| With a little help from Mother Nature, farmers in eastern
Wyoming and the Nebraska Panhandle are getting a good start on
their spring field work.
Warm temperatures over the past couple of weeks have drawn
most of the frost out of the ground, making it possible for
cultivation to begin. Wind-blown dirt drifts are disappearing
under passing equipment, and fresh-turned soil is beginning to
turn the bleak winter landscape into a checkerboard.
According to Tom Holman, Extension Educator at the
University of Nebraska Panhandle Research and Extension
Center, the frozen layer of soil was fairly shallow during the
winter. This kept soil moisture in the top six to eight
inches.
However, Holman said there is concern over sub-soil
moisture.
"Deep soil moisture just isnt where it should
be," Holman said. He cited a relatively dry fall and
winter as the cause.
"It could be critical this spring," he said.
"Its important that farmers get the residue turned
under as soon as possible."
Dean Yonts, extension irrigation engineer at the Panhandle
Research Center, believes there is a fair amount of moisture
to get started this spring, but farmers will need to keep
their tillage operations to a minimum to retain it.
Area dryland crops appear to be short on moisture,
according to Wayne Tatman, Goshen County Extension director.
"There may be some areas that have an adequate amount,
but for the most part, I think dryland moisture in this area
is on the short side," he said Wednesday morning.
Scottsbluff has received 1.01 inches of precipitation in
2001. This compares to 1.9 inches in 2000. The northern and
southern portions of the Panhandle have received larger
amounts.
Regardless of moisture availability, farmers are proceeding
with their spring preparations. David Shields, manager at
Jirdon Agri Chemicals in Gering, said applicators have been
busy the past couple of weeks fertilizing fields for corn and
alfalfa, and work began this week on fields scheduled to go
into sugar beets.
Shields said the anhydrous supply is holding steady because
the cool weather has prevented its application. However, he
said when the weather warms up, there could be a limited
supply. |