Hoorman: Managing Light Community Events
In 2023, Ohio experienced the sixth driest May since the 1930’s Dust Bowl. The combination of cool May weather and mostly dry soil conditions delayed crop germination and has reduced crop growing conditions. Crops are already struggling to grow.
Several factors are contributing to this dilemma. First, the switch from a La Nina weather pattern in the Pacific Ocean to an El Nino usually means drier weather conditions in the Midwest. When La Nina’s are strong and long, you can expect a stronger El Nino pattern. El Nino’s may last 1-3 years on average. Most weather experts expected drier conditions in late summer and early fall, but dry weather came earlier than expected.
Second, along with weather patterns, solar sunspot activity is at a higher intensity. Solar sunspots normally peak about every 11 years with a solar sunspot peak expected in 2025. The last few solar sunspot activity cycles have been mild to average, but the sunspot intensity is much higher this time around. There is a higher probability of adverse weather especially drier conditions for the next several years if this continues.
Not real good news for farmers.
When it is this dry this early in the growing season, what can a farmer do? First, try to terminate cover crops and weeds as early as possible to save moisture. Second, avoid tillage. Every tillage pass evaporates .5-1.0 acre-inch of moisture from the soil. Excess tillage turns soil to dust which can be lost by wind erosion. Also, when it finally rains, the soil will turn to concrete, crusting over and reducing water infiltration. During dry periods on bare soils, it may take .75 of rain until the water surface tension on soils is reduced enough to let the water infiltrate. Soil crusting and soil compaction leads to water runs off.
Is their anything else a farmer can do? If you no-till, surface residue is beneficial for reducing soil temperatures. A thermometer on bare soil recorded 135 degrees F when the air temperature was 90 degrees F last week and one inch down 100 degrees F. Residue helps keep the soil cooler (82 degrees F one inch down) and reduces water evaporation.
If a farmer is doing no-till with cover crops, should they leave the residue standing or roll it down? Getting the crop residue on the soil surface is beneficial, by reducing soil temperature, and conserving moisture; plus as the residue breaks down, it releases nutrients to nearby plant roots. On rye, most of the beneficial allelopathic effects (natural herbicide) comes from decaying stems and leaves, reducing weed pressure.
Crop insurance on cover crops is becoming an issue for some farmers. The government has promoted cover crops to reduce erosion, increase soil conservation, and improve soil management. In 2022, the Pandemic Cover Crop Program (PCCP) gave a crop insurance premium to farmers using no-till and cover crops. The rules though are quite confusing to both farmers and crop insurance agents.
East of the Mississippi River, conditions are generally more humid and most years excess water at planting is an issue. RMA & NRCS cover crop termination rules state that Ohio farmers should “Terminate cover crops before crop emergence.” However, under additional guidance it states that “1. If the cover crop is part of a no-till system, termination may be delayed up to 7 days from the zone-based termination maps.” However, RMA further staters: “4. If the season is drier than normal nearing cover crop termination time, consider an earlier termination to conserve soil moisture.” That makes
June
June 13: New Bremen-New Knoxville Rotary will meet at 7:30 a.m. at Speedway Lanes in New Bremen.
June 14: The St. Marys Rotary Club will meet at noon today at the Eagles.
The Minster Service Club will meet at the Minster Eagles building at around noon today.
The St. Marys City Garage Sales event will be held through July 15, with plans to hold it throughout the city.
June 20: New Bremen-New Knoxville Rotary will meet at 7:30 a.m. at Speedway Lanes in New Bremen.
June 21: The St. Marys Rotary Club will meet at noon today at the Eagles.
The Minster Service Club will meet at the Minster Eagles building at around noon.
June 27: New Bremen-New Knoxville Rotary will meet at 7:30 a.m. at Speedway Lanes in New Bremen.
June 28: The St. Marys Rotary Club will meet at noon today at the Eagles.
The Minster Service Club will meet at the Minster Eagles building at around noon today.
July
July 4: New Bremen-New Knoxville Rotary will meet at 7:30 a.m. at Speedway Lanes in New Bremen.
July 5: The St. Marys Rotary Club will meet at noon today at the Eagles.
The Minster Service Club will meet at the Minster Eagles building at around noon today.
July 11: New Bremen-New Knoxville Rotary will meet at 7:30 a.m. at Speedway Lanes in New Bremen.
July 12: The St. Marys Rotary Club will meet at noon today at the Eagles.
The Minster Service Club will meet at the Minster Eagles building at around noon today.
July 18: New Bremen-New Knoxville Rotary will meet at 7:30 a.m. at Speedway
sense but weather is so Lanes in New Bremen. unpredictable, it very July 19: The St. Marys Rotary Club will
hard for anyone to meet at noon today at the Eagles.
make that determination The Minster Service Club will meet at the with certainty. Minster Eagles building at around noon today.
RMA rules states
in a wet year “5.If the
July 25: New Bremen-New Knoxville
spring season is wetter
Rotary will meet at 7:30 a.m. at Speedway
than normal at cover crop termination time, Lanes in New Bremen. consider a later termination July 26: The St. Marys Rotary Club will to use excess meet at noon today at the Eagles.
soil moisture, increase The Minster Service Club will meet at the
infiltration of additional Minster Eagles building at around noon today. rain, and improve soil health and seedbed condition.” August 1:
New Bremen-New Knoxville
Since these rules are so
Rotary will meet at 7:30 a.m. at Speedway
general, who decides
Lanes in New Bremen.
what is a wetter or drier year than normal??? August 2: The St. Marys Rotary Club will
If you are like me, I am meet at noon today at the Eagles.
confused. The Minster Service Club will meet at the
Many crop insurance Minster Eagles building at around noon today. agents may ask farmers to justify their August 8: New Bremen-New Knoxville
“good farming practices”. Rotary will meet at 7:30 a.m. at Speedway Good Farming
Lanes in New Bremen.
practices is an RMA
August 9: The St. Marys Rotary Club will
term defined as “The production methods meet at noon today at the Eagles.
utilized to produce The Minster Service Club will meet at the
the insured crop and Minster Eagles building at around noon today.
allow it to make normal progress toward August 15: New Bremen-New Knoxville
maturity…which are Rotary will meet at 7:30 a.m. at Speedway
those generally recognized Lanes in New Bremen. by agricultural August 16:
The St. Marys Rotary Club
experts… depending
will meet at noon today at the Eagles. on the practice,
The Minster Service Club will meet at the
for the area.” To avoid problems, keep good Minster Eagles building at around noon today.
records on planting
dates and termination New Bremen-New Knoxville
dates, especially for Rotary will meet at 7:30 a.m. at Speedway
grain and cover crops. Lanes in New Bremen.
Also document how deep you planted, and general weather conditions if possible. Farmers should be insured if they follow the rules, but you may have to verify your actions.
Expect another crazy year. My best advice, pray for beneficial rains.