Crop Water Use for July 22-29, 2025

July 29, 2025

Crop Water Use for July 22-29, 2025

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

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This week saw peak crop demand across the Panhandle and northeast Colorado, as corn at blister/dough and beans at pod elongation hit up to 2.97 inches of water use. With Nebraska totals ranging 26–30 inches since April, irrigation timing couldn’t be more critical.

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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Table showing estimated weekly crop water use for Nebraska Panhandle crops for the week ending July 29, 2025, by crop growth stage and region. Corn and dry edible beans at advanced stages used the most water — up to 2.97 inches in Enders. Running total evapotranspiration since April 30 ranges from 26.06 inches in Scottsbluff to 30.20 inches in Enders.          Ask ChatGPT
Figure 1. Estimated crop water use for Nebraska Panhandle crops: July 22-29, 2025.
Table showing estimated crop water use for Colorado crops for the week ending July 29, 2025, by crop growth stage and region. Corn at blister stage used the most water — up to 2.92 inches in Akron. Dry beans and soybeans at full cover or pod stages also showed high water use. Running ET totals since April 30 range from 24.72 inches in Kersey to 33.34 inches in Akron.          Ask ChatGPT
Figure 2. Estimated crop water use for northeast Colorado crops: July 22-29, 2025.

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