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 FLOODED FIELDS--A corn and soybean field on the Raccoon River bottom south of Perry, Iowa was planted on May 8, but after extensive rains in early June it suffers from several wet spots, erosion and is threatened by rising river waters along the tree line. (Journal photo by Jennifer Bremer.) Weather problems affect growers across the Midwest, High PlainsBy Jennifer Bremer and Doug Rich Mother Nature has shown the Midwest and High Plains its share of bad weather conditions this spring, including tornadoes, high winds and excessive rainfall. With the flood of 1993 in everyone's minds, farmers across Iowa are starting to make considerations regarding crops for 2008, whether it is replanting or just planting the first time. Corning, Iowa farmer Ray Gaesser was fortunate to lose only an empty grain bin in the recent tornadoes that caused damage near his southwest Iowa farm, but others weren't quite as lucky. "The tornado went just a mile north of our place, so we were lucky," he said. Many tornadoes have caused damage all across the Midwest and High Plains this spring, including an EF5 tornado in Northeast Iowa that killed eight people and caused at least $6 million damage in the town of Parkersburg and surrounding communities. The Parkersburg tornado caused extensive damage while on the ground for 43 miles; it included damage at the Todd and Alisa Neil farm near Fairbank, where it seemed to be the end of the destructive tornado. The Neils raise cattle and farm with his parents in Buchanan County. Their farm, along with his parents' home, was destroyed by the tornado that hit Parkersburg. They were not home at the time, but returned to find they had lost cattle, a hog building, a grain bin, a corncrib and many of their belongings. They, however, feel lucky that they were not home at the time and are safe, even though there is a lot of cleaning up to take place. Rains The Corning area was also bombarded by 7 inches of rain on June 4, the same night as the tornado. The rain led to flooding in many farm fields and the evacuation of part of the community. "I had one field with foot-high corn, that was probably under 8 to 10 feet of water at one point," he said. "But the waters went down fast; so it appears the crop might be okay." Gaesser said his records show 9.5 inches of rain in June 1993 and 11.5 inches in July 1993. "While we had a more normal planting season in 1993 than we did this year, we appear to be on track with the same amount of rain as we had in June 1993," he said. "Hopefully, we will see several dry days since there's probably 30 percent of the soybeans yet to be planted in my area." Soybeans flooded Iowa State University Extension agronomist Palle Pedersen said he has had many questions about how soybeans respond to waterlogging or poor aeration associated with floods. "Standing water in low-lying fields can result in significant soybean yield reduction and can last many days, due to lack of soil permeability or surface drainage," he said. "The extent of flood damage on plants is related to the temperature of the water, the amount of water motion and the duration of the flood." He said right now the chance for stand loss is high, simply because of the high temperatures Iowa has experienced. "Research from Minnesota shows that flooding for six days or more may result in a significant yield loss or loss of the entire crop. With our current temperatures in the 80s, soybean plants may only survive a few days," he said. Flooding can also leave silt deposits and crop residue that can bury the crop and significantly reduce the plant's ability to perform photosynthesis. Therefore, some rainfall is needed to wash silt from the leaves. Pedersen warns to watch for problems down the road as well, as fields subjected to flooding also are more susceptible to nitrogen and other plant nutrient deficiencies and to some root rot diseases. Corn affected On the corn side, Iowa State University Agronomy Professor Mike Owen said if farmers must replant corn fields into soybeans, there are two factors that need to be considered. "First, how will you remove the existing corn stand and, second, was there a residual herbicide treatment applied to the corn?" he said. Owen said the first can be accomplished by a number of tactics including the use of glyphosate if the hybrid is not resistant to glyphosate, tillage, or the use of a graminicide. "The latter may be more of a problem if one of the herbicides used has a rotational restriction that precludes replanting to soybeans. It is critically important that you know what was applied to the corn field and check the label to make sure that soybeans are a replant option," Owen added. If replanting is the option used, according to Pedersen, growers must have the soybeans in the ground by the first of July, but a few management practices may need to be changed. "Late planting of soybeans is going to have a significant impact on our yield. Late-planted soybeans go through vegetative growth stages much faster than early-planted soybeans," he explained. "The reason is that, in addition to temperature, soybean development is influenced by day length." Pedersen said it is important to wait several days (three to five) after a crop has been damaged (or has emerged) before replanting. "Injury can look very serious the day after the event but recovery may be possible," he said. Missouri and Kansas Farmers in Missouri were on high alert for possible flooding on June 10. Gary Clark, director of market development with the Missouri Corn Growers Association, said the next three days would be critical. Clark said the area around Brunswick, Mo., and Glasgow, Mo., was a hot point for potential flood damage. "It just depends on how much water can flow through," Clark said. Clark estimated that 70 percent of the corn in southwest Missouri had already been replanted because of the extremely wet conditions. The rest of the state had replanted a significant amount of corn, also. Rodney Thompson, a corn farmer near Richmond, Mo., said he had replanted one field that had flooded and was keeping an eye on the nearby Missouri River. Pooling has occurred on many low-lying fields because the water just cannot drain away fast enough. Flooding has not been a major problem for producers in Kansas at this time. John Wray, who farms along the Marias des Cygnes River near Ottawa, Kan., said hail has been more of a problem this year than flooding. Wray said he had lost 200 acres of wheat, 120 acres of soybeans, and 90 acres of corn to hail so far this year. "It just wiped it out," Wray said. As farmers assess damages from tornadoes, rain and hail, roads close and waters rise causing problems all across the Midwest and the only one that can solve these problems -- Mother Nature. Jennifer Bremer can be reached by phone at 515-833-2120 or by e-mail at jbremermaj@hotmail.com. Doug Rich can be reached by phone at 785-749-5304, or by e-mail at richhpj@aol.com. 6/16/08 Date: 6/11/08 Advertisement
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