August 25th: ---Since September of 2014, to date, we have received 13.2" of moisture. That is below normal, but not by much. The real story though starts in June of 2015. We haven't had more than a trace of moisture since May. Along with the lack of moisture, we have had an unusually hot summer beginning in June with many weeks, (not days as is usual), with temperatures hovering around 100-/+. We have also received significant wind lasting several days at a time this summer.
I have a test area in the field where we earlier held the drill demonstration in tall stubble. There are four sites close together. All these site have HOBO temperature sensors associated with them, but I won't pull them until we seed. The sites are as follows: a)--bare ground with a board pressed firmly to the ground, b)--tall stubble with light surface residue, c)--mowed stubble with heavy surface residue (1"+) with no dirt showing, d)--bare ground without being cultivated.
At this point in time, at all sites, we could reach moisture with the CrossSlot drill. The exposed bare ground was baked hard, but good moisture was only 1.5" down. The tall stubble with light surface residue was easy for the shovel to penetrate; however, the moisture was just as deep as the exposed bare ground, --it may arguably be better moisture. Nothing can match a thick layer of surface residue. When I scraped away the residue, good moisture was at the surface, and the shovel easily penetrated the ground.
The pic shows the value of litter on the surface. I wiped the litter to the side with my hand without taking soil. Moisture is right there at the surface.
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