The Drought

[bannork]

I sincerely hope this thread becomes irrelevant in the next few days as the situation around Ban Dung, Udon, is becoming critical. If there's no rain in the next 2 weeks I think the recently planted rice crops will die. I've never known it this dry, when it rains, it's never long enough, unlike the past.

How's it in other Issan, northern and central areas?

[gotlost]

In Surin we have farmers that have not tilled their plots as not enough rain. The wife's family is planning for the worst.

[kokesaat]

18km to the southwest of Udon, same problem. Few fields plowed because they're too dry. I passed a few seedling beds yesterday that were very dry. I'd guess the seedlings won't make it much longer without some rain. We've been here 14 years......never seen it this dry.

[Foreverford]

We're near the Surin-Cambodian border of Buriram and usually it is very very dry compared to all the other areas but this year there has been enough rain to facilitate our rice crop. We have abandoned the transplant method of growing rice and removed the small levees and levelled the land and scatter seeds and till with the tractor. In a good rain year this is much more profitable due to the lack of labor costs. In a bad year (with no late rains) the loses are minimal compared to the transplant method for the same reason. I've been away for a while but the wife has said so far decent rains but nothing like everybody wants with good flooding of the lands. Our farms are in varying stages of going organic and the most advanced is thriving while others nearby are not doing as well in the non-ideal conditions. We do not plow anymore, just disc and that allows the earth to accept all the rain that we are getting much much better. Choke dee

[jaideeguy]

Same same dry dry up north [CM].....a few farmers gambling on the rains comming and are pumping water from wells to start seedlings in the hope of rain. Big cracks in the soil from drought and the short rains we do have just get drained down deep and go to waste.

[slapout]

The dry land. low tillage system. uses the disk instead of the plow. Subsequent working of land was with cultivator with sweeps. Too much disking, especially when dry, could pulverize the soil into a powder. The stubble would protect against wind, heavy rain erosion, shade the ground, thus holding moisture longer and machinery used, required less fuel to cover the land. This concept has been used for several years and they found that it is good to plow every few years (4 or 5) just to turn the soil from a deeper depth.

[IsaanAussie]

Slapout talks on pulverising the soil, well ours is powder already. What rain we have had is keeping the rice alive and the powder turns to soup with a heavy shower. For me the question is when to purchase fertiliser. A bit of Urea now wouldnt hurt after the next rain shower. What is everyone doing this year fertiliser wise?

I have never since soil like here before. There is no top soil and no worms. Yet things grow so easily. I'm confused.

Isaanaussie

[slapout]

We use to top dress urea when the growing crop was about 3+_ months from harvesting grain. The powder soil will crust over and help hold moisture and since there is no wind erosion here, should not be a problem, as long as periodic rain does come. Top dressing was done on dry land with the idea that rain, later would carry it into the root system. If no rain/crop failure, the carry over to the next year will be utilized by the following crop. This type of planning 9bad luck) does require yearly testing of soil for the crop planted and fertilizer needed.

[SpeedTriple]

In Prasat, Surin...

We just replanted 50% of the fields because the plants withered and died.

Locals say it's the worst they can remember.

[gotlost]

The Mae Kuang Resevoir opened its irrigation canals for the farmers this morning .This is the main irrigation source for rice farming east of Chiang Mai. The reservoir is located just north of Doi Saket.. The tractors woke me at 4:30 plowing in the fields. I just hope they have enough water for this season's harvest.

[billd766]

Though I am not a farmer over here in Khampaeng Phet province near to the Mae Wong national park we get a heavy shower for about 15 minutes most days and there does not seem to be a water shortage.

There are rice paddies and also cassava all around us and they seem to be doing OK.

We now have water from the government most of the time but back in April and May there was none for about 7 weeks.

I DO hope it starts to rain soon for a long time preferably overnight then somethings may get better.

[Foreverford]

The dry land. low tillage system. uses the disk instead of the plow. Subsequent working of land was with cultivator with sweeps. Too much disking, especially when dry, could pulverize the soil into a powder. The stubble would protect against wind, heavy rain erosion, shade the ground, thus holding moisture longer and machinery used, required less fuel to cover the land. This concept has been used for several years and they found that it is good to plow every few years (4 or 5) just to turn the soil from a deeper depth.

Local farmers chem. fertilize, poison, harvest, then let the fields remain fallow, burn, then plow and wait for fantastic rains to plant again. They don't make much of a profit if the rains are good. If there are poor rains well..... We scattter plant pah teung (sun hemp) in the muddy muck of post rice harvest and cut the stubble over it with weed wackers. That all gets disced in when the pah teung flowers. So where the average local gets a few pounds of ash per rai we are getting nearly tons (if two plantings) of organic matter into the soil along with all the nitrogen that the pah teung has fixed from the air (79% N 21%O) on its roots. We also amend with chicken manure and bio-char. Soil testing is always a great idea and can be very beneficial at start and periodically. By not plowing you never destroy the capillary structure of the soil and with good tilth the soil will be able to receive and retain and release the rain water it gets much more beneficially to help maintain good growth characteristics in your crop. Amazingly it is easy and simple and very cost effective.

