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Kansas farmer describes drought’s toll on crops

A south-central Kansas farmer says the on-going drought is wreaking havoc on his crops.  

Craig Meeker says test weights for his winter wheat crop will likely be significantly lower than last year. “It’s not going to be a banner crop. I don’t even know if it’s going to be an average crop, but we will have a crop. We are about 3 and a half weeks ahead of schedule. I think I could start test cutting some this week.”

The USDA says winter wheat condition is rated 15 percent good-to-excellent and 93 percent has headed.

Meeker tells Brownfield he planted corn in late March due to the warm weather and adequate soil moisture at the time. “We have corn up and in good shape and have great stands, but it desperately needs a drink of water. It’s almost impossible for me to see knee high corn that needs a drink of water as badly as it does. It looks more like July than it does May.”

The USDA says sixty-three percent of corn has been planted with 45 percent emerged. Fifty-three percent of soybeans have been planted and 23 percent have emerged.

As for his cotton crop, “None of the cotton I planted will come up if it doesn’t rain.”

Pasture and range conditions are rated 32 percent good-to-excellent.”