The Adverse Effects of Sustained Drought on Wheat Production

Identifying Opportunities to Improve a Local Farming System

Sustained droughts in many parts of the country have devastated badly needed agricultural production for 2022, and this has certainly been the case for Western Oklahoma where the state’s winter wheat is projected to decrease by as much as one-half (Boswell-Gore, 2022). The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the sustainability of the current production of winter wheat in Western Oklahoma and to identify strategies that can be used to improve its sustainability in the future. Following this analysis, the paper summarizes the findings from the research in the conclusion.

What is the “Big-Picture” problem you are trying to solve or improve?

The western part of Oklahoma, including the Panhandle region, is experiencing a sustained drought that is devastating the winter wheat crop (Boswell-Gore, 2022) that is worth nearly half a billion dollars (Hefton, 2021).

Is it a water quality problem?

Water quality is not the problem affecting the winter wheat crop in Western Oklahoma at present.

Is it a soil loss problem?

Soil loss is not currently a problem in Western Oklahoma, although some parts of the Panhandle region of the state have been susceptible to wind-borne soil loss in the past.

Water quantity?

This is the main problem that is currently affecting the winter wheat crop in Oklahoma. Not only have rain events become less frequent, the amount of rain delivered each time has also declined (Boswell-Gore, 2022).

Farm profitability or sustainability issue?

Both farm profitability and sustainability are adversely impacted by the effects of the ongoing drought on Western Oklahoma’s valuable winter wheat crop.

Combination?

It is reasonable to suggest that soil erosion over the past 150 years has played a role in the productivity of the land in Western Oklahoma.

Regulatory – too much; too little?

The fundamental riparian right to use stream and groundwater is codified in the State of Oklahoma’s Constitution (Water law and management in Oklahoma, 2020), indicating that state regulation is not part of the problem.

Other? – you decide

Environmental: The Ogallala aquifer has been the main source of water for agricultural enterprises for more than a century, but the extraction of water from this source has outpaced its refilling through rainfall and snowpack. Exploiting other geographically proximate water sources would invariably introduce new disputes or would require significant investments to acquire riparian rights sufficient to satisfy the needs of Western Oklahoma. In addition, the state lacks access to ocean salt water which could be used for desalination applications.

Social: Although Oklahoma still features about 86,000 farms across the state, the majority of the population lives in urban settings including the Oklahoma and Tulsa conurbations.

Economic: Although Oklahoma remains a major agricultural state, it has diversified its economy in recent decades to include a major focus on health science research, alternative energy resources, and light manufacturing.

Conclusion

The economic impact of the winter wheat crop has diminished comparatively due to the diversification of the state’s economy but it still remains an important part of the state’s economy. Nevertheless, climate change is causing more extreme weather events and it is likely that Oklahoma’s drought will continue to increase in severity. Therefore, Oklahoma wheat farmers should seek drought-tolerant commercially viable alternatives.