[WatersEdge]

If you would like to compare rainfall on a nationwide basis,

you can view the daily report from Thailand Meteorological Department.

http://www.tmd.go.th/programs/uploads/cdms/Daily/DailyObserved7AM-en.pdf

http://www.tmd.go.th/en/climate.php

gives the report with a 30 day archive

For each respective location, there is a 30 year average chart,

like this one for my location Mae Sot

http://www.tmd.go.th/en/province_stat.php?StationNumber=48375

This is a great year to have irrigation standing by

Haven't missed a lick through the whole thing.

The rain is OK, but we could not depend on it for vegetable crops.

Our tiny carrot sprouts would have been dead 7 days of the past week.

even though we had rain probably 3 of the nights

Run the pump 15 minutes to wet the surface, some days twice,

and everything is great.

We use sprinklers as much for a giant aircon mid afternoon

as for deep irrigation

If it rains great, if not nothing bad happens.

[farmerjo]

Had 2 1/2 inches yesterday,25 inches for year so far,on par for an average or better than average year.

No crop for me this year,just rejuvenating the land after a 5 year sugar rotation.

[zzaa09]

In Surin we have farmers that have not tilled their plots as not enough rain. The wife's family is planning for the worst.

Some in Surin are just getting into their second tilling and olanting, after giving up on the first disaster. Some are doing better than others.....several deep ponds, klongs adjancent, etc.

[zzaa09]

Rather different this year.....the rains are coming late.

[gotlost]

Rather different this year.....the rains are coming late.

The rains were late this year but they have arrived. Well they be enough? Only time will tell. The wife's family is breathing a little easier. They were able to grow their nursery with the help of their fish pond.If it had not been for the pond all bets were off. The transplants are in. Now it is up to mother nature.

[kelboy]

plenty near sukothai sorry boys

maybe i'll send you some.

[RedBullHorn]

up north, Chiang Rai....we waited 7 months for the rain and now there's so much rain that it flood...

lucky for me i have an ATV (quad bike), makes passing the flood easy with sacks of feed loaded on board...

Edited August 3, 2010 by RedBullHorn

[roni]

Redbull, do you have a Polaris ? How much did u pay for it?

[IsaanAussie]

Yeah know that feeling, what was the access into the pig sty is strictly 4WD now. Not helped by a bunch of pigs who decided to turn a slight puddle into a massive wallow. Oh well, there is a will so there must be a way. Actually our rain has been reasonable but still not enough to have all the paddies covered in water so transplanting rice is slow with a lot of tops without roots being pulled. Such is life.

[RedBullHorn]

Redbull, do you have a Polaris ? How much did u pay for it?

Polaris? No...what i've got is a made in China Honda engine copy...bought it @ 58'000 THB in 2008...150 cc Automatic gear with neutral and reverse gears...for farm use...during the raining season, it hurts me to see my precious vigo prerunner get all dirty and the new Honda Wave scooter can't do the job on the muddy way....so i got the ATV to do the tansporting work (it is modified at the rear to pull a "road kane" trailer load of 13 sacks of feed, total, i can load 18 sacks, 5 on the bike)...

Edited August 4, 2010 by RedBullHorn

[RedBullHorn]

Oh My Buddha!!!...hey Roni...you sign up in 2003 and you've only 3 posts ?...*Faint~

Edited August 4, 2010 by RedBullHorn

[roni]

Oh My Buddha!!!...hey Roni...you sign up in 2003 and you've only 3 posts ?...*Faint~

hahaha,...Yeah... I signed up when I was still new in Bangkok(I think it was something about free sms or something) and forgot about it. Found it again recently when I got interested in moving to farming and relocating to Isaan....

BTW - Nice ATV......is it 4wd? is it safe? I heard those Chinese ATVs roll a lot....I am very interested in buying one. The VIGO is too big and the bike is to scary....

Edited August 4, 2010 by roni

[RedBullHorn]

No, it isn't a 4WD, just a basis back wheel drive, for farm use riding to and fro from home...The 450cc is 4WD and it cost 200'000 plus for a second hand and 400'000 plus for a brand new...crazy!!! ...Spending that kind of money i'd rather buy an E-tan or a small Mazda pick up truck...

[zzaa09]

Relief. The last week.....the consistence rains that should have maintained itself in May has dispersed throughout the golden land. Wonder if the late kick-in will last until Loy Kratong?