Oakes
Table 1.
Precipitation and temperature
Table 3.
Dates of last and first frosts
Table 4.
Irrigation water applied
The winter of 2007 - 2008 was mild with little snow cover through January. February saw colder temperatures. April had several snow falls which delayed field operations. The last frost in the spring was on May 14, about 12 days later than average. Summer temperatures were cooler than average the first half of the growing season and about average for the second half of the season. The maximum temperature equaled or exceeded 90°F 8 times; six times in July and twice in August. The highest temperature was 93°F on July 1 and July 14. Precipitation was above average in June and October; below average in April, May and September; and about average in July and August. Total annual precipitation was near the long-term average. The average daily temperatures were average in July, August and September; above average in October; and below average in April, May and June. The first frost was on October 14 and first hard frost was on October 16. The first frost was about 15 days later than the long term average and the first hard frost was 12 days later than the long term average (25-year). All crops matured before frost, but most corn matured late resulting in higher moisture at harvest. Growing degree units in 2008 were below average.
Table 1. Precipitation and
temperature at the Oakes Irrigation Research Site.
Month |
Precipitation |
Average daily temperatures |
||||
2008 |
15-year average |
25-year average |
2008 |
15-year average |
25-year average |
|
-------------------------- inches
------------------------ |
--------------------------°F -------------------------- |
|||||
April |
0.71 |
1.37 |
41 |
44 |
||
May |
1.24 |
3.31 |
3.00 |
54 |
56 |
57 |
June |
4.30 |
3.84 |
3.73 |
64 |
67 |
67 |
July |
3.67 |
3.33 |
3.20 |
71 |
71 |
71 |
August |
2.71 |
2.18 |
2.12 |
70 |
69 |
69 |
September |
2.44 |
3.04 |
2.62 |
60 |
60 |
59 |
October |
5.37 |
2.41 |
48 |
46 |
The 25-year averages are not available for April and
October.
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Table 2. Growing degree
units1 at the Oakes Irrigation Research Site.
Month |
2008 |
10-year average |
15-year average |
25-year average |
May |
279 |
296 |
299 |
323 |
June |
430 |
494 |
502 |
498 |
July |
640 |
660 |
640 |
630 |
August |
626 |
580 |
585 |
575 |
September |
369 |
367 |
375 |
352 |
Total |
2344 |
2397 |
2401 |
2378 |
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.
2008 |
10-year average |
15-year average |
25-year average |
||
Last
frost in spring |
|||||
32 °F or less |
May 14 |
Apr 30 |
May 1 |
4-May |
|
28 °F or less |
May 11 |
Apr 28 |
Apr 27 |
28-Apr |
|
First
frost in fall |
|||||
32 °F or less |
Oct 14 |
Oct 3 |
Oct 3 |
29-Sep |
|
28 °F or less |
Oct 16 |
Oct 5 |
Oct 8 |
4-Oct |
|
Frost
free period (days) |
153 |
155 |
155 |
149 |
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Table 4. Irrigation water
applied, 2008.
Study |
Irrigation
water applied |
inches |
|
Barley
variety trial |
7.5 |
Carbon
sequestration study |
|
corn
on corn |
10.4 |
corn
on onion |
9.4 |
soybean
on corn |
9.4 |
Dry
edible bean trials |
|
dry
edible bean seed treatment |
10.5 |
pinto
bean variety trial |
8.8 |
miscellaneous
edible bean variety trial |
10.5 |
navy
bean variety trial |
10.5 |
Field
corn hybrid performance trial |
12.8 |
Field
corn population and row width study |
12.8 |
Hard
red spring wheat variety trial |
9 |
Horsch Anderson vs conventional planting |
|
corn |
11.5 |
soybean |
11 |
Onion
hybrid performance trial |
12.2 |
Onion
conventional vs strip-till |
12.2 |
Onion
weed control study |
13.2 |
Potato
variety trial |
13.2 |
Soybean
nursery |
|
conventional |
10 |
early
roundup ready |
11 |
roundup
ready |
10 |
Soybean
variety performance trial |
10 |
Strip-till |
|
corn
on soybean |
12.3 |
soybean
on corn |
10.8 |
corn
on corn |
9.5 |
Sugar
beet conventional tillage vs strip-till trial |
14.7 |
Sunflower head
rot study* |
3.5 |
*Received several additional inches irrigation via the misting system
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Oakes Irrigation Research Site 2008 Annual Report
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