Excitement.

Having returned from a weekend of farming in Lincolnshire I am reliably informed the area around Grimsby had 5 mm of rain on Sunday night. 

Looking at the forecast for Gloucestershire I note we too may receive 5 mm on Thursday.  Should I get excited?  What value is 5 mm or rain to Gloucestershire’s current drought situation regarding resumption of grass growth suitable for livestock grazing.

Well simply put, 5 mm is practically useless.  While it may temporarily wash dust off what remains of the pasture, it is far too little to break the historic Soil Moisture Deficits.

For dairy and beef cows, this volume of rain will fail to stimulate the growth needed to halt the current crisis.

Immediate Evaporation.

With the current August temperatures, 5 mm of moisture will evaporate from the topsoil or grass canopy within hours, never reaching the root zone.

Zero Soil Penetration.

Bone-dry, parched soil behaves like concrete. A light shower cannot penetrate the surface to alleviate root-level stress.

No Growth Stimulus.

Grass growth has plummeted to below half of its seasonal average. A minimum of 30 to 60 mm of sustained rainfall is required to restart growth.

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