Oakes
Table 1.
Precipitation and temperature
Table 3.
Dates of last and first frosts
Table 4.
Irrigation water applied
The winter of 2008 - 2009 was colder than average with early snow cover that continued into spring. Spring flooding throughout the area delayed field operations. The last frost in the spring was on May 10, about 7 days later than average. Summer temperatures were cooler than average for most of the growing season except for September. The maximum temperature equaled or exceeded 90°F twice; once in June and once in August. The highest temperature was 92°F on June 26. Precipitation was above average in April, June, August, and October; below average in May, July, and September. Total annual precipitation was above average. The average daily temperatures were near average in April and May and below average in June, July, August, and October. A hot September with temperatures averaging 5 degrees above normal saved the soybean and corn crops. The first frost on October 8 was a hard frost, as the temperature dipped to 25°F. Initial frost came about a week later than normal. The first killing frost was 3 days later than the normal. Although it was close, most beans reached maturity before frost. Only corn planted in late April into the first week of May were able to mature before the killing frost. This resulted in high moisture and low test weight corn at harvest. Growing degree units in 2009 were below average.
Table 1. Precipitation and
temperature at the Oakes Irrigation Research Site.
Month |
Precipitation |
Average daily temperatures |
||||
2009 |
15-year average |
25-year average |
2009 |
15-year average |
25-year average |
|
-------------------------- inches
------------------------ |
--------------------------°F -------------------------- |
|||||
April |
1.42 |
1.34 |
1.65 |
42 |
43 |
44 |
May |
0.54 |
3.31 |
2.98 |
56 |
56 |
57 |
June |
6.53 |
4.22 |
3.72 |
64 |
66 |
66 |
July |
2.30 |
3.07 |
3.20 |
67 |
71 |
71 |
August |
4.42 |
2.28 |
2.26 |
67 |
69 |
68 |
September |
2.23 |
3.02 |
2.66 |
64 |
60 |
59 |
October |
4.73 |
2.50 |
1.89 |
40 |
46 |
45 |
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Table 2. Growing degree
units1 at the Oakes Irrigation Research Site.
Month |
2009 |
10-year average |
15-year average |
25-year average |
May |
309 |
296 |
291 |
325 |
June |
434 |
490 |
495 |
497 |
July |
529 |
648 |
639 |
627 |
August |
518 |
573 |
586 |
570 |
September |
438 |
385 |
377 |
360 |
Total |
2228 |
2392 |
2388 |
2379 |
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.
2009 |
10-year average |
15-year average |
25-year average |
||
Last
frost in spring |
|||||
32 °F or less |
May 10 |
May 3 |
May 1 |
May 3 |
|
28 °F or less |
Apr 10 |
Apr 27 |
Apr 26 |
Apr 28 |
|
First
frost in fall |
|||||
32 °F or less |
Oct 8 |
Oct 4 |
Oct 3 |
Sep 30 |
|
28 °F or less |
Oct 8 |
Oct 7 |
Oct 7 |
Oct 5 |
|
Frost
free period (days) |
151 |
154 |
154 |
150 |
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Table 4. Irrigation water
applied, 2009.
Study |
Irrigation water applied |
inches |
|
Barley
variety trial |
6.9 |
Carbon sequestration study |
|
corn
on corn |
9.5 |
corn
on onion |
9.5 |
soybean
on corn |
9.5 |
Dry edible bean trials |
|
pinto
bean variety trial |
7.5 |
miscellaneous
edible bean variety trial |
7.5 |
navy
bean variety trial |
7.5 |
Field
corn hybrid performance trial |
10.8 |
Field
corn variety and row width study |
10.4 |
Hard
red spring wheat variety trial |
6.9 |
Onion
hybrid performance trial |
14.0 |
Onion
conventional vs strip-till |
14.0 |
Onion
weed control study |
14.0 |
Potato
variety trial |
11.6 |
Soybean nursery |
|
conventional
early |
8.3 |
conventional
late |
8.0 |
natto |
9.8 |
tufo |
9.8 |
Soybean
variety performance trial |
9.3 |
Strip-till |
|
corn
on soybean |
10.3 |
soybean
on corn |
8.3 |
corn
on corn |
6.8 |
Sugar
beet conventional tillage vs strip-till trial |
13.3 |
Sugar
beet roundup ready variety trial |
11.8 |
Sunflower head
rot study* |
2.0 |
*Received several additional inches irrigation via the misting system
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Go to Oakes Irrigation
Research Site 2009 Annual Report
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Research Site home page