How timely were rains over the last month?
Extremely, according to Lyon County Extension ag agent Brian Rees on KVOE’s Morning Show this week.
Rees said grass growth was stunted and stock ponds were low into early April before a shift in the weather pattern. Some — not all — farmers also halted crop planting until there was more moisture. Now Rees says row crops are “in a good window for production” when it comes to planting, and a later planting period for corn could mean taller plants. This also happens to be the standard time for planting beans, so the rainfall didn’t adjust that timing much at all. Winter wheat has “evened up” to some degree after the rainfall and Rees believes harvest could be a week or two ahead of schedule.
Because the rainfall timing caused a lot of landowners to halt plans for spring burns, there is a chance for landowners to burn this upcoming fall.
Rees says the rain’s timing cut down on the amount of acres burned, and stats from Kansas Flint Hills Smoke Management bear that out. Last year, area counties had over 764,000 acres burned. This year’s area total was around 430,000 acres.
