TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Drought conditions have affected Kansas farmers with dry air and high temperatures throughout the season.

Dr. Tina Sullivan, Northeast Regional Agronomist at Kansas State Universitysays up to 98% of the state is suffering from some level of drought.

“If we don’t get rainfall at the time of planting, for example corn, soybeans, wheat, milo or sorghum, no matter what we plant, it will take longer for that plant to come up and germ,” Dr. Sullivan said. . “If we don’t have moisture and heat, they won’t do anything, they’ll just stay in the ground.”

Kansas farmers have been experiencing this since the summer. Unpredictable weather conditions delayed crop growth.

“Kind of the central part of the state that has suffered a lot from these drought conditions and where we’ve heard of yields of three bushels per acre, which is pretty low, whereas some soybeans are getting up to 30 to 40 bushels per acre ” said Dr. Sullivan. . “In June or July, a lot of the northwest corn, we kind of think it’s a dry summer, there was a hailstorm that hit northwest Kansas and took out all the husks of much of their corn.”

Even parts of southeastern Kansas, typically a wetter area, found themselves short of ten inches or more this season.

The weather prompted some farmers to act early.

“In central Kansas, like Ottawa and Saline counties, in August, early August, some farmers told me they were going to go ahead and cut their corn early because they were going to run out of corn. humidity before corn harvest. there might even be enough rain to produce corn,” Dr. Sullivan said.

Dr. Sullivan says if the problem persists, it could affect everyone.

“We may see differences, maybe small, depending on what’s happening at the time, in the cost of beef because when our corn and soy are lower, we don’t have as much raw material. raw materials to feed livestock. I’m not saying they’re going to go hungry, but sometimes that’s the price you pay,” Dr. Sullivan said.

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