Great Bend Tribune
Published August 30, 2025
As of Tuesday, August 26th, the drought monitor report indicates little change and the dry conditions in western Pawnee County are gone.听 The six-to ten-day outlook (September 2 to 6) indicates a 60 to 70% chance of likely below normal for temperatures and a 33 to 50% chance of leaning above normal for precipitation.听 The eight to fourteen-day outlook (September 4 to 10) indicates a 50 to 60% chance of leaning below normal for temperatures and a 33 to 40% chance of leaning above normal for precipitation.听 While it may slow down the approach of corn harvest, it鈥檚 fantastic for finishing soybeans and grain sorghum.听
Today, let鈥檚 discuss what this summer weather means for the 2025 crops and the 2026 wheat crop.听 Most of our area and the entire state have experienced above normal, some areas well above normal, precipitation and overall normal temperatures.听 This past week and forecasted through mid-September, below normal temperatures.听 We have been more humid than normal and while we have experienced typical 90+ degree temperatures, there has been an extended heat wave.听 So, where are we?
- Corn, soybean, and even milo yields always take a hit with our typical summer.听 However, this year overall, corn was planted in a timely fashion and much of the corn pollinated in reasonable conditions.听 Most are looking at a good dryland and irrigated crop.听 The hot weather dinged soybeans some, but this is ideal weather for us to finish the soybean crop.听 Milo looks good.听 As is typical with a wide range of planting dates, we have milo growth stages ranging from grain changing color to just flowering.听 Most is at least filling seed and prospects look good for a decent soybean crop and very good milo crop.
- It has been a good to very good year for producing forage for hay or silage.听 The challenge is baling hay before it has been rained on.听 After the last few years, area producers have baled a great deal of hay.听 Also, perennial pastures are in much better shape and overall grazing conditions are much better than in the last five years.
- Fall, about now, is a preferred time to plant alfalfa.听 Normally we deal with sketchy soil moisture and hot temperatures.听 This looks like the best fall planting window in years.
- Finally, we are heading into the best soil moisture conditions for wheat in years.听 Most actually have good subsoil moisture.听 The keys are controlling volunteer wheat, weed control, proper fertility, timely planting, and not working the ground to death.
- One last thing is important.听 We haven鈥檛 worried about this for a good while, but produces need to be careful with equipment traffic as soils with good soil moisture compact more easily.