A dry spring brought a timely end to planting for Jamie and Brian Johnson at Frankfort, South Dakota. They planted with what Jamie says were “no hiccups,” but soil moisture is in short supply. An inch of rain at their place in late June failed to provide consistent coverage.
Standing up to drought: No-till, cover crops build resilient soil for managing water
South Dakota farmers slogged through two wet years before the rain shut off in the middle of the last growing season. Now a warm start to winter without much snow cover has farmers heading into the next crop year short on moisture.
Cover crops & drought: What to do
Cover crops have been a big success in recent years. The weather has been wet and cover crops have helped use up excess moisture, shrink saline areas, reclaim Prevent Plant acres, increase soil organic matter, kickstart soil biological life and much more.
Soil Health Practices Help Fields Hold Up in Wet Conditions
Levi Goetz was leery rolling into the field to plant corn after a 2-inch rain, but it was already mid-May. Time was starting to run out.