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Impact Of Stocking Rate And Grazing Management System On Profit And Pasture Condition
Section 5 of 12
July 1, 1995 - December 31, 2000

Weather Conditions

Submitted by: Jim Gerrish
University of Missouri Forage Systems Research Center
Funding by: Missouri Soil and Water District Commission

All agricultural enterprises are at the mercy of the weather, as are all agricultural research projects. The five years this study encompassed provided a wide range in environmental conditions including the wettest single month recorded at FSRC in 25 years (May, 1996@16.14 inches), the second driest July-August period in 25 years (1999 @ 2.65 inches), and monthly mean high temperatures from 8^o F below normal (May, 1997) to near normal and monthly mean low temperatures as much as 10^o F below normal (September, 1996). All in all, typical Missouri weather. Two years were more than 20% below normal precipitation, one was more than 20% above normal precipitation, and two were very near normal, although distribution through the season was extremely variable. Overall, the five-year period was characterized by above normal spring precipitation and below normal late summer precipitation (Table 2)

Table 2. Monthly precipitation for the study period with five-year study period mean and 25-year norm for the location.
Year	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Total
1996	1.66	0.18	3.59	1.22	16.1	3.14	3.32	2.64	3.75	1.46	2.39	0.11	39.60
1997	1.07	2.97	1.29	5.66	3.74	6.50	1.70	4.41	3.55	5.95	1.43	2.22	40.49
1998	1.58	1.90	4.86	4.90	2.19	10.7	3.90	2.13	6.97	8.16	4.02	1.48	52.83
1999	1.04	1.33	2.20	5.86	5.87	2.58	1.55	1.10	5.88	0.82	0.93	1.86	31.02
2000	0.14	2.13	2.49	0.85	2.39	6.67	4.50	5.41	2.53	2.76	1.40	0.89	32.16

5y	1.10	1.70	2.89	3.70	6.07	5.93	2.99	3.14	4.54	3.83	2.03	1.31	39.22
25 yr	1.12	1.32	2.45	3.46	5.13	4.39	4.98	4.21	3.82	3.39	2.94	1.64	39.00

Mean monthly high temperatures during the study period tended to be below the 30-year norms for the area, with a 2 to 9 degree year to year variance (Figure 1). In most cases, high temperature did not appear to be a factor in reducing summer pasture growth. Mean night time low temperatures also tended to be 2 to 5 degrees below the long term means for the area. Of the thirty months included in the five grazing seasons, only four had mean day-time high temperatures were above the 30-year norm for the location. The below-normal temperatures probably helped alleviate the effects of the drought that commonly occurred during the late summer periods.

Figure 1. Mean monthly high temperatures for April through September 1996-2000 were generally below the 30-year norm based on 1951-1981 data.

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