Table 1. Precipitation and temperature
Table 3. Dates of
last and first frosts
Table 4. Irrigation water applied
The winter of 2005 - 2006 was mild with little snow
cover. Spring tillage and planting
times were about average. The last frost
in the spring was on April 26, about a week earlier than average with a hard
frost (26°F) on April 25.
Summer temperatures were warmer through most of the growing season. The maximum temperature equaled or exceeded
90°F (32°C) twenty times; twice in May
and June, three times in August and thirteen times in July. The temperatures exceeded 100°F three times. The highest temperature was 107°F (41.7°C) on July 15.
Precipitation was above average in August; below average in June, July
and October; and about average in April, May and September. Total annual precipitation was more than four
inches below the long-term average. The
average daily temperatures were above average in April, May, June, July and
August. The average daily temperatures
were below average in September and October.
The first frost was on September 28 and first hard frost was on October
10. The first frost was the same as the
long term average and the first hard frost was five days later than the ten and
fifteen year average. All crops matured
before frost. Growing degree units in
2006 were above average.
On August
23 a hailstorm swept through the Oakes area with the larger hailstones
measuring almost 1½ inch in diameter at the Oakes Irrigation Research
Site. Soybeans were at about R 6.5 and
corn was at about the R 5.5 stage at the time of the hail. On the corn, no visible damage was noted on
the ears but the leaves were shredded and stripped as a result of the
hail. Based on local hail adjustment in
the immediate area of the Oakes Irrigation Research Site we estimate that the
soybean crop suffered a 15% yield reduction as a result of the hail.
Table 1. Precipitation and temperature at the Oakes Irrigation
Research Site.
Month |
Precipitation |
Average daily temperatures |
||||
2006 |
15-year average |
25-year average |
2006 |
15-year average |
25-year average |
|
|
---------------- inches
-------------- |
------------------ °F
------------------ |
||||
April |
1.98 |
1.42 |
|
49.7 |
44 |
|
May |
2.21 |
3.07 |
2.81 |
59.9 |
56.6 |
57 |
June |
2.18 |
3.89 |
3.49 |
67.7 |
66.2 |
66.3 |
July |
1.44 |
3.58 |
3.24 |
75 |
70.4 |
71.1 |
August |
3.83 |
2.02 |
2.03 |
70.4 |
68.8 |
68.9 |
September |
2.53 |
2.9 |
2.52 |
56.8 |
59.4 |
58.6 |
October |
0.51 |
2.05 |
|
42 |
46 |
|
The
25-year averages are not available for April and October.
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section
Table 2. Growing degree units1 at the Oakes Irrigation
Research Site.
Month |
2006 |
10-year average |
15-year average |
25-year average |
|
||||
May |
327 |
294 |
302 |
318 |
June |
530 |
492 |
492 |
493 |
July |
702 |
654 |
617 |
630 |
August |
618 |
587 |
579 |
579 |
September |
291 |
378 |
366 |
349 |
|
||||
Total |
2468 |
2406 |
2356 |
2370 |
1Growing degree units = (Tempmax
+ Tempmin)/2 - 50. If Tempmax is greater than 86, then
Tempmax = 86. If Tempmin is less than
50, then Tempmin = 50. Temperature is in degrees F.
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Table 3. Dates of last and first frosts.
|
2006 |
10-year average |
15-year average |
25-year average |
|
Last
frost in spring |
|||||
|
less than 32 °F |
Apr 26 |
Apr 30 |
May 3 |
May 5 |
less than 28 °F |
Apr 25 |
Apr 29 |
Apr 28 |
Apr 30 |
|
First
frost in fall |
|||||
|
less than 32 °F |
Sep 28 |
Sep 30 |
Sep 29 |
Sep 27 |
|
less than 28 °F |
Oct 10 |
Oct 5 |
Oct 5 |
Oct 3 |
|
|||||
Frost
free period (days) |
155 |
153 |
149 |
145 |
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Table 4. Irrigation water applied, 2006.
Study |
Irrigation water applied |
|
|
inches |
|
|
||
Barley variety trial |
7.8 |
|
Cabbage
hybrid performance trial |
14.1 |
|
Carrot
hybrid performance trial |
||
Cut
and peel |
8.1 |
|
Cello |
12.9 |
|
|
Dicing
and Jumbo |
16.1 |
Field corn hybrid performance trial |
13.6 |
|
Field corn population and row width study |
14.9 |
|
Field corn continuous strip till N-rate study |
14.6 |
|
Hard red spring wheat variety trial |
8.2 |
|
Onion
hybrid performance trial |
16.1 |
|
Onion weed control study |
16.1 |
|
Soybean plant population and row spacing study |
13.4 |
|
Soybean row spacing study |
13.6 |
|
Soybean
variety performance trial |
13.6 |
|
Sugar beet variety trial |
13.4 |
|
Sunflower head rot study |
16.1 |
Go to the top of weather and irrigation
section
Go to Oakes Irrigation Research Site 2006 Annual Report
Go to Oakes Irrigation Research Site home page