Arkansas is parched and Mother Nature doesn't play favorites. “It's June 21, and we haven't had rain in eight weeks,” said Steve Higginbothom, a producer and state senator from Marianna, Ark. “It's been so dry here that you can still see the disk-opener groove from my planter in April. There hasn't been enough moisture to seal the crack.
In 1980 — a drought year remembered with dread — Higginbothom's farm went 63 days without rain. However, that drought didn't begin until mid-July.
Several recent storm systems quickly moved across parts of Arkansas. On June 17, showers fell on much of the southern half of the state. But the rain deficit is now so great such showers shouldn't “fool us into thinking we can get by without watering properly,” said Chris Tingle, Arkansas Extension soybean specialist.
In areas receiving rains or being irrigated, Tingle has seen a rapid response in crop growth. That allows him guarded optimism.
As in other areas, that region needed water badly. Then, in early June, rain found the region. Almost immediately, the crop jumped in size. Soybeans there are now at R-2 to R-3, typical for this time of year.
On many operations, stunted, beleaguered crops are candidates for plows. Tingle has fielded “literally hundreds” of calls from growers contemplating a replant.
“I hate destroying a stand. Looking at the economics of it, this crop has definitely been hurt. It's suffered, and we're probably not going to get our best yields. But according to research data, it's unfavorable for us to disk the ground and replant in hopes of emergence the first week of July. Even under perfect conditions, we'd be in the 20- to 25-bushel range. And that doesn't take into account the added expenses of replanting, seed costs and all the rest.
For the last few weeks, Chuck Wilson has been rushing between rice fields, cell phone to ear. Problems abound.
Problems frequently involve herbicides. “It isn't just one thing, but a number. Right after fertilization and flooding, herbicide problems hit. The rice is shocked with the flood and, if things are just right, the plants get sick.
With no rain, Clearfield rice must be flushed to activate Newpath. That's been troublesome for many producers.
Also increasing costs is diesel near $2 per gallon.
If the dismal growing season won't allow a smile, perhaps the state's wheat crop will provide the briefest grin. Hit with major rains last fall, producers were unable to plant normal wheat acreage. What was planted looked paltry until rains stopped in April.
Water demands have been tremendous. One solution, a tropical storm or hurricane, may usher in new problems.