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Dry conditions will stick around through spring in Western Corn Belt

USDA’s Midwest Climate Hub says moderate to exceptional drought will stick around through spring across the Western Corn Belt.

Director Dennis Todey says dry conditions could encourage earlier spring planting in southern Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Iowa.

“Unfortuately, there is extremely dry soils. One example is in northwest Iowa, where Iowa State Extension did soil sampling in the fall. In the 5 foot profile, field capacity is going to be around 10 to 12 inches. The average for soil moisture in the fall should be around 6 inches and the best they sampled up in that area was around 2.5 inches with some places at a half an inch of water in the 5 foot profile,” says Todey. “People really do need to take care and reduce tillage in areas, maintaining what they can for soil moisture.”

Todey tells Brownfield the situation in the Eastern Corn Belt is different.

“The La Nina is still causing some impacts, bringing increased chances for precipitation from eastern Iowa, Missouri and the eastern part of the Corn Belt. It’s not a problem yet, we’ll have to keep an eye on how active conditions are through spring.”

Todey says La Nina should start to wrap up in the spring and the transition into an El Nino could mean a better growing season across the Corn Belt.

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