MONROE - Fall harvests in many fields around Green County may end in a dry cough, after a spring and early summer of replenishing rains.
Northern portions of Green and Lafayette counties now include areas considered to be in moderate drought, according to U.S. Drought Monitor data released Thursday, Sept. 12. Both counties also include bands of conditions considered abnormally dry, one step better than drought conditions. Counties in northcentral Wisconsin are considered in severe drought.
Mark Mayer, Green County's University of Wisconsin-Extension agriculture agent, concurs with the data. He said earlier this week that local counties may have entered into a moderate drought condition.
"Thank goodness for the early rainfalls," Mayer said.
Green County was like "a garden of Eden through June," he added.
The county had some spotty rainfall last week, but Mayer said some places had 1.5 inches, others had 0.7 inch and still others had none.
Overall, the county is six inches below average in rainfall, caused by the dry months of July and August, he noted.
Crops in shallow fields and on sandy land with problems holding moisture are in worse condition than those whose roots can reach moisture in deep soils, "but it's not as bad as last year," Mayer added.
Deep soils allow deep roots to reach subsoil moisture.
The southern part of the county is in a better situation than the northern, because above average May and June rainfall built up the subsoil moisture, Mayer said.
Last Sept. 25, all but one-half percent of the state was in a drought condition - 44 percent was in a severe or extreme drought condition.
This year's late drought condition will have an effect on the corn and soybean harvests. Both crops are now expected to fall below average in yields, Mayer said.
"Most of the corn will reach or has reached maturity," he said. About 85-90 percent has reached physical maturity, but is now drying prematurely.
Less harvest drying will be needed, but without the summer rains, corn kernels will be lighter and smaller, and yields will be down.
Farmers whose harvests don't reach 56 pounds per bushel will see a deduction in their sale prices.
Mayer said soybeans will be hurt, maybe more so than corn. Without adequate rain, plants still flowering will abort extra seeds and pods and, thus, set smaller beans and fewer beans per pod in August.
"Beans are turning (color) now, but on rolling hills plants have died due to lack of moisture," Mayer added.
Shallow alfalfa fields also will not offer a fourth cutting this year, Mayer added.
By May 1 this year, farmers were reporting a low supply of hay, and Mayer predicts the normal feed supply will be down again this year.
Even in the drought last year, because of the abnormally early spring, alfalfa gave many farmers a much needed fourth cutting for animal feed.
"We will need a couple years to get out of last year," Mayer said about the diminished hay supply.
And, without some rain soon, planting winter wheat will be useless. The seed needs the surface moisture to germinate.
Northern portions of Green and Lafayette counties now include areas considered to be in moderate drought, according to U.S. Drought Monitor data released Thursday, Sept. 12. Both counties also include bands of conditions considered abnormally dry, one step better than drought conditions. Counties in northcentral Wisconsin are considered in severe drought.
Mark Mayer, Green County's University of Wisconsin-Extension agriculture agent, concurs with the data. He said earlier this week that local counties may have entered into a moderate drought condition.
"Thank goodness for the early rainfalls," Mayer said.
Green County was like "a garden of Eden through June," he added.
The county had some spotty rainfall last week, but Mayer said some places had 1.5 inches, others had 0.7 inch and still others had none.
Overall, the county is six inches below average in rainfall, caused by the dry months of July and August, he noted.
Crops in shallow fields and on sandy land with problems holding moisture are in worse condition than those whose roots can reach moisture in deep soils, "but it's not as bad as last year," Mayer added.
Deep soils allow deep roots to reach subsoil moisture.
The southern part of the county is in a better situation than the northern, because above average May and June rainfall built up the subsoil moisture, Mayer said.
Last Sept. 25, all but one-half percent of the state was in a drought condition - 44 percent was in a severe or extreme drought condition.
This year's late drought condition will have an effect on the corn and soybean harvests. Both crops are now expected to fall below average in yields, Mayer said.
"Most of the corn will reach or has reached maturity," he said. About 85-90 percent has reached physical maturity, but is now drying prematurely.
Less harvest drying will be needed, but without the summer rains, corn kernels will be lighter and smaller, and yields will be down.
Farmers whose harvests don't reach 56 pounds per bushel will see a deduction in their sale prices.
Mayer said soybeans will be hurt, maybe more so than corn. Without adequate rain, plants still flowering will abort extra seeds and pods and, thus, set smaller beans and fewer beans per pod in August.
"Beans are turning (color) now, but on rolling hills plants have died due to lack of moisture," Mayer added.
Shallow alfalfa fields also will not offer a fourth cutting this year, Mayer added.
By May 1 this year, farmers were reporting a low supply of hay, and Mayer predicts the normal feed supply will be down again this year.
Even in the drought last year, because of the abnormally early spring, alfalfa gave many farmers a much needed fourth cutting for animal feed.
"We will need a couple years to get out of last year," Mayer said about the diminished hay supply.
And, without some rain soon, planting winter wheat will be useless. The seed needs the surface moisture to germinate.