A Look Back at 2012 and the Drought

Nebraska Producer, Gary Greving estimating a 2- to 5-bushel improvement with SDI

As we move into a new year, it is sometimes helpful to take a moment to reflect on the previous.

An issue that touched almost everyone last year was the drought.  Some regions were affected worse than others, but the conclusion was the same:  Water is a precious resource and it is important to look for better and more efficient ways to conserve and irrigate.

One of the regions most affected by the drought was the Midwest.  Many producers lost water and crops to scorching heat or dry winds.  Fortunately, some producers saw potential in water-saving technologies, such as subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) and started converting their fields from other less efficient irrigation techniques.  Some of these producers even saw increased yields.  In the following Nebraska Farmer article, reporter Dan Crummet interviewed a couple of Nebraska producers to see how subsurface drip irrigation helped them survive the worst drought in 50 years.

Click here to read Nebraskan Farmers See Potential in Subsurface Drip Irrigation (SDI)

So, as we look forward to a hopefully prosperous and drought-free 2013, let’s thank pioneers like Gary Greving (pictured) and resolve to improve our irrigation techniques.