Serious Drought in Great Plains Threatens Wheat

September 25, 2012

Planting conditions are desperately dry in the US breadbasket where a majority of United States winter wheat is produced.  The Southern Great Plains is expecting beneficial heavy rain this week, but not enough to offset severe soil moisture deficits in the wake of a hot, dry summer.

The 6 main bread wheat states in the Great Plains have received only 5.1 inches of rainfall in the June-August period.   A 3.5 inch soil moisture deficit has resulted, the worst dryness since 1976.   The leading wheat state  Kansas has a 4.7 inch moisture deficit.  This would be very difficult to overcome, even if weather conditions become wetter... subscribers continue to full story...