Crop Water Use for Aug. 19-26, 2025

August 26, 2025

Crop Water Use for Aug. 19-26, 2025

By Gary Stone - Extension Educator, Xin Qiao - Irrigation and Water Management Specialist

crop water use graphic

Crop water use peaked near 2 inches in both Nebraska and Colorado this past week as corn, soybean and sorghum reached critical reproductive stages, while demand tapered off in potatoes and early alfalfa regrowth — see how totals stacked up across regions.

The estimated crop water use for Nebraska Panhandle and northeast Colorado crops for the previous week is shown in the tables below. The tables are based on data gathered and calculations made by Gary Stone, Nebraska Extension educator, and Dr. Xin Qiao, extension irrigation and water management specialist, both based at the UNL Panhandle Research and Extension Center in Scottsbluff, Nebraska.

Crop water use will vary across the Panhandle due to variations in ET, crop growth stage, temperature, soil type, wind and precipitation events. Crop water use will assist growers with irrigation scheduling and efficient water application and use.

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More Resources

Table showing estimated crop water use for Nebraska Panhandle crops for the week ending Aug. 24, 2025, with values by growth stage and location; highest demand near 2 inches for corn, soybean, sorghum, and wheat at reproductive stages, lowest near 0.2 inches for early alfalfa regrowth and pre-senescent potatoes.
Figure 1. Estimated crop water use for Nebraska Panhandle crops: Aug. 19-26, 2025.
Table showing estimated crop water use for Colorado crops for the week ending Aug. 24, 2025, with values by growth stage and location; highest demand around 2 inches for corn and soybean at reproductive stages, lowest near 0.4 inches for pre-senescent potatoes and early alfalfa regrowth. Running ET totals range from about 32 to 42 inches across locations.
Figure 2. Estimated crop water use for northeast Colorado crops: Aug. 19-26, 2025.

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