Information Resources for Drought-Stressed Field Crops

evere drought stress does not typically afflict Indiana agriculture every year. The amount and pattern of normal annual precipitation throughout the state usually satisfy the moisture needs of its major agronomic crops of corn, soybean, wheat, and hay. From time to time, however, severe droughts or extended periods of insufficient rainfall occur and cause major yield losses. The 2012 cropping season is currently positioning itself to join the ranks of the "great" droughts.

Most recently, severe droughts occurred in 1983, 1988 and 1991. Yield losses in corn as a result of drought stress during those years were 34, 31 and 27 percent relative to their respective trend yields. The fact that drought timing and crop tolerance influence the severity of damage among different crops is reflected in the fact that soybean losses in those same drought years were 14, 28 and 2 percent relative to their respective trend yields.

This Web site was created to serve as a repository of information on crop management issues related to drought stress. The purposes of the site are to 1) preserve the memories and experiences gained from droughts of years past and 2) add new information especially pertinent to current or future droughts. The sources of the information found within this site reside not only at Purdue University, but also include a number of other major land grant universities throughout the U.S.

Use the sidebar menu on the left side of this page to view drought-related references for field crops or forages. Other Web sites around the country with drought emphases can be viewed at the Other drought resource sites" link. Field crops Extension specialists at Purdue and elsewhere around the country are listed at the "Purdue specialists..." link.

Please send comments or dead link alerts to R.L. (Bob) Nielsen (rnielsen at purdue.edu).