friday, january 231976
page 6
daily nebraskan
nan n nu fWn 0 niTW
By Ron Ruggless and Kim Shepherd
Drought may plague Nebraska again according to
Norman Rosenberg, UNL agriculture engineering
professor.
"We are simply overdue for another severe drought,"
Rosenburg said, citing a climatic cycle theory based on
climate and weather reports.
History shows a repetition of drought about every 22
years. The last droughts were in the 1890s, 1910s, 1930s
and the late 1950s, he said, making drought in the 1970s
"extremely likely."
"A 22-year cycle makes the most sense scientifically,"
Rosenberg added, because solar energy (sun spots)-which
change the motion of air masses and the ocean's tempera
ture occur in the same time cycle.
This theory, not fully proven, has been endorsed by
many scientists in meterology.he said.
Nebraska may be in the midst or at the end of its
periodic drought, Rosenberg said.
Impace could be severe
"It is possible the droughts in the summers of 74 and
75 may be an indication of a dry period," he said.
"Actually, the '74 dry period was' just about as severe as
in the '30s. It was no minor event by any means."
The soil moisture has been depleted, he added, and "if
next year is as dry, the impact will be severe."
Donald Han way, chairman of the UNL Agronomy
Dept, said an extremely warm, dry fall in 1975 used up
the water reserves plants need.
A wet summer would not help the dry conditions, he
said, because the spring rains replensih the water reserves
several feet beneath the earth which plants use during
dryer summer months. The moist earth allows proficient
root growth in the spring.
Irrigation, like "money in the bank," will help reduce
the effects of a drought, Hanway said, along with efficient
crop production and more sophisticated farming habits.
Precautions can be taken
Rosenberg said precautions can be taken to ease the
adverse conditions of a drought. Many farmers are turn
ing to less moisture-sensitive crops.
Corn requires much moisture, he said, while sorghum
can exist with less and soybeans thrive under dryer conti
tians. Hanway said the UNL Agronomy Dept. is "developing
new varieties (of crops) that will tolerate heat and drought
better than in the past.
UNL's history, agriculture, engineering, economics,
business, political science, computer science and sociology
dept., soon maybe working on a drought strategy plan.
Drought would
dent enrollment
from out-state
"The general purpose of the project is the development
and implementation of proper crop management decis
ions, reducing losses in times of drought," Hanway said.
Departments seeking grant
The departments are seeking a $1,383,000 grant from
the National Science Foundation to finance the two-year
strategy planning.
Rosenberg said a drought would burden Nebraska s
agriculturally-based economy, although less than before
farming habits changed.
"Product losses may be smaller," he said, "but capital
loss could be great because of the large amount ol money
invested in these farms."
People also are softer than they were years back, he
said, and with limited energy supplies, priorities will have
to be made.
"Does it go into air-conditioning or into irrigation?"
he asked. "We will have to make that decision if a drought
does occur."
Hanway said the crop producing systems of the future
will minimize tillage and make more efficient use of her
bicides, j .
This is because herbicides kill weeds that normally are
killed by tilling, he said. With less tillage, less valuable
surface water would evaporate, Hanway said.
Windbreaks, many of which were planted after the
1930s drought, will hold down water evaporation and
wind-erosion, he said, so the likelihood of another Dust
Bowl is not as great.
Rosenberg said the country should maintain an
adequate surplus of grain "to see us through the bad
years," if they come.
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A Nebraska drought inevitably would affect UNL's
enrollment, said Al Papik, UNL admissions director, but
he is unsure to what extent.
With 95 per cent of UNL students coming from
Nebraska, a drought probably would put an economic
squeeze on those attending the university, Papik said.
' The overall impact could be lessened, he said, because
many UNL students are from eastern Nebraska, especially
Lincoln and Omaha.
Last semester 1,700 out of about 3,800 incoming
Nebraska freshmen came from these two cities, Papik said,
so a drought's economic effects may not reach this group
as fast as out-state Nebraska students.
Although UNL enrollment increased during the 1975
recession, Papik said, "I have to believe, to some degree,
that economic conditions do affect the amount of stu
dents going on to higher education.
"Increases in tuition and room and board at the
same time could keep a lot of students from coming
here," he added.
During tight economic times, students may consider
the increasingly popular two-year junior and technical
colleges in the state, Papik said.
"They provide salable skills," he said, "and during a
severe recession or drought they may look more attrac
tive than a university."
During a drought, the Nebraska Legislature would be
less likely to raise taxes to support the university, he said,
and undoubtedly would ask for cut-backs in faculty
members, staff and programs at state institutions.
Areas teaching nonsalable skills, such as philosophy,
history and most of the arts and sciences, would be cut
first, he said.
As for financial aid, he said, "just guessing," that
the Health, Education and Welfare Dept. would be more
tight fisted with its educational grant money.
Should a drought occur, they would focus on programs
benefiting more people than just the student, Papik said.
"It is very hard to tell what will happen" if a dry spell
is in Nebraska's future, he said.
NU enrollment records show that the drought in the
late 1950s had little effect on enrollment.
1
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