According to the latest Oklahoma Drought Map, Exceptional Drought has decreased significantly from last week’s 20.62 percent- now at 10.09 percent this week.

Extreme Drought or worse levels have decreased from 43.19 percent last week to 33.47 this week.

Severe Drought or worse saw some slight improvement, moving from last week’s 49.87 percent to 48.9 percent this week.

Moderate drought or worse is now at 52.47 percent, improving from last week’s 54.07 percent.

Abnormally dry or worse conditions have improved since last week, moving from last week’s 64.52 percent to 59.42 percent this week.

According to the 6 to 10-Day Precipitation Outlook Map, the northeast corner of the state, along with most of the panhandle region spilling over into western Oklahoma, is leaning above a 33 to 40 percent chance of precipitation through May 13. The far western edge of the panhandle is standing at a “near normal” chance of rain. The rest of the state is leaning above a 40 to 50 percent chance of rain through that May 13 date.

To view Oklahoma's drought numbers for this week, click the Oklahoma Drought Map above the story.



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In this episode of Beef Buzz, I am featuring comments from Associate Farm Editor, Reagan Calk’s visit with the Chief Council at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Mary-Thomas Hart. In today’s Beef Buzz, Hart talks about the Waters of the U.S. rule.

“We have had a couple of different court opinions across the country that have granted preliminary injunctions, so the first was in the southern district of Texas where we got a preliminary injunction for Texas and Idaho, and that was followed shortly after by a much larger preliminary injunction in North Dakota that granted a PI, or expanded that PI to cover 24 additional states,” Hart said. “Up to 26 states, or over half of the country, is currently protected from the implementation of the Biden administration’s WOTUS definition.”

As for the states that do not have a preliminary injunction, Hart said having the PI is dependent on where the government in those states stands. All 26 states who received the PI, Hart said, have a Republican attorney general who filed.

“If you are in a state with a Democratic-led attorney general or a Democratic-led state government, your state was less likely to file and ask for that preliminary injunction because they might be more okay with the Biden rule,” Hart said.

Hart said NCBA continues to engage with those Democratic-led states, to ensure the producers and state governments have the resources they need.

Pros and Cons of Pre-Planting Nitrogen for Winter Wheat with Brian Arnall

I had the opportunity to talk with Precision Nutrient Management Extension Specialist for Oklahoma State University, Brian Arnall, about nitrogen application on winter wheat crops.

Arnall talked about the value of in-season nitrogen management so the environment can “play out” a little bit.

“On the forage side, we need that nitrogen to create the biomass, but on the grain-only side, we have seen for many ears that we are not getting any return on that pre-plant, versus something later season,” Arnall said. “We thought earlier we needed it for early vigor, we thought we needed it for tiller management and tiller production. All of these things we thought we needed early nitrogen for on our grain only crop isn’t playing that way.”

While on the forage side, that nitrogen is needed to create biomass, Arnall said on the grain-only side, there have not been any returns on the pre-planting of nitrogen versus the early season.

“It takes rain to grow grain and forage in Oklahoma- we all know that,” Arnall said. “When our nitrogen fertilizer goes into the soil, it turns into a mobile nutrient nitrate, so if we have a lot of rains, it is going to create leaching, it is going to create water movement below the root system. Early nitrogen on a good grain or forage year is likely to be lost due to leaching.”

The map above shows you where we have had rainfall across Oklahoma this week- and is an early predictor to what we might see in next week's Drought Monitor.

With very little rain the northern areas of the state- and not much predicted between now and Tuesday- it's unlikely that we will get much additional reduction in extreme or exceptional drought when the next Monitor is released.

The band of rain shown across the middle of the state could help n those counties to roll back drought just a bit more as as our soil moisture profile getting rebuilt a bit- and ponds in the heavier rainfall areas getting some water back in them.

The forecast for this coming week suggests we might get more rainfall- especially as we get to Wednesday and Thusday.

Keep those prayers up for rain!

Emergency Drought Commission Meeting Coming up May 8th 10am

The Oklahoma Emergency Drought Commission will meet on May 8 at 10:00 Am at the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture Building in the board room. There will be an opportunity for public comment.

Oklahoma’s Emergency Drought Commission, enabled through passage of Enrolled House Bill 1923 in 2013, provides funding for drought mitigation and related projects in Oklahoma in conjunction with a formal gubernatorial drought declaration. The Emergency Drought Commission consists of the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Conservation Commission, the Secretary of Agriculture and the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Water Resources Board. 

The Emergency Drought Commission shall determine the expenditures to be made from the Emergency Drought Relief Fund, totaling up to three million dollars as appropriated by House Bill 2959, and shall determine the appropriate agency to expend the funds. The activities of the Emergency Drought Commission shall continue until it is determined by the Governor that a drought emergency no longer exists in the state. Specific assistance projects are limited to the affected counties and must be approved by the Oklahoma Emergency Drought Commission. The Emergency Drought Commission also serves as a permanent drought advisory panel to the Governor and appropriate state agencies.

Noble County Tractor, Inc. Liquidation Auction in Perry, OK Tomorrow

Noble County Tractors officially closed their doors on March 31st this year after 75 years of service and have commissioned Pickens Auctions to liquidate the remaining assets. The assets include Prime Perry, OK, commercial real estate, parts, shop tools, equipment, trucks, and trailers.

One of the items included in the auction will be a 1959 Edsel with only 62,000 original miles that Richard sold brand new and purchased back from the original owner years later. Another item included in the offering is a 1949 GMC truck with 44,000 original miles. Gregg Pickens says "We are truly honored to auction the real estate and assets of Noble County Tractor, Inc."

The sale will be tomorrow- Saturday May 6th at 9 AM at the business location- 629 Elm Street in Perry.

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