Oakes Irrigation Research Site
Carrington Research Extension Center * North Dakota State University
P.O. Box 531, Oakes, ND 58474-0531, Phone: (701) 742-2744, FAX: (701) 742-2700, E-mail:					Blaine.Schatz@ndsu.edu
					Leonard.Besemann@ndsu.edu
WEATHER AND IRRIGATION 2014
Table 1. Precipitation and temperature
Table 2. Growing degree units
Table 3. Dates of last and first frosts
Table 4. Irrigation water applied

	The winter of 2013 - 2014 concluded with below average snowfall amounts. No record low temperatures were recorded, but daily low temperatures were consistently below zero for much of the winter. Most field work and planting dates were near average. The last frost in the spring was on May 17. The maximum temperature equaled or exceeded 90°F seven times; three times in May, once in June and three times in July. The highest temperature was 93°F on May 30 and July 20. Precipitation was above average in April, June and August. Precipitation was below average in May, July, September and October. The mean daily temperatures were above average in October; near average in May, June, August and September; below average in April and July. The first frost was October 4 with the first hard frost (≤ 28°F) also October 4. All crops reached maturity before frost. Growing degree units in 2014 were below average.

Table 1. Precipitation and temperature at the Oakes Irrigation Research Site.
	Precipitation			Average daily temperatures
Month	2014	15-year average	25-year average	2014	15-year average	25-year average
	-------------------------- inches ------------------------			--------------------------°F --------------------------

April	2.47	1.64	1.63	41	44	44
May	1.84	3.17	3.01	57	56	57
June	6.08	4.73	4.37	66	66	66
July	2.01	2.94	3.16	68	71	70
August	4.94	2.36	2.17	68	69	69
September	0.23	2.69	2.78	59	60	60
October	0.26	1.97	2.12	48	46	46


Table 2. Growing degree units¹ at the Oakes Irrigation Research Site.
Month	2014	10-year average	15-year average	25-year average

May	332	309	300	309
June	496	508	499	498
July	557	659	656	627
August	566	583	582	582
September	350	373	377	371

	2300	2433	2414	2387
¹Growing degree units = (Temp_max + Temp_min)/2 - 50. If Temp_max is greater than 86, then
Temp_max = 86. If Temp_min is less than 50, then Temp_min = 50. Temperature is in degrees F.


Table 3. Dates of last and first frosts.
		2014	10-year average	15-year average	25-year average
Last frost in spring
	32 °F or less	17-May	6-May	4-May	5-May
	28 °F or less	22-Apr	24-Apr	26-Apr	27-Apr
First frost in fall
	32 °F or less	4-Oct	5-Oct	3-Oct	1-Oct
	28 °F or less	4-Oct	12-Oct	8-Oct	7-Oct
Frost free period (days)		140	154	155	150


Table 4. Irrigation water applied, 2014.
Study	Irrigation water applied
	inches
Dry edible bean variety trials	6.8
Dry ediible bean fungicide trial	7.4

Field corn hybrid performance trial	7.5
Field corn study - Mosaic	7.5
Onion hybrid performance trial	7.5
Onion weed control study	7.5
Optimum corn stover removal for biofuel
corn on corn	8.0
corn on soybean	8.0
soybean on corn	8.0
Potato trials	7.7
Soybean Sclerotina study	8.1
Soybean studies	7.3
Soybean variety performance trials Roundup Ready®	7.0
Strip-till
corn on soybean	6.5
soybean on corn	7.0
corn on corn	6.8
Sunflower fungicide study	7.4
Sunflower variety head rot study*	2.5
*Received additional irrigation via the misting system

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