Weeks-long drought hard on state’s crops

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Deep cracks in the ground tell the story of drought, where only about half the normal rainfall has fallen so far in 2026, making it the 10th driest in Mississippi history.

Mike Brown, state climatologist with the Mississippi State University Department of Geosciences, said February was the driest on record for Mississippi and March was the third warmest and 11th driest.

“This is very early for a drought in Mississippi,” Brown said. “Most winter and spring months, we are normal to just above normal for rainfall. For us to develop this severe a drought this early is quite rare.”

Brown examined 1916, 1941, 1943 and 1970 to find years with similar rainfall to date and said each of those years ended with an annual deficit of up to 45% the usual rainfall.

Mississippi has an ideal climate to grow many crops and typically averages 56 to 66 inches of rain a year. To make up for gaps in rainfall, about 40% of the state’s farmland is irrigated.

Drew Gholson, Extension irrigation specialist, said the gradually expanding drought conditions displayed on the U.S. Drought Monitor map are raising increasing concerns.

“In most seasons, our primary challenge is identifying suitable planting windows between rainfall events,” Gholson said. “This year, we have been ahead of schedule on planting due to favorable dry field conditions. However, as drought intensifies, this early planting advantage may rapidly become a significant risk.”

Gholson said soil moisture levels below about 6 inches deep remain adequate, but the immediate concern is successful plant establishment -- ensuring germination and early root development to reach the available moisture.

Justin Calhoun, soybean specialist with the MSU Extension Service, said the drought has all but halted soybean planting.

“There is very little soil moisture left at normal seeding depths, especially in the Delta region,” he said. “This has caused some folks to plant a little deeper to chase moisture, which is something we do not recommend this early in the season.”

Other growers are planting at normal depths in too-dry fields, hoping for rain.

“There are a lot of questions around how long that seed can stay viable in the soil without germinating,” Calhoun said. “The lack of rain is also presenting challenges for our preemergence herbicides, which require rainfall to activate.”

Calhoun said using irrigation to germinate planted seed is a last-ditch effort. For those crops already growing, mid-April is well before a normal irrigation start time.

The optimal planting window for soybeans in Mississippi is April 10 to 20. For every day after this date that soybeans are planted, their average harvest is 0.4 bushels lower than normal.

“The longer these planters sit parked waiting on moisture to plant, the more yield loss we will see at the end,” he said.

Brian Pieralisi, Extension cotton specialist, said the cotton planting window opened the middle of April.

“Cotton is planted about 1 inch deep, so soil moisture is the primary concern,” Pieralisi said. “In many fields, the soil moisture level is much deeper than 1 inch, and that will prohibit most growers from planting until it rains.”

Erick Larson, Extension corn specialist, said the majority of the state’s corn crop has already been planted, and the current drought should not hamper corn growth.

“It will restrict our ability to incorporate top-dressed nitrogen fertilizer, so we suggest limiting application until the forecast for rain improves, or growers can alter the application method,” Larson said.

Will Eubank, Extension rice specialist, said rice fields are flushed early in the season, with water quickly applied to germinating seeds or young plants. Rainfall and existing adequate soil moisture make this process more efficient.

“Flushing rice takes a lot of time, manpower and energy that we like to avoid at all costs,” Eubank said. “But if we are getting uneven germination or no germination, it can quickly become a necessity in these drier conditions.”

Brown said the amount of rain that has fallen across the state this year varies widely, but all areas report less than normal rainfall. Biloxi has had 7 inches of rain, when it normally receives 17 inches; Vicksburg has less than 9 inches, where normal is almost 19 inches; and Tupelo is at 12 inches of rain, while 18 inches is normal.

“We need a few eight to 12 hour periods of light to moderate rain to ensure soil penetration,” Brown said. “Quick and heavy rainfall events tend to cause significant runoff, preventing moisture from penetrating deeply into the soil.”

A string of five or six days each with an inch of rain falling over several hours would go far in replenishing the state’s soil moisture levels.

“Unfortunately, the 10- to 15-day forecast is not terribly promising right now,” Brown said. “If there is a small positive, it is that the upper-Midwest has gotten plenty of rain, which will keep the Mississippi River able to recharge the aquifer for Delta irrigation.”