KEARNEY — The ongoing drought conditions have caused stress on agriculture throughout Nebraska and the Plains as the time for harvest approaches.
“As in other parts of the Nation’s midsection, agricultural drought stress is palpable, and on the rise,” the U.S. Drought Monitor said of the High Plains.
“Across Nebraska, about one quarter of soybeans, corn, sorghum and rangelands crops are in poor or very poor condition. Still, this region did not see the degree of deterioration observed in the Midwest Region, with significant worsening, most notable in central and eastern Kansas,” the Drought Monitor stated.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, for the first week of September, topsoil moisture was rated at 28 percent very short, 37 percent short, 34 percent adequate and only one percent surplus.
Likewise, subsoil moisture was rated at 29 percent very short, 38 percent short, 32 percent adequate and one percent surplus.
Corn conditions across the state were rated at nine percent very poor, 16 percent poor, 24 percent fair, 40 percent good and 11 percent excellent.
Soybeans were rated at nine percent very poor, 17 percent poor, 27 percent fair, 38 percent good and nine percent excellent.
Pasture and range conditions rated at nine percent very poor, 16 percent poor, 32 percent fair, 36 percent good and seven percent excellent.
USDA Drought Disaster Designations have been declared for 88 counties in Nebraska and 84 counties in Kansas.
“While there has been improvement since earlier this year, severe to exceptional drought (D2–D4) remains entrenched across Kansas (43 percent of the state) and Nebraska (28 percent of the state),” per the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS.)
The combination of hot and dry conditions through mid-September means drought conditions will likely persist and potentially worsen across parts of the Plains.
Potential impacts include the continuation of current impacts listed above, along with moisture-stressed soybeans, which are in a critical growth stage right now, premature crop maturity and associated yield loss and increased fire risk, per the NIDIS.
