# Substitute for rainfall?



## DKFarms (Aug 11, 2008)

OK. It's been 3 weeks with no rain, no rain in the forecast, and customers are screaming for the first hay cutting. But I know if I cut now, they won't be satisfied with what they get. So I was thinking (I know, please don't laugh), I have these number 50 tips for the sprayer that I have used for pesticide apps requiring high GPA rates. I was wondering how many gallons per acre would I have to spray to have the equivalent of a 1/2 inch rain? 
Tomorrow (night) I will throw a hose over the levee and start siphoning water from the neighbors rice field.


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## LaneFarms (Apr 10, 2010)

it takes 27154 gallons to equal 1 inch of rain.


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

Stop letting all your gulf moisture come up in to TN, KY, And IN and you will have some rain! LOL I have only had about 7" in the last 3 weeks in southern IN, pretty dry compared to western TN.


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## CantonHayGuy (Sep 25, 2008)

Man, I sure feel for you DK. For as much snow as we had up here this past winter, our Spring started off pretty nice. I had a good opportunity this week to get my first cutting done, but had sinus surgery to contend with; now it looks like a week's work of rain headed our way...... and the hay really could come out now.

But really, if you're not getting rain, other growers around you aren't getting it so it's not like your customers will go away. They may have to go somewhere else for their immediate needs, but if you're their closest source they'll come back when you have hay put up.


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## DKFarms (Aug 11, 2008)

Our forecast last Saturday was a 60% chance of widely scattered showers. By Monday I had 3.25 inches in the gauge. It was much needed for hay, soybean planting, and rice flushing. BUT, I still didn't think it was a good enough chance so I didn't put out any urea. I thought I had outfoxed the fertilizer gods for the third time in 3 weeks but this time they got me. Today's forecast is no rain for two weeks. I'll have to make the first cutting without that starter shot of nitrogen sometimes in the next 2 weeks. Like my Dad always said, welcome to farming. Thanks for all the moral support.


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## bluefarmer (Oct 10, 2010)

it takes 27154 gallons to equal 1 inch of rain. Is this per acre or what


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## dixietank (Jan 26, 2011)

I know I read in some facts book that 1" of rainfall is 100 tons of water to the acre. I'm in Natchez, MS and we just got a gusher rush another sposed to hit Sun or Mon so stay on top of your forecast, you may get a second chance.


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## vhaby (Dec 30, 2009)

Questions answered if my math is correct-

If 27,154 gallons of water are spread on one acre, that approximates one inch of water covering that acre, or rather going into the soil on that acre. This amount of water would soak into about 12 inches of sandy loam soil and into about 6 inches of clay loam soil.

The same number of gallons of water on one acre approximates 113 tons of water.

There are 8.35 lb of water in one gallon.
There are 62.43 lb of water in one cubic foot.
There are 43,560 square feet of area on one acre.

With these values, one can compute the answers above to double check my math.


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## duramax (Dec 18, 2010)

vhaby said:


> Questions answered if my math is correct-
> 
> If 27,154 gallons of water are spread on one acre, that approximates one inch of water covering that acre, or rather going into the soil on that acre. This amount of water would soak into about 12 inches of sandy loam soil and into about 6 inches of clay loam soil.
> 
> ...


So in your opinion, is it worth his time to water this way? (HA HA) Gotta love your post!


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## Nitram (Apr 2, 2011)

So how many trips with a 300 gal tank? lol And how much damage to the crop driving over it? Or perhaps a fly over tanker is an option...Just sayin


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## NCSteveH (Jun 30, 2009)

Just so you know, Murphy and his rain machine are waiting for you to have that hay in a windrow.


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

NCSteveH said:


> Just so you know, Murphy and his rain machine are waiting for you to have that hay in a windrow.


Send Murphy down here......I think I'm almost to the point where I could make 1-day hay. Very few bales and the dust would be miserable.


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## davang (Apr 7, 2010)

Mike120 said:


> Send Murphy down here......I think I'm almost to the point where I could make 1-day hay. Very few bales and the dust would be miserable.


 Yeah. I got everything disked up and dragged flat now I can't plant the $1200 in seed I bought. I'm sure glad I didn't sprig! Even after all that AND roundup and the drought, the bluestem is still there in spots and growing! I can't believe it.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

davang said:


> Even after all that AND roundup and the drought, the bluestem is still there in spots and growing! I can't believe it.


Well of course it is, you're treating it as a weed and want it to die. Try fooling it into thinking you want it there, it'll die for sure.


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