By Mark Badertscher, OSU Extension Educator

During the month of August, Extension volunteer rainfall reporters received an average of 2.50 inches of rain. 

The most rain for this month, 3.90 inches, fell in Hale Township as measured by Tim Ramsey.  The least rain reported during the month, 1.56 inches was reported in Liberty Township by Phil Epley. 

During the same month last year, an average of 3.73 inches of rain fell. The rainfall recorded in August over the past ten years averaged 4.14 inches. 

For the growing season since April 15, the average precipitation in the townships was 22.91 inches, ranging from 27.91 inches in Liberty Township to 18.65 inches in Goshen Township. The growing season average rainfall was 4.42 inches above the ten-year average for Hardin County for the same period.

Manure applications and weed management has occurred on wheat stubble. 

Conservation projects continue around the county as some wheat stubble fields have been tiled and waterways have been installed.  Lower amounts of rain in August have had an adverse effect on soybean pod development and fill. 

The shallow root system in some cornfields as a result of wet weather earlier in the growing season has limited nutrient and moisture uptake.  Some fields have been harvested as corn silage instead of grain to fill a need for livestock feed. 

Some of these chopped fields were followed up with a manure application to increase soil fertility.  Cover crops have been slow to emerge and grow due to dry soil conditions in some areas. 

There has been hay mowed in several fields, or recently made as producers try to harvest this crop at the best time to permit fall grow back of forages and build forage stocks for the winter.