Drought resources

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.

View resources
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.

Read more
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.

Read more

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.

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