Idaho’s potato crop is finally getting some relief from the hot, dry summer.
Monsoonal moisture coming up from eastern Pacific hurricanes is moving inland and dropping various amounts of rain in potato-growing areas.
This is the first measurable rain any of the southern and eastern Idaho reporting stations have had in months. Although rainfall amounts as of Friday morning were small, the relief for irrigators was very welcome.
With the potato crop in its final stages of growth, any moisture will help with tuber bulking and digging which is just getting under way.
The Idaho Agricultural Statistics Service Crop Weather Report for Sept. 1 reported that 76 percent of the potato crop was “good-to-excellent.” The irrigation water supply was described as 55 percent “fair-to-poor.”
Some canal companies have turned off head gates for the present time, holding water back for harvest. Most storage reservoirs are nearly empty as the extended drought continues to take a toll on agriculture.