A new University of Nebraska web site provides extension and other resources to help Nebraskans cope with drought.
The NU Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources’ Drought Resources and Information web site features a variety of drought-related information from managing crops to handling stress and maintaining landscapes.
The site is one point of entry where people can access information to continue to deal with the situation. The site is: http://ianrhome.unl.edu/drought.
Meanwhile, most of the western United States continues to deal with severe drought. Few areas have had any measurable rain, including most potato-growing regions.
A hailstorm swept through Pleasant Valley west of Aberdeen and American Falls, ID, last week, destroying 1,500 acres of potatoes, 1,500 acres of sugarbeets and 3,000 acres of grain. Other acres suffered less extensive damage.
About 10 growers were affected. Potatoes stripped to stems included chippers, Shepodies, Rangers, Burbanks and Norkotahs.
Most Idaho irrigation companies will curtail flows in the next two weeks. Some will save late water for those who still have storage rights. Other growers will be forced to end their growing season early. Specialists fear this will lead to a smaller size profile and cause an early vine kill. This could result to harvesting in warm temperatures which invariably leads to bruising.