers grapple with dire decisions including pulling their cattle off federal lands early. Now many worry they won’t source enough feed for winter.
Unfortunately, the heat, humidity and dry conditions of early summer look to extend into the next few months.
UNL says heavy rains across the nation this week may have eased the drought conditions in the short-term, but they won’t be enough for the long run.