National Drought Mitigation Center
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Drought harming dryland wheat in San Juan County, Utah
11/16/2017 12:00:00 AM



CATEGORIES:
Agriculture
Plants & Wildlife
AFFECTED AREAS:
San Juan County, UT

Start Date: 11/14/2017 -  
The dearth of rain on dryland wheat fields in San Juan County, where rain has not fallen in two months, was expected to affect yields in the spring, stated a farmer and Monticello City Council member. In many instances, farmers did not plant winter wheat because there was too little soil moisture, while other farmers dusted in their seeds and have not seen them germinate. Topsoil moisture was nonexistent; the forage was very dry with little feed value in it; and the fall green up never occurred, according to Doug Christensen, a Monticello-based director of the federal Farm Services Agency. He noted that if the wheat germinates in the spring, yield would be down 40 percent. Cattle ranchers were in a tight spot because grass for fall feed was dry, brittle and challenging for the cattle to eat. The Salt Lake Tribune (Utah), Nov. 14, 2017
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