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.
Most recently, severe droughts occurred in 1983, 1988 and 1991. Yield losses in corn as a result of drought stress during those years were 33, 29 and 25 percent relative to 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 13, 27 and 1 percent relative to 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 by clicking on a selection. Use the 'Online resources' menu to access articles and publications related to drought-related cropping issues. The 'Purdue contacts' menu lists Purdue specialists who can answer your questions about drought-related cropping issues. The 'Other Web sites' selection lists links to other Web sites around the country with major drought emphases.
For timely information about current crop production issues in Indiana and the eastern Corn Belt, check out the news menu at the Chat 'n Chew Cafe.
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