A complete soil water profile promotes the completion of plants before harvest
Temperatures will remain on the high side for the next week or so
A blooming sunflower field in Box Butte County. Photo by Chabella
LINCOLN, Nebraska – The growing season is quickly coming to an end.
“However, newly planted dry beans will take more time to produce fruit,” said Gary Stone, docent with Nebraska Extension. “Corn and sugar beets are doing well. Winter wheat planting will begin soon.” He added that millet harvest will begin in the next few weeks and sunflowers are in full bloom.
Temperatures will remain on the high side for the next week or so. Irrigation water deliveries throughout the North Platte Valley will continue, with Pathfinder diverting approximately 1,700 cubic feet per second and the Goshen/Gering-Fort Laramie Irrigation District diverting approximately 1,375 cubic feet per second. Seminoe Reservoir is 58 percent full, Pathfinder Reservoir is 60 percent full and Glendo Reservoir is 35 percent full. Growers should reconsider their water supplies, as surface/canal water supplies typically decrease in mid-September. Try to have a complete soil water profile to help plants make it through to harvest.
The Estimated Crop Water Use table for August 26 through September 1 helps farmers monitor the water profile of their crops. The table information includes estimated crop water use in the Nebraska Panhandle for the past week and the upcoming week. The table is based on data and calculations by Gary Stone, Nebraska Extension lecturer, and Dr. Xin Qiao, Extension irrigation and water management specialist, both at the UNL Panhandle Research and Extension Center in Scottsbluff.
Crop water use varies throughout the Panhandle due to differences in ET, crop growth stage, temperature, soil type, wind, and precipitation events. Crop water use helps farmers plan irrigation and efficiently apply and use water.
Register and receive a weekly SMS with the table information at https://phrec-irrigation.com/#/weekly_crop_water_usage
The AgriTools app provides Nebraska agriculture with easy access to site-specific climate and weather information https://agritools.unl.edu/
Nebraska Extension is a division of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University Nebraska–Lincoln is working with counties and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Nebraska The continuing education programs comply with the anti-discrimination guidelines of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the United States Department of Agriculture.
–Chabella Guzman, University Nebraska–Lincoln
