The drought monitor report as of 8 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 5, shows no real change for our area this week. Southwest Kansas is the overall best shape for the state followed by Northwest Kansas. Unusual for this time of year. The six to 10-day outlook (October 11 to 15) indicates something we haven’t seen in a while – near normal temperatures and precipitation. Normal temperatures are in the mid to low 70s which is good. Normal precipitation isn’t much which is good for harvesting crops but not for wheat. The eight to fourteen-day outlook (Oct. 13 to 19) indicates normal temperatures and a 40 to 50% chance of below normal for precipitation. Remember normal is only about two inches for the month. Those areas fortunate to receive beneficial rains this week should feel blessed. That maybe it for a while.

By the time this is published, we may have flirted with 32 degrees for a low. Many are tired of summer but dread winter and freezing temperatures. Yet in agriculture, while early freezing temperatures in the fall and late ones in the spring aren’t helpful, overall cold and winter are extremely beneficial in many ways. How? Let’s see.

• Without winter, insect pest pressure would be much worse for crops and livestock. Some pests, like the sugarcane aphid outbreak from several years ago would be much worse as they know can’t overwinter here and have to move in from the Southeast U.S. 

• Disease pressure would also be much worse. Currently, a disease like leaf rust can’t overwinter here and if we have pressure, it must blow in from Texas in the spring. Mush better than having it present year-round. And there are other examples like rust in soybeans. For wheat producers, barley yellow dwarf would be more problematic without winter controlling aphids.

• Imagine how much are summer annual weed pressure would be without winter. Not to mention perennial weeds like bindweed and johnsongrass. Many summer annual weeds present during the fall in winter wheat fields are eliminated by fall freezes. 

• Soil structure is improved by freezing and thawing, especially with soil moisture. This helps break up the soil and create better soil structure.

These are just some of the examples of how winter temperatures benefit agriculture. These are also benefits that could be disappearing if climate changes forecasts for our region are correct. And so far, the models have been pretty accurate. A classic example is the movement of armadillos into our region. 

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.