News

Extreme heat and a small chance of rain on the horizon for Kansas crops

An agronomist who covers Southwest Kansas says crops conditions could deteriorate quickly without relief from extreme heat and dryness.

“We need a break from Mother Nature. That’s the biggest factor affecting all crops across the board.”

Tim Spector is the agronomy division manager for Pride Ag Resources in Dodge City, a division of Farmers Cooperative, and says the clock is ticking. “Irrigated corn is hanging in there.  Milo is hanging in there.  We’re forecast for a rain on Saturday, but if we don’t get that we have 10 days of 104-plus temperatures. It’s pretty tough conditions out there right now.”

He tells Brownfield corn should start pollinating in the next few weeks. “Right now, we’re ok, but if we get to the first part of August or at the end of this month, we’re going to have to have some cooling temperatures otherwise there will be some effects on yield because it’s going to hurt pollination.”

According to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor, that area is in extreme to exceptional drought.