HEAVY CLOUDS, NO RAIN
Wednesday, July 12th, 2006 -- 8:52 AM
A local crops expert worries this year?s drought is worse than last years?s. ?It?s certainly a bit on the dry side,? says Clark County UW-Extension Crops and Soils agent Nick Schneider. ?We're about 2 ? inches for the month of June and we certainly haven?t seen much in the month of July, either.?
It was a year ago this week Farm Technology Days opened in Loyal. At that time, Clark County was exceptionally dry and extremely hot. But this year?s drought might be even worse ? and it's starting to show.
?(Tuesday) was the first day I really saw a hybrid corn field start to show some tassel. Tassels are where the pollen is shed from. We like to see a fair amount of moisture during pollination.?
Of course, things can change quickly in Wisconsin. Last year, rain came just in the nick-of-time, leading to one of the best yields on record.
For the average lawn or garden owner, Schneider has some simple watering tips: Water early in the morning and give your plants one big ?drink?, as opposed to multiple light waterings.
On the Web:
[url=http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html]Drought Monitor[/url]
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