The drought monitor report as of Tuesday, June 17th shows continued improvement for the state with an increase from 58 to almost 65% of the state totally out of dry conditions. Essentially, the southern two thirds of Kansas is almost totally out of dry conditions. The only parts of the state with some moderate, and a bit of severe drought, are along the Nebraska border. Barton County is totally out of moderate drought with the southern three quarters just abnormally dry. Keep in mind this rating doesn’t include all the recent rain.

The six-to 10-day outlook (June 24 to 28) indicates a 33 to 50% chance of leaning above normal for temperatures and a 33 to 50% chance of leaning above normal for precipitation. The eight to 14-day outlook (June 26 to July 2) indicates a 33 to 40% chance of leaning above normal for temperatures and precipitation. The extreme heat this weekend will help wheat harvest proceed. This heat isn’t great for summer crops. The extended outlook isn’t bad, especially for the early planted corn which is proceeding nicely. 

No one is complaining about the recent precipitation, even as it slows down wheat harvest, baling forages, or planting summer crops. After almost five years of drought, producers are facing the challenge of weed control for fallow and cropped fields. Area extension agents are good at sharing information on weed control coming out of Manhattan. Today, instead of specific information regarding specific weeds and herbicides, we will consider weed control in more ecological terms.

• First, before addressing the ecological aspects of weed control, in general terms, the best weed control is to start with a weed-free field. Then, plant at the highest practical seeding rate and for crops like soybeans grain sorghum with adequate soil moisture, and forage crops, narrow rows. The best weed control is an actively growing crop that can establish canopy closure as quickly as possible. So, producers must provide a soil environment as free of stress, from soil fertility and structure to diseases and other pest pressures.

• It’s not that herbicides or tillage should not be used but used judiciously to protect the environment. And minimizing tillage to preserve soil structure, organic matter and keep the soil as covered as possible.

• Why is the first bullet point the key? Examine an undisturbed field, say native pasture. You won’t see much, if any, bare ground. You will typically see a variety of grasses and forbs. The life cycles vary in terms of flowering and seed germination. That allows for a stable, resilient ecosystem. That isn’t what we want/need for modern crop production. We need uniform germination with a single species ready for harvest at the same time. It isn’t a “natural,” stable ecosystem. This isn’t “bad” but nature resists it.

• Nature tends to be the most stable ecosystem that is easy to maintain spatially and temporally. Nature wants a system that is easy to maintain, taking the least amount of energy. It wants to fill in the blank spots and with a variety of species. It may look like a mess but it’s the most stable, natural environment. That’s why we must constantly add “energy” through management to maintain that order.

Dr. Victor L. Martin is the agriculture instructor/coordinator for Barton Community College. He can be reached at 620-792-9207, ext. 207, or martinv@bartonccc.edu.