Crop Irrigation Costs Pile Up During Dry Weather
By: Marci Manley, KARK 4 News
Updated: June 13, 2012
In Lonoke County, farmers saw about an inch and a half of rain, which bought them just three days of going without irrigation.
According to farmer Robby Bevis, his corn crop is at peak water intake. That means that the plants consume roughly one-third an inch of water every day. So an inch of rain really doesn't get them a full week without watering.
"It's a cushion, but it's not enough to curb having to irrigate. You can look around. It rained here yesterday and while the ground is still sort of moist, there's no standing water. The hotter it gets, the quicker evaporation happens. And when you haven't had a good rain in weeks, one inch or so does relatively little," he said.
And irrigation costs can quickly add up for farmers who are trying to make sure crops produce yields to equal profits. Bevis is shelling out $25,000 a week to keep his row crops watered.
"We're talking a $100,000 a month. And realistically we haven't had a significant rain in months," he said.
For those without access to water wells, Bevis said they face even tougher conditions.
"They're really operating on a hope and a prayer that rain will come," he said. "We've got soybeans on dry land, and if the weather during a year is wet, we could have yields that are nearly equal to irrigated ground. But get a dry year like this one, and you may not even see enough yields to cover the costs of planting."
According to farmer Robby Bevis, his corn crop is at peak water intake. That means that the plants consume roughly one-third an inch of water every day. So an inch of rain really doesn't get them a full week without watering.
"It's a cushion, but it's not enough to curb having to irrigate. You can look around. It rained here yesterday and while the ground is still sort of moist, there's no standing water. The hotter it gets, the quicker evaporation happens. And when you haven't had a good rain in weeks, one inch or so does relatively little," he said.
And irrigation costs can quickly add up for farmers who are trying to make sure crops produce yields to equal profits. Bevis is shelling out $25,000 a week to keep his row crops watered.
"We're talking a $100,000 a month. And realistically we haven't had a significant rain in months," he said.
For those without access to water wells, Bevis said they face even tougher conditions.
"They're really operating on a hope and a prayer that rain will come," he said. "We've got soybeans on dry land, and if the weather during a year is wet, we could have yields that are nearly equal to irrigated ground. But get a dry year like this one, and you may not even see enough yields to cover the costs of planting."
