	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:				Kelly.c.Cooper@ndsu.edu

	WEATHER AND IRRIGATION 2017

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 2016 - 2017 was non-eventful. Temperatures followed a typical winter in North Dakota with warm and cool temperatures through the winter months with no extremes. The amount of snow received for the winter was less than the long-term average. Most field work and planting dates were ahead or near seasonal averages. The last frost in the spring was on May 2. The maximum temperature equaled or exceeded 90°F eleven times; four times in June, six times in July and once in September. The high temperature of 97°F occurred twice; July 11 and July 17. Precipitation was below the long-term average in April, May, June, July and October. Precipitation was above the long‑term average in August and September. The total rainfall for the season was about six inches below the long‑term average (April to October). The mean daily temperatures were nearly the same as the long‑term averages for the season except for August, which was four degrees below the long-term average. The first frost, October 9, was also the first hard frost (≤ 28°F). All crops reached maturity before frost. Growing degree units in 2017 were below the long-term average.


Table 1. Precipitation and temperature at the Oakes Irrigation Research Site.
	Precipitation			Average daily temperatures
Month	2017	15-year average	25-year average	2017	15-year average	25-year average
	-------------------------------------°F-------------------------------------			-------------------------------------°F-------------------------------------
April	1.18	1.54	1.56	44	44	43
May	1.46	3.39	3.06	56	56	56
June	2.14	4.46	4.10	67	67	67
July	0.88	2.55	3.16	72	71	71
August	3.86	2.60	2.37	65	69	69
September	2.85	2.43	2.75	60	61	60
October	0.74	2.09	2.21	47	47	47


Table 2. Growing degree units¹ at the Oakes Irrigation Research Site.
Month	2017	10-year average	15-year average	25-year average

May	310	306	302	303
June	513	507	505	503
July	648	649	652	639
August	476	583	576	581
September	366	387	384	376

Total	2313	2432	2419	2401
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.

Table 3. Dates of last and first frosts.
		10-year	15-year	25-year
	2017	average	average	average
Last frost in Spring

32 °F or less	2-May	10-May	6-May	4-May
28 °F or less	29-Apr	27-Apr	27-Apr	27-Apr

First frost in Fall

32 °F or less	9-Oct	4-Oct	4-Oct	2-Oct
28 °F or less	9-Oct	10-Oct	9-Oct	8-Oct

Frost free period (days)	160	147	151	151

Table 4. Irrigation water applied, 2017.
Study	Irrigation water applied
	inches
Dry edible bean variety trials	9.6
Field corn hybrid performance trial	11.9
Optimum corn stover removal for biofuel
corn on corn	14.0
corn on soybean	14.0
soybean on corn	14.0
Potato trials	14.3
Soybean Sclerotinia study	12.3
Soybean studies	12.3
Soybean variety performance trials	11.9
Soybean studies - Mosaic/Bayer	13.2
Strip-till
corn on corn	14.0
corn on soybean	14.0
soybean on corn	14.0
Sunflower fungicide drop nozzle study*	9.2
*Received additional irrigation via the misting system.

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