Lack of rain expected to impact crop yield
Farmers are facing the possibility of lower than normal crops yields due to the lack of rain in what the National Weather Service classifies as a moderate drought.
A little less than 12.5 inches of precipitation has fallen so far this year leaving the region with almost 4.5 fewer inches than normal.
Amplified by no rainfall in three weeks, the drought is impacting crops and is causing pastures to “burn out” like so many lawns.
Dry spring weather allowed farmers to plant seeds early this year, and the crops grew, but growth has stalled, said Andy Gaver, district conservationist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service in Connoquenessing Township.
“I think in most cases all crops have germinated and started to grow, but stalled out due to lack of rain,” Gaver said.
Moisture in the ground from winter snowfall combined with the little rain that fell in early spring will allow farmers who grow hay to have a good first cutting, he said.
If the drought continues, hay could become dormant and negatively affect subsequent cuts in the summer and fall.
“They’re making their first cut now,” Gaver said. “The second and third cuts will be impacted. It snowballs into next year.”
The hay crop is used to feed cattle, and a low yield could force farmers to buy feed sooner than usual and have less stored for the winter, he said. Dry, burned out pastures will exacerbate the problem, he added.
“We farmers have to roll with the punches. We can’t change anything. We have to adapt the best we can,” said William Thiele, of the Thiele Dairy Farm in Cabot.
The Thieles took advantage of dry weather in May to plant corn, hay and soy beans.
“Our crops, we got them in and they’re poking through the ground, but if we had rain, it would probably grow several inches overnight. It’s begging for it,” Thiele said. “Corn and soybeans haven’t emerged well in spots.
“Hay — probably won’t be as much quantity, but the quality will be good.”
He said the yield will be impacted.
Dry stretches of weather tend are more common in August than they are at this time of year, he said.
A “top dressing” of fertilizer can be applied after crops emerge, but it should applied just before rainfall. The fertilizer can evaporate if it is applied in dry conditions, he said.
“We need consistent rain. We could definitely use some rain about now and we’re hopeful we’ll get some very soon,” Thiele said.
Normally, southwestern Pennsylvania receives 16.8 inches of precipitation by this time of the year, but only 12.4 inches have fallen as of Wednesday, according to the weather service.
The region’s drought level was recently upgraded from D0 for being abnormally dry to D1 for moderate drought, which rarely occurs at this time of the year. The last times it happened were 2010 and 2001.
