Temperatures will start to trend cooler with chances of precipitation for this week. It’s a good thing for range pastures and dryland wheat, but not so good for millet growers in the midst of harvesting.

“Millet is about half done, if not more, in the county (Cheyenne County),” said Leon Kreisel, owner of Kriesel Certified Seed and a millet grower. “It’s in good condition for harvest, and we have one more field to go, but with yesterday’s (Sept. 15) rain and then some more coming, we will be waiting.”

The millet crop varies from good to poor across the growing region. Factors contributing to the poor millet included heavy rains and early hail, which let the weeds grow, plus the high temperatures during pollination.

“The test weights are OK, ranging from 10 to 15 up to 50 bushels per acre,” Kreisel said.

“In the rest of the Panhandle, the dry bean harvest is in full swing for those fields not replanted. Early harvest continues for sugarbeets. Corn silage is being harvested, and potato harvest will begin soon,” said Gary Stone, Nebraska Extension educator.

Stone added this is the last crop water use listing for the 2024 Panhandle crops growing season. Irrigation water deliveries in the canals will cease this week for most, if not all, canals in the Panhandle.

Seminoe Reservoir is at 567,896 acre-feet or 56% capacity, Pathfinder Reservoir is at 585,095 acre-feet or 55% capacity, and Glendo Reservoir is at 100,763 acre-feet or 20% capacity. Drawdown for the Glendo Reservoir is normal for this time of year to allow for the 2025 runoff and storage.

Assisting growers with monitoring their crop's water profile is the estimated crop water use for Sept. 16-22. The table information includes the estimated crop water use for Nebraska Panhandle crops for the previous week and the upcoming week. The table is 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.

Register online to receive a weekly text message with the table information.

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