The drought monitor for Kansas remains pretty much unchanged. As this is being written, much of the area is expecting significant and even excessive rainfall with some models predicting well over five inches through next weekend. Quite a change from recent years and while producers hate to complain about any rain, it may certainly cause headaches for several reasons. So why, in a state that has experienced extremely significant drought events over the last almost ten years, can this be too much of a good thang?

• On the positive side, there are fields planted and up where producers simply wanted to plant early (before the fly free date) since there was some soil moisture or where they wanted to graze. It may have been a very wise decision. The rule of thumb is planting early is better than planting late most years.

• Many producers follow a summer row crop with wheat. Those who have harvested aren’t in bad shape but there is still a great deal of corn in the field, soybean harvest has just started, and milo harvest is really yet to begin. If the expected weather happens it could delay harvest by over two weeks and make it difficult to plant before November, especially if producers plan on tillage. Planting this late will require boosting seeding rates and prayers for an open fall/early winter.

• Wheat that has emerged is more vulnerable to damage from saturated and flooded soils than more established wheat. The lack of oxygen can quickly stunt or even kill plants/roots if conditions last long enough which depends on the stage of development. Another factor is the temperature. If conditions stay cool until soils drain, it should lessen the possible crop damage.

• If producers had aggressively worked fields and now have wheat in the ground, the soil can crust and make emergence difficult, especially if the soil surface dries out before emergence. If the soil isn’t too compacted and soils stay wet, the slender shoot can normally break through the soil surface.

• If producers haven’t planted and fields receive the projected moisture, waiting to till can further delay planting. And tilling wetter soils may result in a compacted zone just below the depth tilled and restrict root growth and impeded downward water movement. The best option here is, provided the producer has the proper drill, is to no-till. If it’s dry enough to till, it’s dry enough to plant no-till.

• Winter annual weeds love this type of weather, especially cheat grasses, and weed control should be at the top of the to-do list for producers.

Today is October 7th so while it’s not time to panic, if the four to six inches of rain materialize, producers will have to adjust plans accordingly.

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