How rain will affect crops after major drought this summer
NDSU Extension Agent Tells Us How Late Summer Rains Impact Growing, Harvest & Next Year's Planting
FARGO (KVRR) – We’ve dealt with exceptional drought conditions in the region this year. But will a recent rainy spell offer any help for farmers as we near the end of growing season.
The short answer is: not really. Cass County NDSU Extension Agent Kyle Aasand says we saw no rain from July 19th through August 20th, prime growing season for corn and soybeans. The rain we got over the last couple weeks is too little, too late for all but the last few crops planted. He expected yields to be lower this year.
Wheat crops are doing well though. And the rain we are getting could help give farmers a boost for planting next spring.
Aasand says, “Right now our subsoil moisture was so depleted from this summer that putting this water back in the soil will help us in the spring next year when we go back to plant it’ll get those crops going right away.”
Aasand says if this rainy pattern continues, it’ll just get in the way of harvest. He says ideally we’d have a dry stretch with a few more hits of rain before winter.
