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Corteva’s Geis: Interstate 35 marks Midwest’s rain divide

A crop specialist with Corteva Agriscience suggests there’s a familiar line separating areas of the Midwest in a moisture deficit or surplus.

Ron Geis says more rain is needed west of Interstate 35.

“I35 is the cutoff, so Minneapolis, Des Moines, Kansas City, Dallas. We go west of that line, rain is critical in order to recharge a nearly empty tank that’s out there.”

He tells Brownfield the El Nino weather pattern should produce more rain for the western half this summer.

“East of that line, it’s sort of bordering on a little too much moisture. Not so much that we’ve flooded things out, but if the rain pattern shifts from the east over to the guys in the west, everybody is going to be happy. Because the guys over to the east have had plenty if not excessive amount of moisture for the most part.”

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, parts of South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas are suffering from severe to extreme drought.