USA: Drought puts wheat crop in jeopardy

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (DTN) -- These days, Kyle Krier isn't sure how many times to say "very" when he describes the persistent dryness that surrounds his central Kansas farm. "It is very, very dry," he said this week of the conditions near Claflin, roughly two hours northwest of Wichita. He estimated that his farm has received about 1.3 inches of total precipitation in the past six months. "And there's no rain in sight." Krier isn't alone. Across much of the Southern Plains, near- or above-normal rainfall hasn't fallen since last August. In some areas, the last appreciable rain took place in May 2022. As a result, the region finds itself in the grips of a drought that threatens to significantly affect the success of this year's winter wheat crop. "We've had a very active weather pattern across the country the past four months, but this area just has not been able to see anything significant out of it," said DTN Ag Meteorologist John Baranick. "They are being skipped over again by a ...