Drought

Some Missouri farmers have had better crop yields than expected, despite drought, which has left pastures in rough shape. The hay harvest has been down by about a third. Farmers were culling their cattle and feeding more hay than usual as pastures were not thriving. After an early August rain, pastures turned green and grew, according to the vice president of the Missouri corn Growers Association who also farms in Versailles. He mentioned that every weed with seed in the ground germinated and sprouted due to the rain, making for “some pretty ugly pastures.” Successful Farming Online (Des Moines, Iowa), Oct 13, 2023

Drought in August during a very critical time for plant and pod development has really hurt cotton and peanuts in Jackson County. The yield may be down as much as 50%. Lost product makes it hard to cover high input costs. WJHG-TV News Channel 7 (Panama City Beach, Fla.), Oct 12, 2023

Soybean yields in eastern Iowa were extremely variable, and the beans were small, according to an Iowa State University Extension field agronomist. Sioux County Radio (Sioux Center, Iowa), Oct 13, 2023

Some Dickinson County farmers opted to swath and bale their soybeans instead of cutting it for silage because the soybeans were already too dry for making silage. Appraisals for some fields were zero to three bushels per acre. After a second year of drought, farmers were struggling to continue to generate income as they strive to figure out alternate ways to feed livestock and get some kind of value out of their crops. Abilene Reflector-Chronicle (Kan.), Oct 17, 2023

The reservoir for Libby has become very low as the area continued to be in drought. The city was preparing an action plan that would determine responses based on the flow rate of incoming water and the amount of water stored. As of mid-August, the flow of the Fisher River just above where it flows into the Kootenai River north of Libby was about half the usual rate. Western News (Libby, Mont.), Oct 17, 2023

The mayor of Lock Haven issued a Proclamation of State of Emergency as the water demand exceeded the refill rate of the reservoirs. Water customers have been asked to reduce their water use by 20%, but water demand was still too high. In response, the mayor proclaimed the State of Emergency enacting Stage II of the joint Drought Contingency Plan of the city, Suburban Lock Haven Water Authority, and the Central Clinton County Water Filtration Authority. The Express (Lock Haven, Pa.), Oct 13, 2023

Ongoing drought and dropping water levels in the aquifer have led officials in the Village of Versailles to call for mandatory reductions in water use. The community’s water supply wells have been running for longer periods of time. People with sprinkler systems were asked to stop using them immediately. WHIO-TV Dayton (Ohio), Oct 13, 2023

Extreme drought in Cooper County in central Missouri damaged corn stalk quality and led to small ears. A farmer reported that about two-thirds of his corn crop had aflatoxin. Brownfield Ag News (Jefferson City, Mo.), Oct 16, 2023

Dry conditions continued in Central Texas with a dire need for rain. Cooler weather arrived, and while it brought some greening to the pastures and much-needed moisture to the fields, the lack of significant rainfall remained a concern. Mild conditions and cooler temperatures allowed fieldwork to continue. Nighttime temperatures were expected to be in the 50’s, which would cause the warm season grasses to slow their growth. Most cotton acreage, including irrigated, that was not already harvested was abandoned due to lack of rainfall or running out of irrigation water. Stock tank levels were good. Some moderate leaf spot disease pressure showed in Jiggs Bermuda. Wheat planting was delayed as much as possible due to Hessian fly concerns. Few fields were planted to resistant varieties. Small grains were going in and hay was being baled. The pecan harvest began, but yields were very low and quality was only fair. Livestock numbers were still holding with the uptick in green grass. Some culling was taking place before winter. Cattle remained in good body condition, with producers feeding limited hay. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Oct 17, 2023 Central Texas experienced cooler weather with increased humidity. Some scattered storms earlier in the week damaged crops. Despite the recent moisture and cool front, the district remained plagued by persistent drought and above-average temperatures. Stock tanks were low, and creeks were holding stagnant puddles. Approximately 50% of the expected small grain fields had been planted and germinated. The cotton harvest was challenging due to the drought impacting yields and fiber quality. Pecan orchards were plagued by aphids, necessitating spraying due to their high numbers. The Pawnee pecan variety was expected to be ready for harvest soon with poor to fair yields and quality expected. Rangeland conditions improved slightly with greener pastures and hayfields reported as well, though additional rain was needed. In some counties, conditions improved enough for producers to consider another round of hay. Cattle remained in good condition, and supplemental feeding continued with a slight downturn. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Oct 3, 2023

