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Drought Resources

Taney County farm pond affected by drought. Photo by Tim Schnakenberg.

Drought information

MU Extension has several resources for mitigating the effects of drought.

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United States Drought Monitor

U.S. Drought Monitor

Weekly maps of drought conditions in Missouri. Produced jointly by NOAA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Current map
Nitrate Problems in Livestock Feed and Water

Toxic feed

A drought can cause dangerous nitrate concentrations that may be great enough to harm plants or animals.

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Drought-Related Issues in Forage, Silage and Baleage

Drought damaged forage

Drought causes high levels of nitrates in forage and crops used for silage and baleage.

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Drought in Missouri

Drought impacts at least some parts of Missouri almost every year. In extreme years, drought stresses millions of acres, animals and people in Missouri. Be sure to look at our University of Missouri Extension drought stories and resources on the MU IPM page, updated regularly.

MU Extension Specialists encourage cattle producers to take these Top 5 actions now to deal with the current drought.

The Missouri drought monitor map is updated weekly to show which areas of the state fall into a category of drought. The map changes based on reports from landowners and residents, so the accuracy of the map is dependent on your reports. Report drought conditions in your area. Each drought category is defined by certain criteria from the United States Drought Monitor.

Missouri drought monitor map

Contact your local Extension specialists for assistance with drought decisions on your farm.

Publications

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Hurry Up and Wait: Replanting Decisions for Pastures During Drought

Publication date: Jan. 27, 2023

Rob KallenbachDepartment of AgronomyCraig RobertsDepartment of AgronomyDrought typically causes Missouri cattlemen to be concerned about their pastures. These concerns can turn to thoughts of replanting, but such plans may be premature.The major ...

Managing Missouri Fish Ponds During an Extended Drought

Publication date: Oct. 1, 2022

Robert A. Pierce IIFisheries and Wildlife State SpecialistSchool of Natural ResourcesCharles E. HicksRetired Aquaculture SpecialistLincoln UniversityMany Missouri ponds are watershed ponds that rely on surface runoff to maintain proper water levels ...

Natural Lawn Care

Publication date: Oct. 26, 2022

Reviewed by Peng TianAssistant Professor, Plant SciencesReviewed by Manoj ChhetriDepartment of HorticultureBrad S. FresenburgAssistant Extension Professor and Turfgrass State SpecialistDivision of Plant SciencesIncreasing numbers of homeowners are ...

Pricing Corn Silage

Publication date: July 1, 2022

Raymond MasseyProfessor, Agricultural Business and Policy ExtensionJoe HornerState Specialist, Agricultural Business and Policy ExtensionFigure 1. Agricultural producers should consider the current price of corn and inputs for pricing corn ...

Drought-Related Issues in Forage, Silage and Baleage

Publication date: July 1, 2022

Eric Bailey, Beef Extension SpecialistJoe Horner, Agricultural Economics SpecialistRobert Kallenbach, Forage Production and Management SpecialistRay Massey, Agricultural Economics SpecialistCraig Roberts, Agronomy SpecialistPeter Scharf, Agronomy ...

Safe Drinking Water in an Emergency

Publication date: April 5, 2022

Reviewed by Conne BurnhamEmergency Management SpecialistFire and Rescue Training InstituteYou and your family can survive for several days without food, but only a short time without water. Disasters can often cause us to question the safety of our ...

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