April 21, 2006
FROM UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI OUTREACH AND EXTENSION
SOUTHWEST REGIONAL NEWS SERVICE
Contact: Tom Hansen, agronomy specialist
Headquartered in Greene County
Tel: (417) 862-9284
E-mail: hansent@missouri.edu	

Dry Weather Conditions Will Impact Farm Profits

Dry weather that caused agricultural losses during the fall and winter continues to impact the profits of southwest Missouri farmers.
 
The dry summer of 2005 led to a dry fall and winter that are now impacting forages throughout southwest Missouri according to Tom Hansen, agronomy specialist, University of Missouri Extension.

A year-long drought in southwest Missouri has built a precipitation deficit of over 21 inches.

“Fields should be supporting livestock with grass that is six to eight inches tall but instead many have less than four inches of growth,” said Hansen. “Forecasts indicate it won’t get much better this summer.”

Drought conditions have continued to worsen to the point that lots of precipitation over a long period of time is what farmers need now.

“In order to get moisture down in the subsurface soil we are going to need eight to 10 inches of slow steady rain,” said Hansen.

Hay is also in short supply.  Last year, hay yields were only one-half to two-thirds of normal and many farmers had to start feeding hay in August. Carry over hay supplies are short and the prospects for this year’s hay crop is bleak.

“Water for livestock is a growing concern too and crops are going to be impacted. Many of the ponds that area producers depend on for livestock water are dry,” said Hansen.

Last year, the dry conditions caused soybean crops in this area to be down 50 percent or more and that makes it hard for a farmer to break even.

“This year, many producers will be waiting on rain before planting,” said Hansen.
Most areas of southwest Missouri are well below average for rainfall. In fact, below normal rainfall has fallen in 12 of the last 13 months. 
The University of Missouri weather station in Barton County has received only 3.95 inches of rain during 2006. The average rainfall for the same period at the Barton County weather station is 11 inches.
Historically, a dry April does not indicate a dry May or June.

“If the dry conditions continue and the subsurface soil remains dry, that will negatively impact fields and crops later in the year too,” said Hansen. “All of those things combined will negatively impact profits for our farmers.”

University of Missouri Extension is your one-stop source for practical education on almost anything. Extension programs focus on the high-priority needs of people throughout the state. Each county extension center, with oversight by locally elected and appointed citizens, is your local link to these unbiased resources and programs.
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