Soil Temperatures - March 30, 2023 - Amy Timmerman, Extension Educator
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- [0:00] This is Amy Timmerman with Nebraska Extension.
- [0:03] Holy Cow! It is hard to believe that we in the
- [0:06] last week of March and April is knocking on our door.
- [0:09] With April knocking on our door that typically indicates
- [0:12] we are at the beginning of planting season.
- [0:15] For some of our fields we still have some snow
- [0:18] present depending on where we are at.
- [0:20] But, before we start getting out onto those fields and planting those seeds,
- [0:24] the biggest thing we need to look at right now is soil temperatures.
- [0:27] Soil temperatures is the first starting point for us to have a successful crop.
- [0:32] When the soil temperatures are at optimal temperatures for the seeds
- [0:35] that we are planting, the seeds are able to swell, germinate,
- [0:39] and start growing like gang busters and give
- [0:42] us the optimal yield that we are looking at.
- [0:44] So how do we determine what our soil temperatures are?
- [0:48] We have a great resource at cropwatch.unl.edu/soiltemperature.
- [0:53] This data on here is from the Nebraska State
- [0:56] Climate office and from Nebraska Mesonet.
- [0:59] This is updated daily.
- [1:01] If you go to the map you are able to look
- [1:04] at various spots in the state where
- [1:06] they're collecting data and they will give you
- [1:09] daily average 4-inch bare soil temperatures
- [1:12] and they will also provide weekly average
- [1:14] 4-inch bare soil temperatures.
- [1:16] So, as we look in our area, we are ranging on average
- [1:20] as of Wednesday, March 29
- [1:24] anywhere from 32° to about 39 to 40° F
- [1:29] depending on where you are at in the state.
- [1:31] So this is a great place to go - look at it.
- [1:34] However there are so many things that
- [1:36] could impact your soil temperature.
- [1:38] Are you a no-till?
- [1:39] So how much coverage do we have on that field
- [1:41] that is going to slow down
- [1:43] that temperature warming up?
- [1:46] Do I till my fields? Do I still have a lot of snow cover?
- [1:50] So one of the easiest ways is for you to go
- [1:52] out and collect your own soil temperatures.
- [1:54] You don't need to go out and buy a special soil thermometer.
- [1:57] You can get away with using a basic meat thermometer
- [2:00] that you can buy from the grocery store.
- [2:02] All you are going to do is take that thermometer out,
- [2:04] stick it down in that soil profile, give it about 5 minutes to adjust
- [2:08] to the climate and to the soil and to see what your temperatures are.
- [2:13] For me, I'm located in O'Neill.
- [2:15] On Monday, when I went out,
- [2:16] when I was looking at bare tilled soil
- [2:19] I was running about 37° F.
- [2:21] When I looked at a no-till, that has
- [2:24] been grazed by cattle, with some coverage yet,
- [2:28] I'm running about 35° F.
- [2:30] And so it gave me a really good idea where I'm at.
- [2:33] That soil temp is going to give us an indication
- [2:36] of how soon we are going to plant.
- [2:37] If you are looking at spring planted forages
- [2:39] such as oats, spring barley, spring wheat, spring triticale,
- [2:43] those plants are going to germinate at 35° F.
- [2:46] So we are right on the edge of getting those plants into the ground.
- [2:51] If you are looking at a traditional corn and soybeans,
- [2:54] we want to wait until those soil temperatures are about 50° F.
- [2:57] So we need to give it a few more weeks
- [2:59] and depending on what our weather cycles
- [3:01] are going to be that soil may warm up very quickly
- [3:03] or we may need to delay planting by a few days
- [3:07] to a week to allow that soil to warm up
- [3:09] to where we need to optimize that seed
- [3:12] to be able to germinate and grow as quickly as possible.
- [3:15] If you have any questions about soil temperatures,
- [3:18] please reach out to your local extension educator.
- [3:21] This has been Amy Timmerman with Nebraska Extension