DROUGHT
ABOUT DROUGHT
A deficiency of precipitation from expected or normal that extends over a season or longer period of time and results in water
supply that is insufficient to meet the needs of human activities and
the environment.
Hydrological Drought
Lack of water in river systems and
reservoirs can impact hydroelectric power companies, farmers, wildlife,
and communities.
Meteorological Drought
Most locations around the world
have their own meteorological definition of drought based on the climate
normals in the area. A normally rainy area that gets less rain than
usual can be considered in a drought.
Agricultural Drought
When soil moisture becomes a problem,
the agricultural industry is in trouble with drought. Shortages in
precipitation and reduced ground water levels can create stress and
problems for crops.
WHAT
TO DO BEFORE
- You should maximize the volume and depth of the grass roots so
that minimum irrigation is sufficient for their watering requirements.
When summer is about to end, you should properly mow and irrigate the
lawn.
- Rather than irrigating your lawn during the spring, the grasses
should be allowed to grow naturally. Neither the field should be scalped
nor should it be irrigated before grasses wither because of dry weather
conditions. Here, one needs to mow frequently.
- Little dryness of soil & drooping of grasses during moist
weather harden the root to such an extent that they can tolerate dry
conditions.
- Use a sharp blade to mow the grass in such a manner that they
form deep roots having a dense cover. The more deep is a root system,
the greater will it extract moisture from soil.
- You should mow the grasses s that they attain a length of around
6-cm. Frequent mowing should be done so that clippings attain a height
of 2 to 3 cm. Grasses mowed at the height of 7 to 9 cm can possibly
survive long and dry periods.
- Mowing turf grasses so that they attain a great height is just
not beneficial for a lawn, as it leads to scalping of grasses
particularly during spring when these species are growing at a fast
rate. In simple words, scalped turf makes a lawn look unattractive.
- Apply Nitrogen fertilizers to temperate grasses like perennial
ryegrass, Kentucky blue grass, tall fescue, early during a dry season.
If a lawn looks bare during spring, you should also add some fertilizer.
- But avoid applying nitrogen during spring and summer as it leads
to in more leaf growth. These leaves use plant energy, which would be
used to produce roots needed to absorb soil moisture during summer.
WHAT TO DO DURING
Pre-drought planning prepares us mentally as well as managerially for the drought while the
drought will test our drought management plan. During the drought it is important to accomplish the following management tactics to minimize the droughts effect on profitability, animal health and pasture health:
- Inventory forage supply,
-
Graze plants to target stubble height,
-
Rest pasture until target grazing height is achieved,
-
Don’t open up the gates,
-
Improve grazing efficiency,
-
Wean calves early,
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Reduce grazing of cow herd,
-
Feed hay or grain, and
-
Implement livestock marketing/relocation plans.
WHAT TO DO AFTER
The sound of a soft soaking rain is one of the most beautiful sounds, especially after a drought. It
also marks the time when we should get to work on repairing damage caused by the drought. When soil
moisture marks the end of the drought we need to accomplish the following management to help get the
operation back on course:
• rest pastures until the target grazing height is achieved
• graze pastures to target stubble height
• use N fertilizer to increase production
• reseed legumes and grasses as needed
• use annual forages during pasture renovation
