4/16/13
As another
cool wet week goes by we are still at a standstill with spring field work. As
you can see from the picture below much of the area has received 3-3.5” of rain
these past seven days. These much need rains are what we have been looking for
to recharge the drought plagued soil for spring field work. This Thursday the
up to date drought monitor will be generated and it will be interesting to see
if these local rains will provide any relief from the lingering droughty
conditions. While it takes patience to wait until wet soils dry out, it is
still early and we have not begun to lose yield from potential planting delays.
The forecast for May shows above normal temperatures, so the crop will have a
chance to get going and catch up if it is May before we get started.
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| Rain Fall Totals April 9, 2013 to April 15, 2013 |
It
seems like weather is the big talk this time of year considering all decisions
hinge on what Mother Nature decides to throw at us. FFC has decided this year
to add a weather station of their own, to help track local weather conditions.
The station will be located in Jackson Junction for this year with plans to add
a couple more to other locations in the future. The station will tell us wind
speed, precipitation, heat units, growing degree days, 4” soil temperature, 1’
soil moisture reading and a 4’ soil moisture reading. We are hoping to have the
station up and running within the next few weeks. You will be able to access
the weather station information from either the blog or Fredericksburg Farmers
Coop homepage.
When the
weather eventually straightens up the first seeds to be hitting the ground for
some, will be small grains and alfalfa. We want to discuss a few things to
refresh your memory when it comes to planting small grains and alfalfa. First
off small grains, such as oats, will germinate at soil temperatures in the mid-
to high 30’s. If you are planting alfalfa you are going to want to wait till
soil temperatures hit the high 40’s. Oats should be seeded approximately 1”
deep, and alfalfa and other forage legumes should be seeded about .25”-.5” deep,
followed by press wheel or cultipacker. On average planting after mid-April,
oats will lose an average of 10% of yield per week and planting after May 1 will
lose about 15% of their yield per week. As we hit the mid April mark we are
counting on the weather to change in order to try and avoid that yield loss.
Thanks
for reading and don’t forget to stop by next week where we will be discussing
more local agronomy information.
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