ATHENS, Ga. – After a month of little rain
and intense heat, severe
drought conditions have returned to parts of north and middle
Georgia. Lack of topsoil
moisture is a major concern across the state.

The Georgia
Agricultural Statistical Service
reports that moisture is short to very short in 80 percent of
the state’s soils. Last year
at this time, in a dry summer, soil moisture was rated as short
to very short in 60
percent of the soils. The average over the past five years is
32 percent.

Soil Moisture
Low

Soils are very dry in southwest Georgia, with potential crop
yields being severely cut
because of dryness, according to the August 7 Crop
Moisture Index. Soils in
northeast, west central and central Georgia are excessively
dry, with yield prospects
reduced.

The CMI rates soils in north central, east central, south
central and southeast Georgia
as abnormally dry, with yield prospects deteriorating. The soil
moisture in northeast
Georgia is rated as short.

Many places in north and middle Georgia received less than a
third of their normal
rainfall during the past four weeks (July 14 through Aug. 10).
Some had less than a fourth
of normal rainfall, including Athens (0.80 inches) and
Blairsville (0.98).

Augusta (0.08 inches), Columbus (0.31), Macon (0.58) and
Rome (0.41) each had less than
a fifth of normal rainfall.

Palmer Drought Severity
Index

The Palmer
Drought Severity
Index is the most commonly used drought index in the United
States. The PDSI
classifies long-term drought conditions, primarily to assess
hydrological conditions. It
is not a good index for most agricultural purposes.

As of Aug. 7, the PDSI classifies all of Georgia except the
northwest corner in
moderate to severe drought. The northwest corner is in mild
drought.

Soil moisture loss from evapotranspiration ranged from 1.25
to 1.5 inches across the
state last week. With the current evapotranspiration rates, the
state will continue to
lose soil moisture even with normal rainfall.

Above-normal rainfall will be needed to end drought
conditions. According to the PDSI
calculations, the northeast, west central, central, southwest
and south central Georgia
need more than six inches of rain to end the drought.

You can get updates on drought conditions at the University
of Georgia drought Web
site. Or contact your county Extension
Service agent.