Crop outlook for Sunland farmers varies with the amount of rain

As the amounts of rainfall throughout the county have varied in recent days, the opinions of area farmers about crop conditions tend to vary as well.

Roger Folkerts, who farms wheat, corn, soybeans and milo approximately five miles northwest of Beatrice, was able to benefit from a brief thunderstorm Sunday that left about two inches of rain in the immediate Beatrice area.

Because the corn is pollinating and the soybeans are starting to set pods, Folkerts said the recent rain should help both crops get through what is an important time in terms of yields.

Folkerts also said this time of year means he often increases the amount of irrigation he gives his crops. Because of the extra moisture needed for pollination and increased humidity levels, Folkerts generally applies between 0.25 and 0.35 inches of water daily compared to about 0.20 inches normally.

When rains such as Sunday's thunderstorm bring moisture to his fields, Folkerts said it also means he saves money on irrigation costs for a time.

“I choose to irrigate because at least you know you'll get a crop that way,” Folkerts said.

“I don't know it it's the most cost-effective option if you look at the whole picture. In a dry year, you really wonder if it is, but it is cost-effective if you can just use irrigation for supplements and get some timely rains in between the supplements.”

Ed Daubendiek, who lives one mile southeast of Folkerts, said Sunday's rain was somewhat of a mixed blessing as the moisture was needed but came so fast that some of the soil in his field washed downstream.

Daubendiek remained optimistic about this year's crops and said, at least where he lives, 2007 should prove to be an average year in terms of crop yields.

“The pasture ground is drying up, but that's normal for this time of year,” Daubendiek said. “We've never ran out of groundwater yet.”

Wayne Pohlman, who farms corn and soybeans three miles east of DeWitt, shared a different opinion as the last rain his fields received was on June 20.

While Pohlman remained fairly confident his unirrigated corn and soybeans could recover if he receives some well-timed rains, he said there are some noticeable signs of damage already showing up in his fields.

“We are hanging in there, but it is going to be getting pretty critical from here on out,” Pohlman said. “In the dry (unirrigated) land, things are going to start dropping off rather quickly because the ears on the corn won't fill out as well.”

Like Folkerts, Pohlman lives within the Beatrice wellfield protection area and irrigates about 60 to 70 percent of his crops with about 1 inch of water per week.

Even though he is able to regulate the moisture level on most of his crops, Pohlman said cornstalks in his dry land are starting to curl and ears are starting to become dry. He joked one positive factor is that the dry conditions have also kept weeds from forming in his fields.

“So far, the irrigated corn is doing well, but I myself have never witnessed it being this dry in the fields,” Pohlman said.

Although the effect of the hot weather and limited rainfall on corn and soybean fields won't be entirely known until the fall harvest, Dave Clabaugh, manager of the Lower Big Blue Natural Resources District, did have a bit of good news.

Clabaugh said readings taken this spring indicated a 3-inch increase in groundwater levels for Gage County after a decrease of 4.7 feet from 2003 to 2006.

He said the Lower Big Blue NRD uses the groundwater level in the spring of 1982 as a baseline for determining when the amount of available groundwater is at a critical stage.

While Clabaugh said groundwater levels are averaging about one foot below the baseline, the NRD generally does not become concerned until the groundwater levels are five feet below the baseline.

Because the groundwater levels have shown indications of rebounding, Clabaugh said there is no reason to worry.

“We have four more feet to go,” Clabaugh said. “If we have four years like the last one, we will be in trouble, but I don't think it is going to happen.”