Low Soil Moisture Long Term Negative Side Effect of Drought, Now Heat
By: Josh Berry
Updated: July 29, 2012
Spot showers across Central Arkansas have not been enough to make any kind of dent in the drought and it's not providing much relief for plants because the moisture often doesn't even make it into the soil.
In fact, you may be shocked at how quickly water can evaporate from the hot sun.
"As you can see there's a lot of cracks in the ground," showed orchard farm manager, Israel Luna as he walked across his crop field. "There's moments where when we water, that water will hit that crack and skip a 20 foot area. It's following that dry crack and not even watering in that area."
Like cracks on dry skin, separations in the ground spread across every inch of some crop land. In parts they're big enough to fit your hand in. Farmers said they've even lost tools down them.
It's all due to a lack of substantial rain and the heat.
"We're hoping for more," Luna said. "We haven't had any amount of rain that's stayed long enough for us to even consider it a rain. As quick as it hits, it's gone."
It's like watering your yard in the middle of the day. As soon as water hits a blade of grass, heat zaps it right back up. Anything trying to grasp at what moisture it can get is left high and dry.
When asked if deep soil moisture is important, Luna responded, "Definitely, and it's not there. This year we've had no rain and there's been no moisture of any kind."
And that forces irrigation which may give crops, plants, or grass a quick drink in the short term, but long-term leaves them thirsting for more.
The lack of soil moisture can hold possible long term negative effects.
While rain in any amount is always a good thing, farmers need this heat to break and receive some consistent rain.
In fact, you may be shocked at how quickly water can evaporate from the hot sun.
"As you can see there's a lot of cracks in the ground," showed orchard farm manager, Israel Luna as he walked across his crop field. "There's moments where when we water, that water will hit that crack and skip a 20 foot area. It's following that dry crack and not even watering in that area."
Like cracks on dry skin, separations in the ground spread across every inch of some crop land. In parts they're big enough to fit your hand in. Farmers said they've even lost tools down them.
It's all due to a lack of substantial rain and the heat.
"We're hoping for more," Luna said. "We haven't had any amount of rain that's stayed long enough for us to even consider it a rain. As quick as it hits, it's gone."
It's like watering your yard in the middle of the day. As soon as water hits a blade of grass, heat zaps it right back up. Anything trying to grasp at what moisture it can get is left high and dry.
When asked if deep soil moisture is important, Luna responded, "Definitely, and it's not there. This year we've had no rain and there's been no moisture of any kind."
And that forces irrigation which may give crops, plants, or grass a quick drink in the short term, but long-term leaves them thirsting for more.
The lack of soil moisture can hold possible long term negative effects.
While rain in any amount is always a good thing, farmers need this heat to break and receive some consistent rain.
