Thirsty crops still need more rain in western Oklahoma

STILLWATER – Planting for summer crops is finishing up in the Panhandle and southwestern regions following some much-needed rain, but drought concerns still remain.

The last few weeks have produced Oklahoma’s most plentiful rains so far in 2022, but will the precipitation sustain long-thirsty soil on the western side of the state?

The latest Oklahoma Mesonet rainfall totals show a clearing of drought conditions for most areas of the state, with the rain accrued on the western side of the state being enough to change the southwestern region’s status from extreme drought to abnormally dry to moderate drought status. The Panhandle still remains in a status of severe to exceptional drought. High winds and heat have been added into the drought mix in recent days, and more high temperatures are expected.

For producers on the western side of the state, there is only one thing to do in their current climate – pray for more rain.

“Recent rains have helped with replenishing the soil moisture profile, and the planting of dryland crops has picked up, but we will need more consistent rains during the growing season to sustain these dryland crops,” said Sumit Sharma, Oklahoma State University assistant Extension specialist for irrigation management. “However, some areas in the Panhandle have experienced damage to established crops due to last week’s hailstorm and high-speed winds. These areas might get replanted or claimed for insurance.”

Sharma said milo (grain sorghum) is the major dryland crop in the Panhandle this summer, and despite its high sensitivity to drought, corn is likely to still be a prominent irrigated crop because of its high yield potential per unit of water applied. Cotton could be a little more delicate because it needs to be planted sooner rather than later to accumulate the required number of growing days at an ideal temperature for crop maturity.