Two weeks into planting season has field crops and vegetable crops out of the ground and looking very good. Soil temperatures range from 58F to 72F in tilled to light sandy soils. Without any rain in the forecast and a deficit of rain coming into May, irrigation of vegetable transplants has begun. Many commercial crop fields were surface tilled to break up compaction and crusting that occurred during last year’s record rainfall. Winter wheat stands look great but in some fields have shallow root systems as a result. Fall planted new seeding alfalfa fields on silt loams that are lackluster compared to robust older stands but uniform have few lateral roots, long taproots and nodulation is not evident.
Lack of rain coupled with the daily winds have hardened the soil beneath the tillage zone which will make it difficult for plants to root well if they cannot break through to find soil moisture further down.