Winter wheat planting was in full swing across the Rolling Plains. Most producers were hopeful that the recent moisture would help the wheat come up, but more rain will be needed shortly to keep soil moisture at minimal levels going into the fall. Most dryland cotton was turned into insurance as a loss. Rain was needed for pastures and livestock drinking sources. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Oct 17, 2023 Some scattered showers fell over the Rolling Plains with cooler temperatures. Many farmers started sowing wheat. With the forecast calling for cooler temperatures and possibly more rain, producers were hoping wheat would get off to a good start. More was needed to replenish livestock drinking sources and improve rangeland conditions and soil moisture content going into the fall and winter. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Oct 3, 2023

Cooler weather and scattered showers in the Coastal Bend helped with soil moisture retention. Some counties received over 2 inches while others only got two-tenths of an inch. Grain and cotton producers were planning to fertilize soon. Winter pasture planting continued. Some producers were hoping to get a final hay-cutting before the first frost. Some cattle producers were still feeding hay and supplements. Markets were still strong, and many producers took advantage of the high prices by weaning and selling off calves earlier than usual. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Oct 17, 2023 Most of the Coastal Bend received scattered rainfall, but topsoil moisture was still lacking overall. More rain was in the forecast. Fall bedding work was ongoing in crop fields. Timely rain could improve pasture conditions and provide the chance for one last hay cutting for the season. Most livestock found enough green forage to maintain their body condition, but many producers supplemented their diets with hay and protein. Culling cows continued at a higher rate than average, and calves were shipped at lighter weights than usual. Auction market prices remained high. Many livestock producers were trying to hold on due to concerns about replacement costs and expected high calf prices in the future. Low stock pond water levels continued to cause concern for producers and were being monitored. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Oct 3, 2023

Burn bans remained in effect for many Mississippi counties, particularly those in the southern half of the state. WJTV TV 12 (Jackson, Miss.), Oct 17, 2023 Much of Mississippi remains under a burn ban. WAPT Channel 16 Online (Jackson, Miss.), Sept 13, 2023 Gov. Tate Reeves issued a burn ban for 40 counties in the southern part of the state due to extreme drought conditions, which have led to more wildfires than normal. WLOX (Biloxi, Miss.), Aug 19, 2023

The power plant in Osceola, Arkansas has not been producing hydropower for the past three weeks because not enough Mississippi River water was passing through the intake pipes. ABC News (New York), Oct 16, 2023

The lack of rain in Cullman County caused an apple orchard to lose at least two-thirds of the apple crop. Only Fuji apples produced a crop this year, but even those were not abundant. Other orchards in central Alabama experienced the same. WVTM-TV 13 (Birmingham, Ala.), Oct 16, 2023

Duck hunters in North Dakota will find fewer wetlands after the summer turned dry. The state Game and Fish Department’s annual fall wetland survey estimated the number of duck hunting wetlands holding water as being almost the same as last year’s estimate, but still 29% below the 2003-2022 long-term average. As of Oct. 5, nearly half of North Dakota was in drought. The number of duck hunting type wetlands -- seasonal and semi-permanent wetlands -- counted statewide during the fall survey was the sixth lowest since 2003. The northern edge of the state was 29% to 40% behind long-term averages. The northeastern region had its lowest number of duck hunting wetlands in 20 years. Some heavy rain has fallen since the survey was carried out in mid-September, so wetlands may be higher in some areas. The Bismarck Tribune (N.D.), Oct 13, 2023

All of northwest Alabama was in drought, and the forecast offered no chances of significant rain. Local authorities were pleading with the public to avoid outdoor burning. Times Daily (Florence, Ala.), Oct 13, 2023

Wisconsin crop yields were better than expected. A farmer noted that the stalk was shorter than normal, but the grain filled out well. Wisconsin farmers planted about 3.9 million acres of corn last year. Most was harvested for grain, but 880,000 acres were cut for silage. Drought may lead to more acres being cut for silage this year. Wisconsin State Journal (Madison), Oct 11, 2023

Nebraska hunters were reminded to exercise caution to prevent inadvertently sparking a wildfire as 27% of the state was in severe to exceptional drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. KFXL (Axtell, Neb.), Oct. 12, 2023

After an intense summer of drought that devastated a lot of the pumpkin crop in the Hartsburg area, farmers imported pumpkins for the upcoming festival to make sure that they had enough on hand. KRCG-TV (New Bloomfield, Mo.), Oct 12, 2023

A number of water suppliers in Pennsylvania have asked customers to mandatorily conserve water. In addition to the York Water Company requiring mandatory non-essential water use restrictions, Audubon Water Company, in Montgomery County; Littlestown Municipal Water Authority, in Adams County; and Lock Haven City Authority, in Clinton County all have similar water restrictions. Eighteen public water suppliers were also seeking voluntary water conservation. York Dispatch (Pa.), Oct 12, 2023